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Water in cabin bilge


Ricco1

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This sounds exactly like my afternoon, albeit with 60l of water I've removed so far with a mop and bucket. Like you I'm fairly sure the pipes aren't to blame having done similar tests. I'll be taking another look tomorrow to see if there's any more. The idea about overfilling the water tank is an interesting one as it fits with the time-scale, although I've never noticed this in the past. The water I've been taking out is dark brown, either canal coloured or rusty bilge type water, I can't decide.

 

If the leak has stopped and I can no longer get any more out with the mop, would anyone recommend using a dehumidifier? The only issue I can think of is they need to be run constantly and probably require a fair amount of power.

I had to get rid of some unwanted water recently. I bought some cheap disposable nappies from Sainsbury, they were about £1.50 for 20. I chucked about 10 in the bilge and pulled them out the next day. Hey presto, all the water was gone!

You might find it a bit difficult if you don't have kids though. I couldn't get the thought of dirty babies nappies out of my head and it was making me wretch.

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OK some possible progress. I re-visited the water pump with a good torch and there is dampness around and under it. Feeling with my hand, the chipboard plinth it rests on is saturated. I tried running it for a few minutes expecting to see some more water but not so. Anyway, even if it isn't the only cause of the water in the bilge it needs sorting.

 

When water pumps leak do they tend to do so only when running, or could they leak all the time? I know I haven't stated the model but in general, are they an expensive item to replace?

 

If they leak, it will be all the time.

 

You can get a reasonable new pump for about 60 quid.

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When water pumps leak do they tend to do so only when running, or could they leak all the time? I know I haven't stated the model but in general, are they an expensive item to replace?

 

They're as likely to leak when not being used. However, the output side of the pump is usually pressurised and this could cause more leaking when pressurised. I have a minor leak with my pump and until I fix it I won't let the system pressurise fully. It doesn't stop the leak and only reduces it.

Edited by Higgs
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If you want dye there are commercial products, try "drain tracing dye" from BES ltd or any good plumbing stockist. Do not use much though, its normally for large volumes. The dye of choice used to be Fluorescein which can be best traced with a UV lamp so more sensitive on small leaks, buts its out of favour these days.

 

Chris

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My water pump (shurflo) started leaking a while back and I didn't notice until I happened to check under the floorboards - I'd lifted the carpet for some reason and found the floorboards sodden underneath. There was no sign of a leak from the pump but it was obviously a slow drip, I think from the gasket, and only when running. Only way to tell was that there simply wasn't anywhere else the water had come from unless I had a leak under the waterline, in which case I suspect thre would have been a LOT more water. I read somewhere after that there had been a bad batch of Shurflo's which had a tendency to do this.

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This sounds exactly like my afternoon, albeit with 60l of water I've removed so far with a mop and bucket. Like you I'm fairly sure the pipes aren't to blame having done similar tests. I'll be taking another look tomorrow to see if there's any more. The idea about overfilling the water tank is an interesting one as it fits with the time-scale, although I've never noticed this in the past. The water I've been taking out is dark brown, either canal coloured or rusty bilge type water, I can't decide.

 

If the leak has stopped and I can no longer get any more out with the mop, would anyone recommend using a dehumidifier? The only issue I can think of is they need to be run constantly and probably require a fair amount of power.

 

That's a bit worrying. Does your boat have a cassette or a pump-out bog?

 

A rusty pump-out tank is the most likely source of dark brown 'water'.

 

 

MtB

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Sounds like condensation to me.

 

Does anyone else notice this problem when the weather gets cold?

My bilge is bone dry in Summer but I've noticed water collects in Winter. I mop it up by leaving bath towels down and swapping them over daily.

 

Trouble is I Waxoyled the whole bilge years ago but damp got under it and trapped the water between the layer of Waxoyl and the base plate. Result rust!!

Have often thought of applying diesel to bilge area in Summer so that it can penetrate into the rust and form a waterproof barrier for the future.

 

What do others think of that idea?

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Trouble is I Waxoyled the whole bilge years ago but damp got under it and trapped the water between the layer of Waxoyl and the base plate. Result rust!!

Have often thought of applying diesel to bilge area in Summer so that it can penetrate into the rust and form a waterproof barrier for the future.

 

What do others think of that idea?

Not a good one. Diesel will creep all over the place, it'll stink for weeks after it's applied, and when you do pump any water out of the bilge, it'll give that lovely rainbow film on the water for miles around. If you can get it dry and clear of any old paint, then something like Galvafroid will give a corrosion resistant coating which is, to a degree, self healing, a bit like having a lot of very small anodes inside the hull. Otherwise, get it bone dry by applying dry heat from something like a fan heater, and apply another coat of whatever's already there.

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If you want dye there are commercial products, try "drain tracing dye" from BES ltd or any good plumbing stockist. Do not use much though, its normally for large volumes. The dye of choice used to be Fluorescein which can be best traced with a UV lamp so more sensitive on small leaks, buts its out of favour these days.

 

Chris

Is that favour of flavor :-) captain.gif Edit as I lost my smillie

 

cochineal?

The missus had a devil of a job getting red dye for decorating the Christmas cake. Loads of green available

Edited by ditchcrawler
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  • 3 years later...

IMO condensation can create a lot of water in the cabin bilge. I noticed in coldest weather when stove is hottest, a fair few litres a week that I was pumping out with oil extractor. This water wasn't there when we go away or in summer.

We also had water seeping in thru bow bilge partition when it gets too high.

I have now fitted bilge pumps in all parts, not automatic ones, but at least its easy to remove now

I wud say one is better off trying to control the flow of water than prevent it altogether

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13 minutes ago, charliemcsnarly said:

IMO condensation can create a lot of water in the cabin bilge. I noticed in coldest weather when stove is hottest, a fair few litres a week that I was pumping out with oil extractor. This water wasn't there when we go away or in summer.

We also had water seeping in thru bow bilge partition when it gets too high.

I have now fitted bilge pumps in all parts, not automatic ones, but at least its easy to remove now

I wud say one is better off trying to control the flow of water than prevent it altogether

I guess by now (4 years later) the OP has sorted the problem or sunk.

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Having spent a week or so mopping up our bilge, this is very useful! Hadn’t considered condensation, or overful water tank.

we have another possibility, out front cockpit is below water level and drained by a channel to the rear bilge. (It’s an “S” series Pat Buckle Ownerships boat)

so that sounds like three separate sources of water!

and one other point, if the access hatch is at the back and to one side (as in our case) then the attitude of the boat matters. 

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37 minutes ago, Peter Thornton said:

Having spent a week or so mopping up our bilge, this is very useful! Hadn’t considered condensation, or overful water tank.

we have another possibility, out front cockpit is below water level and drained by a channel to the rear bilge. (It’s an “S” series Pat Buckle Ownerships boat)

so that sounds like three separate sources of water!

and one other point, if the access hatch is at the back and to one side (as in our case) then the attitude of the boat matters. 

Mine was like that. It sank one Christmas when I had the flu and the automatic bilge pump failed (as did the next one when it was needed). I welded up the channel and raised the front deck above the waterline.

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2 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

Mine was like that. It sank one Christmas when I had the flu and the automatic bilge pump failed (as did the next one when it was needed). I welded up the channel and raised the front deck above the waterline.

Ouch! Was it an ex Ownerships one?

How big a job was the conversion? I guess you would have had to remake your front doors and also provide new steps?

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