LEAK IN PRESSURIZED WATER SYSTEM

[nashvillekat]

My water pressure pump comes on every 15 minutes for 3 to 4 seconds. I observed that the water tanks went down an inch in a 4 hour period. I have a leak in the system. But no noticeable leaks around the sinks, tub, shower and toilets. What is the best way to detect where the leak is without TEARING THE BOAT APART TO get at the joints in the plumbing fixtures ???

[km1125]

Check your carpets to see what might be wet. Look in your bilge to see where water is coming from. Lay down some paper towel in the bilge if it is ALL dry.

I had a microscopic leak in a "T" fitting once that drove me crazy. Just looking at it you COULD NOT see any water coming out but there was indeed a very microscopic stream coming out under pressure. I finally noticed a wet spot on the bulkhead and traced it back to this fitting a couple feet away. This was after several other fittings of the years that had cracked. The next project I tackled was replacing it all with PEX and haven't had an issue since. (Mine was about 25 years old at that point)


If they were till using that grey tubing in 1990, I'd recommend changing it all. There were some recalls on that stuff as it would all crack after a certain period of time.

[mjk1040]

Check the hot water tank, see if maybe the relief and or drain valve is seeping. Check the pump fittings. Toilet maybe leaking and you cannot see it? A good bright light and go exploring! Mike

[Viper]

I agree with all the above. There is no simple way to find the leak other than getting eyes on every fitting stem to stern and all fresh water hardware in between. Don't forget transom shower if applicable, dockside inlet, hot water tank itself (tank leak) look around the base to see if it's wet but not coming from any of the fittings, ice maker, etc. Perhaps the hardest ones to find are shower faucets. It's usually very difficult to get behind them to check if they're leaking but you could usually see signs of water running from that area into the bilge. Get the bilge good and dry, then watch which section of the bilge water first shows up in. That will be your first clue and lead you in the right direction.

[km1125]

Do you have an exterior washdown shower? Perhaps it's not all the way off?

[noelrock]

You could put food coloring in tank and see where it is coming outw

[nashvillekat]

thx 4 call the great advice. Now will put my Sherlock Holmes hat on and start investigating.
Turned off aft bilge pump and no water rise after 54 hours of losing 1" in both tanks. .

[nashvillekat]

Qr Bbpost Do you have an exterior washdown shower? Perhaps it's not all the way off?

Qr Bbpost I agree with all the above. There is no simple way to find the leak other than getting eyes on every fitting stem to stern and all fresh water hardware in between. Don't forget transom shower if applicable, dockside inlet, hot water tank itself (tank leak) look around the base to see if it's wet but not coming from any of the fittings, ice maker, etc. Perhaps the hardest ones to find are shower faucets. It's usually very difficult to get behind them to check if they're leaking but you could usually see signs of water running from that area into the bilge. Get the bilge good and dry, then watch which section of the bilge water first shows up in. That will be your first clue and lead you in the right direction.

THX 4 that advice. Going in this directions.

[mjk1040]

So ur saying u do not have dry bilges? I do not know if 1" of water out of the tank would noticeably register to one sight in a bilge? If ur bilge was dry and u lost 1" from the tank and nothing showed up in the bilge at all, u have a leaking toilet if your toilet feeds from the tank water. Mike

[tomschauer]

The relief valve on my water heater started to drip at the end of last season, just another place to check. That reminded me that I didn't yet get a replacement .