Input on influx of water

[ageless]

'88 55 convertible. Now I understand it's a boat and it lives in the water BUT I have areas of the bilge that are taking on water by unknown source. The small compartment starboard engine room where fire suppression cylinder and AC strainer are. Bilge float switch in there just quite and in a 12 hour period it took on 30g of water setting off high water alarm. Extracted the water with manual pump operation and see no source visible. Is it "normal" to get water in the bilge? I wouldn't think so....thoughts?

 

[mykim]

Holy S**t Batman!!!!! No, No, No. You have a nice leak going somewhere. Likely areas to check first, A/C cooling pumps and entire A/C system, rudders and shaft packing's. If nothing substantial there you need to check all the thru hulls. Could well be a broken hose. Others will chime in with other thoughts.

 

[JLR]

Was she plugged into dockside water at the time. If so, make sure to check your fresh water system throughout the boat.

 

[Reefgeorge]

Check if its salt water or fresh water, that will help narrow it down if the source is not obvious. I concur with the holy s*** concept. Think anuerism potention on a swelling hose as a possibility.

Additionally, if I read this correctly and your bilge pump or switch does not work in a place getting 30 gallons of stray water then getting that working needs to be a mission critical priority.
George

 

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

I've got a 55c so I know your boat. Could be head strainers up forward leaking back to ER sump. That's one that might elude you. Good advice on ac strainer and pump. Rudder post comes to mind. Pm me if you want to talk it over. Bilge can and should be dry.

 

[mykim]

I've got a 55c so I know your boat. Could be head strainers up forward leaking back to ER sump. That's one that might elude you. Good advice on ac strainer and pump. Rudder post comes to mind. Pm me if you want to talk it over. Bilge can and should be dry.

Not sure if the 1988 55C's were still 32V. On occasion I will knock one of my bilge switch's to off on the bridge. First time that happened I spent a lot f time troubleshooting a non problem.My bilge always has fresh water in it. Salon AC units drip into the engine room bilges.

1980 55C

 

[wpc691]

Holy cow! Get a new float switch!! (Buy 2, carry a spare). Then check all the stuff already mentioned. I assume you're at the dock with AC running, so I'd look at that thru hull/strainer/hose first.

 

[ageless]

I've got a 55c so I know your boat. Could be head strainers up forward leaking back to ER sump. That's one that might elude you. Good advice on ac strainer and pump. Rudder post comes to mind. Pm me if you want to talk it over. Bilge can and should be dry.

Further info....starboard rudder post is leaking minimally ( only when turning starboard). I've given it a good 2.5 turns but don't see much difference ( unsure how much I can tighten those before I do more harm then good), it does not leak when moored and that water goes to the aft bilge pump that cuts on every hour/half for about 4-5 sec's. On a side note can that stuffing box be serviced in water or is it a definite haul out job? I've seen shaft boxes done in water, just unsure of rudders. I have gone into every hatch I can find and see no source, both head strainer compartments are dry, compartment to head pumps dry, fresh water in/Out hoses not leaking. If it helps the water is coming in from the 1" drain tube in the bottom of the compartment, I just can't visualize anything ahead of that that's leaking

 

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

Rudder posts can be done in water no sweat. You sure it's draining to aft center bilge and not running forward? Salon ac draining to bilge?? Put the end of that hose in a bucket and you'll be shocked how much water will accumulate in an hour this time of year. If you cut your pump off or you've a bad float this may be most of the problem. Either way, tie you ac condensate lines into a discharge overboard line. This is an accident waiting to happen.

 

[Tim Powell]

Rudder posts can be done in water no sweat. You sure it's draining to aft center bilge and not running forward? Salon ac draining to bilge?? Put the end of that hose in a bucket and you'll be shocked how much water will accumulate in an hour this time of year. If you cut your pump off or you've a bad float this may be most of the problem. Either way, tie you ac condensate lines into a discharge overboard line. This is an accident waiting to happen.

Well put Robert. AC this time of the year put out a lot of water. Putting them all together into one line is what i did also. I also insulated all the coper lines going to the evaporators. That alone took a lot of water out of the bilge. May eaven improved the cooling. My water showed up in the hot summer.

 

[dottieshusband]

Like others have said...check the AC system. I had a leaking distribution manifold. It also collected in the well in the generator room for the CO2 tank.

 

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

Great minds and all. I just added insulation to my copper.

 

[bobk]

30 gallons in 12 hours seems like a lot for condensate.

Bobk

 

[ageless]

I am still searching fellas, I did determine its salt water, I know for sure it's coming forward of that compartment, I have looked in EVERY hatch I can find and see nothing. I'm nose deep in the manual working super hard to resolve this, can't thank everyone enough for the feedback. On a side note I'd like to throw an apology to the forum for the less than admirable beginning to my posting here

 

[krush]

Food coloring is a useful tool.

 

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

I little salt water from other sources plus years of salt residue might fool you into glossing over fresh water source. The 55C has two evaps in the salon both, apparently, draining in bilge. Depending on temp, thermostat setting and humidity, a gallon an hour from each can be produced. I found it out when one of my lines clogged and I put one drain in a two gallon bucket while I went to hardware store. This boat is putting out double. I've got a 5,000btu window unit in a shop draining into a 5 gal bucket that needs emptying daily. Get the condensate overboard and then reevaluate.

 

[ageless]

New finding but not likely my source. Engine room sump area was overflowing water, accessed it to find bilge pump sitting out of its mounting strainer and a screw keeping it from pumping. Removed the screw, returned it to the mount and extracted the water As the water level got low I noted a pencil size hole peeing salt water from starboard side of the sump, two minutes and it reduced to a trickle. Still no source for the initial problem

 

[ageless]

I little salt water from other sources plus years of salt residue might fool you into glossing over fresh water source. The 55C has two evaps in the salon both, apparently, draining in bilge. Depending on temp, thermostat setting and humidity, a gallon an hour from each can be produced. I found it out when one of my lines clogged and I put one drain in a two gallon bucket while I went to hardware store. This boat is putting out double. I've got a 5,000btu window unit in a shop draining into a 5 gal bucket that needs emptying daily. Get the condensate overboard and then reevaluate.

Robert, if I'm reading the manual correctly the evap under my dinette and the master stateroom drain into that center sump, the salon (fwd flybridge) drains aft starboard motor, fwd stateroom drains into fwd sump. I don't see that any units drain into the suspect compartment.

 

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

Ok. Good luck with this. I'd still tee condensate drains into bilge pump drains past check valves and be done with that water when you get the chance.

 

[Tim Powell]

Ok. Good luck with this. I'd still tee condensate drains into bilge pump drains past check valves and be done with that water when you get the chance.

Capt Robert
My 52 has a squar box about 6in x 6in right in the middle of the floor all the way forward. That is where there is a bilge pump that has a float tied to it. It is cut on and off by a circuit braker in the engine room marked condiation sump pump.
does your boat have the same. It pumps overboard going in front of the engine. The hose rubed the front of the big pully and caused about 50 % of the water to be pumped back in the bilge. The port bilge pump kept flashing on and that was the cause.