Water in bilge

Anything related to the operation of your boat. Steering, Bilge Pumps, thru-hulls, bottom paint, etc.
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cpoint
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Re: Water in bilge

Post by cpoint »

mjk1040 wrote:Qr Bbpost I don't think its the exhaust fittings. I believe they are lower than ur bilge pump location and if they were leaking would fill the chamber below ur bilge pump. Take the drawer and top out of the night stand and have a look around. I had the front shower sump with bad check valve and a hair line crack at the outlet port that was filling my forward bilge with the amount of water u r noticing. Also the shower sumps r not sealed and if ur float is not working all the time this water will overflow into the bilge. Used flex seal on the cracked shower sump box and no more water in the bilge.

MJK, thanks. I am just guessing myself. I will take a closer look over the weekend. But I am pretty sure its not shower sump, as the water is not clear. Annapolis water is brackish water, kinda brownish. And that's whats in the aft cabin bilge. But replacing the shower sump (both front and back) is in my list of items. Just haven't gotten around. As you suggest I will check all I can see in the back and report here once I can see anything.
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tomschauer
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Re: Water in bilge

Post by tomschauer »

My 355 always has a bit of clear water in the bilge. It is usually in the front under the galley floor unless my aft tank is full, then it is in the aft bilge. I believe it is from the anchor locker. I don't worry much about it as my it is a very low level and never seems to rise nearly enough for my bilge pumps to remove it.

Both the fore and aft pumps are not in an ideal location in my opinion. They sit a few inches above the lowest possible point.
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Re: Water in bilge

Post by cpoint »

tom, I agree the pumps are not located at best location. Mine is at dock more than in use, so not much getting the boat up at speed that will get the water to the pumps where they are. I am lucky in the sense the forward and mid bilge area is dry always. The back one only bothers me because it makes it smell in aft cabin, specially when it is hot out side. I end up vacuuming it out with 1 5 gallon wet vac. takes 3 trips. not a fun task. But this weekend I am going to spend some time trying to figure out the source, and as a backup add a new bilge pump I bought to use as needed. I am going to pump it out through shower pumps hull hose. I may just leave it there, but I do not want to re-wire things. Not sure I can tie it to the power of shower pump? They would not be running at same time, so it may be OK, maybe?
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Re: Water in bilge

Post by tomschauer »

a couple times a year I put a hose into my bilge and let it run for a few hours. It cleans up the dust, exercises the bilge pumps and keeps any standing water from going green and stinky.
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Re: Water in bilge

Post by cpoint »

Just to update this, looks like the back bilge is now fairly dry, after last through suctioning of all water out, it has not returned while in motion or as it sits at the dock. So I think we are goon on this for now.
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Re: Water in bilge

Post by mjk1040 »

Well we started getting aft water in the area of the shower sump, thought it was the sump not working. Further investigation showed that the AC unit drain pan has quite a bit of water in it. Pan drain is clear, however the drain pan seems to be tipped a little lower at the opposite end of the pan than the drain end. When the AC unit is running the vibration from the compressor is splashing the water out of the pan into the bilge. Going to prop the low end up a little to force the pan water to run toward the drain end better. If that eliminates our aft bilge water issue I will advise.
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Re: Water in bilge

Post by km1125 »

The other thing to do is make sure that the pan drain is at the aft end of the pan. When getting up on plane, you want that water to go down the hose, not away from it and over the edge.
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Re: Water in bilge

Post by cpoint »

After 3+ weeks My bilge is dry. So the problem is no longer there for me. back bilge has some water, but very little. But I still say the bilge pump in back is in wrong spot. By the time it gets to mine, boat would have to be down under :)
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Re: Water in bilge

Post by bud37 »

cpoint wrote:Qr Bbpost After 3+ weeks My bilge is dry. So the problem is no longer there for me. back bilge has some water, but very little. But I still say the bilge pump in back is in wrong spot. By the time it gets to mine, boat would have to be down under :)

So it would only work in Australia ????? :-D ... :beergood:
FWIW.....The above is just my opinion.
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Re: Water in bilge

Post by cpoint »

bud37 wrote:Qr Bbpost
cpoint wrote:Qr Bbpost After 3+ weeks My bilge is dry. So the problem is no longer there for me. back bilge has some water, but very little. But I still say the bilge pump in back is in wrong spot. By the time it gets to mine, boat would have to be down under :)

So it would only work in Australia ????? :-D ... :beergood:

Ahhh.... maybe, how did I missed that :-D :clap:
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