Very slow leak

[scurr]

Have you tasted water too see if it's fresh or salt? Fine as long as it's not your holding tank.



Having had a recent incident needing bungs, I would recommend they are kept easily accessible. NOT near the fitting.

If a fitting fails catastrophically you will never find the bung near the fitting.
Mine where in a locker to hand in seconds, with multiple bungs similar sizes. If I dropped one it didn't matter, I would never of found a bung if it where attached to or the vicinity of the the now missing fitting.

Something's sound great in theory.

Haven’t tasted it. Will give that a go when I get a little puddle again.

 

[Channel Sailor]

Agree with Refueler. On close inspection of the photo the old original gelcoat/flow coat crack looks ominous. If that area is at the front edge of the keel then I would be looking closely in other parts of the hull bottom. My first thoughts are why put flow coat in that area in the first place. It would be good news if it was just a non structural interior plywood panel tabbing had failed just forward of that area. But even then I would be wondering why.

 

[greeny]

I wouldn't disturb too much at the moment but once lifted out I would be chipping away at that white flowcoat and see whats underneath. Its been added for a reason, I hope its cosmetic and not an attempt to cover something up and its leaking again.

 

[scurr]

I'm looking at the photo and I don't like the look of the area between the two 'ducers' ...

I would be looking round there to see if the securing nut ring has been compromised by that split 'whatever it is' between the two.

I think that’s where the lave’esque flow of paint stopped as opposed to a crack.

All areas under the cabin sole were done. Hull / keel were fine in the survey.

 

[Refueler]

I'm intrigued by this seemingly universal idea its 'flowcoat' ... I can think of many items I've seen that look similar when its been bilge paint .. after time cracks and onion skins.

I paint my bilges and round gear with household white emulsion paint ... easy to apply, literally don't have to dry out areas - just remove water ... lasts a few years before it cracks and 'onion skins' ...

But anyway ... a weeping leak is often down to whatever is used to seal a fitting ... then people try to 'paint' round it to seal .. hardly ever works !!

 

[scurr]

Hmm,

19 hours and no return of water.
Filled the water tanks to about half.

Boats!

Having owend the same boat the calorifier is in the next door locker, so taste test..

Fresh. Now I’m on the hunt for a leak in my fresh water system.

 

[Clancy Moped]

Hmm

19 hours and no return of water.
Filled the water tanks to about half.

Boats!

Fresh. Now I’m on the hunt for a leak in my fresh water system.

In the starboard locker next to you is your hot water boiler (calorifier). I'd start there.

 

[SimonD]

In the starboard locker next to you is your hot water boiler (calorifier). I'd start there.

The calorifier has a pressure relief valve on it. In normal operation, they release water and they're well known for leaking as well. That's a good place to start.

 

[scurr]

Pipes / valves are dry but there is water on the ledge the water heater is dirty so it does seem to indicate it is that my water is pressurised, and I’ve not heard the pump go other than running taps clearly there is water there though and it’s not salt water sre the tanks themselves prone to leaking?

 

[jaminb]

On my SO~37 the PRV has an overflow that drains to the sump. The water is incredibly hot and caused the hot water pipe to degrade / collapse where it leaves the calorifier, however my leaking water ran back to the flat bilge area opposite the heads door sole board. NB my cockpit lockers are full of stuff so my stern maybe lower than yours!

 

[Clancy Moped]

View attachment 178948Pipes / valves are dry but there is water on the ledge the water heater is dirty so it does seem to indicate it is that my water is pressurised, and I’ve not heard the pump go other than running taps clearly there is water there though and it’s not salt water sre the tanks themselves prone to leaking?View attachment 178947

I think that is the original, Italian made? I managed to squeeze in a 40lt one in that space, we went through 5 in 18 years, they are prone to leaking, our original which managed to dump coolent and water on a crossing from Mallorca to Sardinia.

 

[scurr]

I think that is the original, Italian made? I managed to squeeze in a 40lt one in that space, we went through 5 in 18 years, they are prone to leaking, our original which managed to dump coolent and water on a crossing from Mallorca to Sardinia.

There is no label. So haven’t a clue. Just spent 20 mins watching for drips. None seen. It’s a good 4 inches above the hull so is going to be the source.

Perhaps the tank is cracked.

I’m at the boat for another 2 hours. I’m planning closing both fresh water tanks valves and then using the drain valve on the heater tank to empty the system before I go.

Feels extravagant to buy a new tank without knowing it is busted for sure. But short of removing it and stripping the insulation I won’t know? The insulation is on the bottom too?

 

[jwilson]

I'm on my third PRV in 18 years on a SO35 - almost identical boat design. The instructions that come with a new PRV says to click the knob round monthly to clean the valve - doing so releases a small amount of water that on the SOs is usually piped to the bilge sump. I put in a new shorter pipe that leads to a 2 litre clear plastic bottle - that way you know if the PRV is leaking by checking the bottle stays empty every now and again.

Also on my SO35 the small accumulator tank on the port side near the FW pump was not enough - I have fitted a second larger accumulator tank on the output line from the calorifier. Fitting this reduced the tendency for the PRV to release water.

If the calorifier or PRV is going to leak it will be when it's heating up - you won't find a leak without heat which expands the water.

 

[scurr]

Neither the engine nor the mains heater has been on this weekend, and the water has collected. Given it is on the wood the heater is mounted to, and the drain / pressure release valve goes under the base and into the sump, I don’t believe it is the release valve. It is probably half a litre that has come out. It’s collected in the the part where the forward keel bolt is. That’s also rusted more than I would like since the survey sited some mild surface rust.

 

[Clancy Moped]

How rolly is your marina berth?

 

[Fr J Hackett]

It's highly unlikely that the tank has cracked I would be looking at fittings what is the immersion heater fitting like?

 

[scurr]

How rolly is your marina berth?

It’s Haslar, not too bad other than when the motorboat on J decides to leave

 

[scurr]

Identified!

It’s this connection. Well at least this connection is leaking a little. Guess I just give it a tighten… really hope this thread helps someone else in future as finding this wasn’t fun.

 

[Clancy Moped]

It's highly unlikely that the tank has cracked I would be looking at fittings what is the immersion heater fitting like?

The inner copper tank dies causing a slow leak through the the polostyre insulation, I had exactly the same boat and boiler, the op is looking at the start of the end of the calorifiers life.

 

[scurr]

Tightening that, rotates all behind it. That in turn isn’t leaving much flex in the clear hose.