Please help ! I cannot find the route of my dreaded engine bay water leak!

[meerlaan]

Hello Everyone,

 

I have had to resort to a post about this as tonight I feel defeated !! after 2 months of battling with a leak in my engine room, I really thought I had it sussed !

 

- I have had various things to the calorifier done, including expansion tank fitted and all the joints re done, (plumer was doing some other work did this)

- I have reseated the calorifier skin fitting with CT1 as I noticed this wasnt very good,

- I then found a small hole near another pipe exit, where a spot of weld was missing and filled this with CT1 , really thought this was it.

 

And yet still I find water, and a fair amount !!

 

Alot of people say check the prop but I really dont think its this and I regularly twist the knob, but I am going to attempt to completely repack this at the weekend. For now I have put a bowl under it.,

 

I have taken some photos and even a video to try and show the issue and am desperate for some advice, I had the boat surveyed recently and he said everything was in very good conditon so am dubious to think its the hull itself leaking but starting to feel that way.

 

I did run the eberspecher this morning for hot water and it rained lots today. I have a cratch cover and cannot figure it out ! I wondered if it was coming in through the vents but they dont seem wet ?

 

Any help greatly apreciate, it may stop me going totaly mad.

 

Thanks

 

Martin

 

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Ps. sorry some of the photos are terrible, just home from work and tried to take the best I could on my phone with a torch, The video is a little better I hope

[Blazeaway]

I had similar issues quickly fixed by cleaning out by roding the pipes that drain rain water away from thr rear deck of the boat.

[MtB]

Looks like condensation to me.

 

There is no cure, other than moving the boat to a warm dry climate.

[Drayke]

I had similar problem with mine, turned out to be some welding missing round one of the deck drain pipes.

[meerlaan]

I also thought about the pipes that drain the water, but to be honest with the cratch cover I cant see much water need draining away from top deck, is this what you mean ?

 

Ah I did wonder if it might be condensation!! is possible with this amount of water ?? Is this made worse due to having the boiler on, and I guess because it is rusty it is holding in the spots and if I gave it a fresh lick of paint it might run into the bilge.

 

Will try and add the video now

 

http://www.martin-price.org/downloads/Engine%20Leaks/IMG_4511.MOV

F DRAYKE, yes that was where mine was missing some weld too ! really thought I had fixed it when I sealed this up :/

[meerlaan]

https://vid.me/inDb

[ditchcrawler]

I also thought about the pipes that drain the water, but to be honest with the cratch cover I cant see much water need draining away from top deck, is this what you mean ?

 

 

Cant see a cratch cover stopping water getting in the engine hole, but to me it looks like condensation, but not being there I could be wrong.

[Blazeaway]

I also thought about the pipes that drain the water, but to be honest with the cratch cover I cant see much water need draining away from top deck, is this what you mean ?

 

Ah I did wonder if it might be condensation!! is possible with this amount of water ?? Is this made worse due to having the boiler on, and I guess because it is rusty it is holding in the spots and if I gave it a fresh lick of paint it might run into the bilge.

 

Will try and add the video now

 

http://www.martin-price.org/downloads/Engine%20Leaks/IMG_4511.MOV

F DRAYKE, yes that was where mine was missing some weld too ! really thought I had fixed it when I sealed this up :/

When you mention "cratch cover" do mean pram cover as pictures are back of the boat. ? If yes then we have a pram cover but rain still gets on the rear deck by running down the sides of it and onto the deck.

 

Condensation is a possiblity but needs colder conditions and higher humidity than of late I would suggest. We get it in our engine bay but only during winter.

[Sea Dog]

I haven't looked at your photos on my phone, so if I'm stating the bleedin' obvious whilst trying to help, please forgive me.

 

Have you identified whether the water is drinking water, waste water, rain water or coolant? This would clearly help to reduce the number of possible sources.

 

Condensation in any significant amount would need a large cold area to produce it, which seems unlikely in summer. A significant coolant leak would be revealed when you check levels.

 

I place a "save all", plastic tub or similar, under anything that I suspect may leak. For example, one sits permanently under my stern gland which is a Volvo seal and never even drips, but should I find water in the bilge that's at least one source immediately checked. I note you've done that at your stern gland, so that's a good start, but if there are other connections, drains, etc, where you can do it you probably should. Then where there isn't space or a save all is inappropriate, try placing a sheet of kitchen paper or similar there, obviously making sure it's dry first. I use this technique under any new joints, particularly on heating/cooling circuits where it often takes a few heat cycles before the drip starts. The smallest drip will be revealed as a damp spot. The same technique can be used by stuffing drain channels through baseplate stiffeners to identify if the water is flowing from cratch area to aft bilge for example.

 

These are a few simple steps which, if they don't find the actual leak, should allow you to rule out a lot of possibilities. Good luck; I hope you solve your issue quickly.

[boots]

In addition to a 'save all' bucket, what about wrapping tissue around any joints etc?

 

Source of similar issue for us was the deck boards and the drain tubes were blocked

[meerlaan]

Thanks for the advice ! Yes I mean pram cover, sorry. Still getting used to all the terminology.

 

When I was convinced it was coming from the calorifier I did wrap all the joints with tissue and all but one were ok, I have now placed tissue in various spots whilst thinking I was insane so thanks for letting me know this isnt such a bad idea

 

Any suggestions on the best way to clean the drain tubes ?

[WotEver]

 

Any suggestions on the best way to clean the drain tubes ?

That stuff used to hold up net curtains is good. It's like a long spring with a white plastic covering. Cheap as chips from Wilko or the pound shop.

[meerlaan]

So update this moring, after running the eberspacher for an hour I checked all the tissue and there is no water anywhere, the bowl is dry also. Not sure what this means.

[MtB]

That stuff used to hold up net curtains is good. It's like a long spring with a white plastic covering. Cheap as chips from Wilko or the pound shop.

 

 

Technical term: "Curtain wire".

[rgreg]

I had similar issues quickly fixed by cleaning out by roding the pipes that drain rain water away from thr rear deck of the boat.

If I ever have water in the engine hole it is always because the drain pipe from the track below the top cover has become blocked; it doesn't take much to block, eg a small leaf. This is easily cleared by rodding and can be checked by pouring water into the drainage track and see if it comes out of the drain hole on the outside of the boat.

[WotEver]

 

 

Technical term: "Curtain wire".

Who knew?

 

Well you, obviously

[dor]

I had a "difficult to pin down leak" which turned out to be a leaking window. The water came in by the window, but then ran down behind the lining and only made its presence known about eight feet further back.

 

Took a while to find that one!

[magnetman]

Last sentence-

 

How did you seal it up and are you sure it isn't letting water in. Seems most likely to be this causing it and therefore directly related to rainfall.

 

(Phone not generating quotes for some reason )

 

Edited to add intended quote below when it should have automatically come above.

 

I also thought about the pipes that drain the water, but to be honest with the cratch cover I cant see much water need draining away from top deck, is this what you mean ?

 

Ah I did wonder if it might be condensation!! is possible with this amount of water ?? Is this made worse due to having the boiler on, and I guess because it is rusty it is holding in the spots and if I gave it a fresh lick of paint it might run into the bilge.

 

Will try and add the video now

 

http://www.martin-price.org/downloads/Engine%20Leaks/IMG_4511.MOV

 

F DRAYKE, yes that was where mine was missing some weld too ! really thought I had fixed it when I sealed this up :/

 

 

I use curtain wire for cleaning the sink waste outlet if it gets blocked

 

Also handy for net curtains.

Edited July 13, 2016 by magnetman

[meerlaan]

Thanks for your responses,

 

Pretty sure I got the small hole around the water drain pipe, did this with CT1 also, seems to be good around this area,

 

Totaly dry this eve so fairly confident it is linked to rainfall, am going to try and clear all the drain pipes. Any one have any experience of the vents leaking ? could this be a possibility ?

[mross]

are we talking pints or gallons? One person's "lots of water" might be a dribble to someone else! I find adding milk to a drain will show if it goes overboard or into the bilges.

[matty40s]

who is the hull builder?

How often do you move your boat?

Does the water ingress happen all the time, or just when you move?

Think out of the box of information you give us, this may help.

 

example - a boat I moved had channels draining to the outside - when under way - the rudder stock seal leaked over the back deck, this went into the channels.

The boat was ballasted incorrectly/or channels angled incorrectly - most water went into the channels and from the forward end, into the bilge dripping from the drain channels - the drain holes were at the rear of the boat.

I have since seen two other boats with this design, one the same, one a different builder

Edited July 13, 2016 by matty40s

[meerlaan]

Ah ok so you pour milk down the water drain pipe ? does it not smell if it is that

 

I would eastimate about 1 pint total in the engine bay last night, could be a little less, seems alot when its on the floor and in a few different places.

[boots]

Has there been any rain since you last inspected? (If not, might rule out the drain option). The water looked 'clear' in your photos - do you have antifreeze in your engine coolant? Heating systems? (If so might rule them out). What other water sources are there in the engine bay?

 

Just some thoughts..

[mross]

Ah ok so you pour milk down the water drain pipe ? does it not smell if it is that

 

Yes, the milk will smell if it drains into yer engine hole but if you find yer leak, isn't it a price worth paying? Is that an automatic bilge pump under your stern gland? Is it cutting in before the well overflows?

[meerlaan]

Your right! Not sure if it is automatic or not, I shall have to give it a test.

 

I check everyday to see if there is water and usually I catch it before there is much in the sump. (Think that's the right word)

 

It's been dry all week so I am pretty sure it's rain related yeah I think it was clear water that leaked.

 

Am going to check all drain holes / pipes this weekend !