Troubleshooting water in cabin
I've been trying to troubleshoot water in my cabin for a while. The
entire lower carpeted area in front of the galley on my 98 MAXUM SCR
2400 is constantly wet.I've eliminated the water system and fridge. I sucked up the water in the carpet with a wet vac, and within 5
minutes, it was squishy again. There is no standing water, but it is
very damp. I looked in the compartment under and next to the head where the fridge
is. It is bone dry. The mid-ship blige had a small amount of water, but I tested the bilge
and it works. I sucked the water out of there with the vac, and it
remained dry while I was at the boat over an hour. I looked in the compartment under the table and there was some water in
there. I sucked that out several times with the vac, but it always
seemed to re-appear. No idea where this is coming from. We are talking
maybe an inch of water tops. I closed the a/c intake and head intake in the engine compartment and
that made no difference. I used a hose on the outside drains and no water appeared in the cabin. Any other ideas on what I can try before calling someone in? |
Mike
May 11
2006
|
| Well, though you were a little critical, at least it was constructive.
If I was an expert at this I obviously wouln't be asking for help on
the internet. I vacuumed up the water in the engine compartment and the compartment
under the table in the cabin. The mid-ship bilge compartment was still
dry from last time. It turns out that the engine compartment and
forward compartment are connected. After getting that dry and watching
for new water, I vacuumed the carpet again. It stayed dry. Before, it
was wet again in 5 minutes. The water in the enigine compartment was
the problem. The water got in there when my boat was dropped in the water. Since
they didn't winterize my boat, the A/C raw water strainer broke and
water entered the engine compartment until I saw it and shut the valve.
I thought the bilge would take care of it. The fact that there was a good 1.5" of water in there concerns me a
little. The bilge is working, but doesn't kick in unitl the water is
pretty high. At what level should the bilge kick in? My guess is as
soon is there is any water. Thanks everyone for the help. This was quite a relief not having to
have the boat pulled out of the water and looking at big repair $$$$. |
Mike
May 13
|
| On 13 May 2006 11:15:33 -0700, Mike C penned the following well |
Gene
May 13
|
| The bilge is working in there. Could be some water from my water system
problems and playing with that. The bilge doesn't kick in until there
is about 2" water in the center section fo the engine compartment. |
Mike
May 11
|
| First of all, what you're referring to is a bilge pump, not a bilge. The
bilge is the confined area below decks. The bilge pump is what removes the
water that shouldn't be there in the first place. You need to get beyond
the "could be" stage of this situation and start living in the hard reality
of it. As long as there is any standing water in either bilge, you will
never discover the source. A wet/dry shop vac will remove most of the water
that the bilge pump won't address. Dry rags will get the rest. You need to
get both bilge areas to a bone dry state and then watch diligently for water
intrusion. The operative word here is diligence, and it appears to be
lacking in your efforts so far. But in all honesty, you really don't appear to possess the skill set that is
required to properly diagnose and resolve the problem. I believe your best
move at this point is to call in professional assistance. |
RG
May 11
|
| > |
basskisser
May 11
|
| It should. The only exception would be in the case of a very marginal leak.
The water pressure induced by the boat being in the water and allowing water
to enter the inside of the hull would be more than the water pressure
induced by the water contained in the hull and trying to drain by gravity.
I suppose it's possible that a very marginal leak would not be noticeable in
the draining scenario, but it's highly improbable. The water and therefore
the leak should be detectable as it drains from the hull, assuming it's that
type of leak he's dealing with in the first place. The OP claims to have eliminated all on-board systems as the source due to
draining all tanks. Maybe so, but onboard water systems would be highly
suspect, since the leak has appeared immediately after post-winterization
recommissioning. On the other hand, the leak appears to be pretty quick to
re-present itself (within 5 minutes) after vacuuming up the water and with
all on-board systems drained and turned off. That sure sounds like a sea
water leak to me. The OP hasn't specifically mentioned if water was ever
found in the aft bilge. He only mentions water in the forward bilge. On
some boats, one drains into the other. On my boat, the two are physically
separated, each with it's own set of pumps and they do not drain into each
other. Based on the limited information given, I'm guessing that the owner
is a relative newbie, with little understanding of the boat and its systems.
These things can sometimes be difficult to trace, but nearly impossible if
you don't have a solid understanding of how the boat is put together and how
it works. With a solid knowledge of the boat and a methodical process of
elimination, it really shouldn't be that difficult to diagnose. It's time for action. If it were me, I'd have the boat hauled immediately.
If it is a sea water leak, letting the boat remain in the water only
exacerbates the damage already done. The cabin carpet and perhaps even the
flooring underneath is probably already ruined. The OP mentioned earlier
that the floor felt soft. The carpet is permanently glued to the cabin
flooring, and will have to be ripped up. Mold and mildew will be an issue
going forward. Not pretty. |
RG
May 11
|
| > |
JIMinFL
May 11
|
| It would be possible for there to be a leak in the bottom of the boat
that was running upwards through a void or passage to a spot a foot or
more above the bottom of the boat. This could be caused through either
capillary action or hydrostatic pressure. Putting six inches of water
inside the boat while on land would not show this leak. |
Mys
May 11
|
| The boat is in the water, but I (think) remember it being wet on the
stands before it went in the water last month. I should have added that the people I paid to winterize the boat did
not. This caused many problems (leaking hot water heater, filters,
pressurizing pump) and I originally thought that was the cause. I
drained all the water system and STILL had the water in the cabin
problem. However, I am wondering if this is related some otehr way. I have heard people talk of the drain plug. Where is this located?
Could it be possible the winterizing people pulled it and din't put it
back in? I am not familiar with the drain plug at all. There is a normal water in the aft bilge. My blige compartments aren't
connected. |
Mike
May 11
|
| I have a decent knowledge of the boat. I've had it 7 yrs. I have
eliminated everything internal. The only thing I can think that is
causing it is a crack. My question with that is that why is the water
only dampening the carpet and not accumulating? I guess it could be
high enough up rather than on the bottom. I think the next step is probably (unfortunately) obvious- pulling boat
out. As I don't have a trailer and the closest dealer is 50 miles away,
it is a problem.... |
Mike
May 11
|
| considered thoughts to the readers of rec.boats: |
Gene
May 11
|
| --
'Til next time, John H ***** Have a Spectacular Day! *****
|
JohnH
May 11
|
| Try borrowing a trailer at a ramp for an hour. If it were me, I'd loan you
one in a heartbeat. I'd think most folks would. Also, to help spot the leak, if it is there, you might put some food
coloring in the water inside the boat. That way you'll be able to spot it
when it comes out.
--
'Til next time, John H ***** Have a Spectacular Day! *****
|
JohnH
May 11
|
| If the onboard systems, like potable water tanks etc are all filled
using public water, you can test for chlorine using a very cheap test
kit from a pool supply store.
.. |
basskisser
May 11
|
| Someone suggested it is possibly hull to deck joint not sealed. Anyone
know where to look for this on this boat and if it needs to be taken
out of the water to fix this? |
Mike
May 11
|
| Good idea...I will do that jsut to be sure I haven't missed something
before having to haul it out of the water. |
Mike
May 11
|
| Your boat is a stern drive. The normal condition of the aft bilge should be
bone dry. Any water in the aft bilge is not normal. |
RG
May 11
|
| Is the boat in the water? Sounds like it is. Since you've eliminated
on-board systems as the source, it is likely sea water. First order of
business is to get the boat out of the water and closely inspect the hull
and all through-hull fittings. In your previous post you mentioned that the
boat is launched by the marina with a fork lift. It's not unthinkable that
the fork lift operator put a small hole in the hull. Maybe not, but if the
water stops appearing after the boat is on land, then at least you know for
sure that the source is indeed seawater. Then it's just a matter of finding
the ingress point. |
RG
May 11
|
| You make it sound so easy, RG. Finding leaks can be a real bitch. Hauling
the boat and putting it on stands or a trailer is a good Idea. Eliminating
the hull and underwater components would make the owner more comfortable.
Then you would be limiting your search to on board systems, and above the
waterline integrity. patience and persistence are key. |
JIMinFL
May 11
|
| If the boat were hauled, and water poured into the compartment that fills
with water, and if there were a crack in the hull, would the water drain
out and expose the crack?
--
'Til next time, John H ***** Have a Spectacular Day! *****
|
JohnH
May 11
|
