water leak - need hatch locations and advice

[holtcl]

This is certainly going to take me away from my "headliner project" for a bit. Was at the boat this weekend and powered up the fresh water pump. It will not pressurize even when primed. I noted water coming out of the port side of the boat where the bilge pump goes over. Then I went into the port engine room and noted water coming into the ER bilge from the little hole aft that connects the port ER bilge to whatever lies behind that.

Looking at the schematic (thank heavens for those) of the water system on the 53 Hatteras, I believe the problem may be in the viscinity of where the tank under the mid cabin bunk connects to the keel water tank - somewhere in that area. When I run the water pump I can hear a small water leak "somewhere" in the viscinity of the under bunk tank.

Question is how do I get to it. Before I start ripping up carpet I'd like to have a sense of where the access hatches might be. I'm guessing (from sketchy memory) there are access hatches in the hallway that leads from the engine rooms to the master stateroom. As opposed to in the mid cabin.

Ain't boating fun?

Cheryl
Cinderella
1971 53 MY

 

[SKYCHENEY]

I have an access in my master SR closet

 

[SEVEN]

I have an access in my master SR closet

I had the same issue and Sky is correct. Look in the master staterooms closet on the port side. Remove the inspection plate (wood) and you should find what your looking for. Best of luck. Hope it's as easy as mine was to change.

 

[holtcl]

Thanks for the information - hopefully that will be the access point even though my boat is older and 53MY. Fingers crossed...

Cheryl

 

[SEVEN]

I have a 79, the area that you're looking for is just a little different than mine. It may be a painted out hatch rather than a stained wood hatch but it's in that same area.

 

[holtcl]

Sure enough there was an access panel, a good-sized one, in the master stateroom closet, but all was dry in there. I feel as though the problem may be forward of that, perhaps to starboard, and maybe also lower in the boat. Which is why I started out with floor hatches. I seem to recall there being hatches in the floor to access the fuel tanks. Maybe I'll start with those and work my way back.

Cheryl
Cinderella
1971 53 MY

 

[holtcl]

Bumping up- hoping for some additional thoughts on access before I tear into this, probably later this afternoon...

Thanks,

Cheryl

 

[SEVEN]

Is there water near the stern? Have you checked the connections on the water tank there? I feel for you.

 

[SEVEN]

I was sitting here thinking of your situation and had a thought. Turn off your shore water, shut off your water pump, open any valve to relieve the pressure in the lines. Vacum out all the water from the bildge front to back. Once done turn on the pressure and watch the bilge to see what direction the water is coming bow or stern. This will help you isolate the leak and make it easier to find. I also had a leak in the washing machine. For that pull the back rest of the dinning table to find another across panel. Check that for a small pin hole leak. Good luck. Hope this helps. Rusty

 

[MikeP]

C,

If I'm understanding, you have a water leak somewhere on the tank-to-pump (intake side) of the system, not on the pressure side of the system. That is consistent with water in the ER and not being able to build up any pressure at the pump.

I tend to think that the problem is most likely in the hose/connection that connects the tank(s) output to the input of the pump. I don't know where that tank connection is located but I ASSUME it's at the forward (guest SR) tank (the schematic should show that). Since you are getting water in the ER through the aft limber hole, thats what I would do initially - find that connection point.

I'd GUESS that the hose has cracked or broken at the tank fitting or possibly elsewhere on its run on that side (port) of the boat. Obviously, it is possible that the tank itself has cracked but that seems extremely unlikely.

As far as access, I have never looked for that fitting but based on our 53, I'd bet there IS an access panel in the guest SR - we have 14 access panels in the passageway/guest/master SR area so I'd bet there is one for that purpose though I never actually checked.

I suppose it's possible for the tank-to-pump hose fitting to be on the aft (master SR) tank but that doesn't seem logical to me. And if the leak was there (master SR), the water would be in the bilge below the master SR as opposed to in the ER.

This is a sign that you are not supposed to mess with that headliner!

 

[holtcl]

Mike P-

Yes your thoughts are exactly what I am thinking. And I did a stupid thing this winter- thinking there are no water lines in the mid cabin (which is WRONG!), I kept the mid-cabin door closed to conserve heat (as I've been doing since I've had the boat). I won't do that again. So, coupled with where I can hear a water leak, the schematic, and the lack of heat this winter- I think the problem is around the mid cabin somewhere.

Now off to start digging...

And yes that headliner project just got a lot less important... !!

Cheryl

 

[holtcl]

This is one of those things that's just embarrassing but I've got to give the update. So after tearing the boat apart- carpet, hatches, etc. trying to locate this leak, I finally got to looking again at the weep hole in the aft part of the port ER where I "thought" the water was coming in. The bilge pump was going like mad when the water pump was running. So I looked at the forward hole and sure enough I was wrong the water was coming in the FORWARD (not the aft) weep hole - like gushing in there, and enough to cause a "stir" at the aft hole. So then I knew the problem was forward- in the generator room.

Head down to the generator room and see that there is a hose that had become disconnected from the copper pipe. Keep in mind this was kind of a P.O. "rube goldberg" kind of repair- not that I don't do this kind of thing when I repair leaks to copper.

There was also 2 leaks in the washer/dryer compartment, one on each supply line (hot, cold). AND the galley faucet was leaking out the side as if the cartridge had frozen up. Which mystifies me because I kept heat in the boat, including the galley, all winter. So I ordered a new cartridge and hoping that will solve that issue.

So she's all buttoned back up and up and running except for the galley faucet. Fingers crossed that the new cartridge will solve the issue. Next year I've got to learn how to winterize this system as this is the first year I've not lived aboard and it hit me.

Cheryl
Cinderella
1971 53 MY

 

[MikeP]

Glad you found the problem and yeah, Rube was definitely at work there!
Admittedly, it's a lot easier to do that than to re-do the copper but it then requires periodic checking.

I have discovered a water tank issue that is sort of 'reversed" from the problem you suspected originally...

New thread...