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Found a leak!


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Hi all 

 

My first post on this forum I hope someone can help.

 

Ongoing water issue in bilge stern and bow for a while now.  I've taken up flooring, ripped  out old shower tray, sorted  stern gland, checked windows/pipes/pumps/hull and after almost abandoning ship I finally found the leak. 

 

When I fill the water tank (about every 4/5 weeks) there must be a crack or split in the filling tube so if I overfill and get run off about 3/4 litres of water fills the bow bilge very very quickly which then runs through the boat slowly  ending up in the stern bilges. 

 

I'm so relieved I've found the leak but does anyone know how to sort it out? The 'pipe' going down to the tank is about 3/4 inches long. I can't see that this is cracked so it must be where it joins to the tank.  The tank appears to be metal.   Is this repairable or do I need a new tank? 

 

Thank you!  

 

 

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I can't get a photo without dismantling the boat ATM  as he tank is under the metal stern  and  hemmed in by bulkhead, ply wall,  bookshelves, double bed and all the crap stored under it.  I will dismantle it in the next week or so (when I've finished  rebuilding the shower) I need to take up the floor to move some ballast and check for any residual sitting water.   The area where it's cracked seems inaccessible until I've done all that but appears to be at the very top of the inlet -  I wondered about hiring a camera on a stick to try and have a look but if it's irreparable ???? I just wondered if this had happened to anyone else? 

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So its not a separate skin fitting type water filler, screwed onto the deck? A photo showing what you think is leaking would be a help to avoid talking about the wrong thing. What I am thinking of is usually brass or s/s, but without understanding your tank and filler type... can you explain further otherwise? Is it an integral tank or separate tank? Is the filler a fitting or part of the hull structure?

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Hard to picture it. My thoughts are that if its just a short stub of pipe on top of the tank it has cracked a weld or something because it is stressed by the tank / boat moving a few mm when you fill the tank. You might have to cut a (say) 6" dia hole around the filler, remove the filler, weld the crack and reinstall it with a bit of rubber hose. get a bigger disc of metal and bolt it down over the 6" hole and job done.

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Welcome to the forum.

There  are so many different ways this is done on boats. Nothing is standard, so we'll really need photos, or a very good description to help. Photos are best though. Good you've found the cause though.

Jen

Edited by Jen-in-Wellies
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I just went into the bow to take a pic of the inlet hole and realised  I've got 100kg of coal sitting on top of it out for ballast until I sort the bathroom!   Thanks to all who have responded - I will get pics as soon as I've got bathroom finished and can then start ripping the bedroom apartment  - oh the joy!!!  ? 

 

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5 minutes ago, Cheshire cat said:

It sounds repairable but how much damage needs to be done to get to it? Cut a hole in the foredeck to provide access?

I thought that too but the water tank seems to be at the stern according to an earlier post but now we hear it is in the more usual place at the front.

 

haggis

 

Edited by haggis
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Do you get your leak only when refilling and/or as an overflow if filling the tank to the brim?  If the 'leak' is in the filling toob, regardless of where the tank is situated, why not bypass it?  You fabricate a flange to stop it falling into the tank and from this drop a length of tubing of a slightly smaller diameter than the existing filler to lead past the leak and down into the tank.  If the diameter is close to that of the original it could represent a semi permanent solution. Otherwise, a temporary solution, without filling too high, until you can can formulate a fix.

  • Happy 1
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3 minutes ago, Opener said:

Do you get your leak only when refilling and/or as an overflow if filling the tank to the brim?  If the 'leak' is in the filling toob, regardless of where the tank is situated, why not bypass it?  You fabricate a flange to stop it falling into the tank and from this drop a length of tubing of a slightly smaller diameter than the existing filler to lead past the leak and down into the tank.  If the diameter is close to that of the original it could represent a semi permanent solution. Otherwise, a temporary solution, without filling too high, until you can can formulate a fix.

You would still get leakage from the split while the tank is near full from slosh of the water inside as the boat rocks with people on board. Only partially filling the tank would get round that and it isn't easy to do with different water taps filling at different rates.

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21 hours ago, David Robert Jones said:

 

When I fill the water tank (about every 4/5 weeks) there must be a crack or split in the filling tube so if I overfill and get run off about 3/4 litres of water fills the bow bilge very very quickly

Do you have a vent pipe fitted to the top of the tank? The leak could be in that?

I have known boats where there is a vent connection on the top of the tank, but no connecting pipe to outside the hull, so once the tank is full, water just continues to flow into the bilge.

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On 11/11/2020 at 17:36, Jen-in-Wellies said:

You would still get leakage from the split while the tank is near full from slosh of the water inside as the boat rocks with people on board. Only partially filling the tank would get round that and it isn't easy to do with different water taps filling at different rates.

Course there are solutions to these points. (Well, maybe).  If your filler is wide enough, you just push the filling hose far enough into the tank to bypass the leaky bit. And that solves the depth bit as well.  Decide how high you want the water in the tank, measure your hose then only put it into the tank by the appropriate length. Regardless of how fast the tap is, when the noise the incoming water makes stops, the water is up to that level.  Seemples

  • Greenie 1
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The scentific way. If the filler goes straight vertically down into the tank make a floating dipstick. You will need a slim longish float, ''a pike fishing float should be ideal'', It's what I used to make one for someone with the same problem.   You will also need a longish thin stick, a tube of Araldite Rapid and a reel of cotton.  Grasp hold of the stick and float and bind  the narrow end of the float to one end of the stick with the cotton.  Mix up the Araldite Rapid, ''Hermetite now make it'' and neatly smother the cotton with it and keep twiddling the stick round until the Araldite sets enough so as not to drip. Set aside to cure.

    With low water in the tank pop the wonderful float stick into the filler with the top of the stick sticking out. Enter the hose pipe into the filler alongside the float stick and push it well down. Make sure that the float stick is free enough to rise, fiddle with the hosepipe to allow this.

    Depending on how much water is in the tank the float stick might be starting to float.  Turn on the tap and with a torch peer down into the tank to see the level. When the float has risen and you reckon that the tank is full enough without leaking into the boat. Turn of tap and mark the float stick with red paint level with the rim of the filler orifice.  Withdraw hose and floatstick and above the red danger mark on the stick paint about 3 or 4 inches of yellow paint as a warning that the tank is getting full.

       Whilst the tank is filling watch that floating dipstick like a hawk and when the yellow warning mark starts to appear watch it like an Owl even closer, and be ready to whip the hose out.    

         The Scientific way.  The Special unpatented homemade Float stick gauge.       Professor Bizzard.

 

  • Greenie 2
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Thank  you to all the responders -some excellent ideas - love the float stick and the little  alarm  as, well as all the tube fixes - I will definitely be trying several methods - apologies for lack if response - I've been taking up a lot of flooring to see how far the leaking had progressed... It's not good - I am drying out ballast by the fire as I type.  I think it's been leaking for ages..... 

 

Thanks for the help people!   ????

 

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