I am a new owner of a 1999 Hunter 340. The bilge of the boat (where the keel bolts are) had a little water in it, so I removed the water and cleaned out the bilge. After sailing the boat weeks later I noticed the water had reappeared. Is this water typical? Anything I should worry about?
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Bob Peters
possibilities
Hello, I am not familiar with 99 340, but here are a few possibilitie: If you have an ice box, the melting ice drips into bilge. Shower drain may drain into bilge. Stuffing box drips and water could work its way to bilge.
Hello, I am not familiar with 99 340, but here are a few possibilitie: If you have an ice box, the melting ice drips into bilge. Shower drain may drain into bilge. Stuffing box drips and water could work its way to bilge.
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Miles
Leaky Bilge
I'd check the stuffing box, it used to leak all the time on my '98 340 until I switched to the teflon dripless packing. Bob has covered the other possibilities but I'd say the stuffing box is most likely.
I'd check the stuffing box, it used to leak all the time on my '98 340 until I switched to the teflon dripless packing. Bob has covered the other possibilities but I'd say the stuffing box is most likely.
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Bruce Hill
Put your finger in the water...
...and taste it. If it tastes salty, worry about until you find it. If it tastes fresh, open a beer a fahgettaboudit.
...and taste it. If it tastes salty, worry about until you find it. If it tastes fresh, open a beer a fahgettaboudit.
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John Richard
Fresh water in the bilge
I too have this problem. My water pump cycles up to every five seconds, and there is a consistent two inches in the bilge near the keel bolts. I have had the service guy check every fitting without finding the leak. Hunter in FL can't figure it out either. John Richard s/v Jack's Place
I too have this problem. My water pump cycles up to every five seconds, and there is a consistent two inches in the bilge near the keel bolts. I have had the service guy check every fitting without finding the leak. Hunter in FL can't figure it out either. John Richard s/v Jack's Place
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Jon Bastien
John Richard
John, Having the pump cycle that often is not normal! There's a leak somewhere. Have you tried spreading a little talcum powder around in your bilge, and looking for streaks from where the water runs through it? That may help give an indication of where the water's coming from... --Jon Bastien H25 'Adagio'
John, Having the pump cycle that often is not normal! There's a leak somewhere. Have you tried spreading a little talcum powder around in your bilge, and looking for streaks from where the water runs through it? That may help give an indication of where the water's coming from... --Jon Bastien H25 'Adagio'
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Miles
Bilge Pump Cycling...
John, If your bilge pump is really pumping water out every five seconds I'd say your boat is sinking pretty fast. A few drips a minute from a leaky stuffing box can add up. My pump used to cycle maybe once every few hours when it was really leaking badly. I'd be pretty concerned if you're really taking on water at that rate...
John, If your bilge pump is really pumping water out every five seconds I'd say your boat is sinking pretty fast. A few drips a minute from a leaky stuffing box can add up. My pump used to cycle maybe once every few hours when it was really leaking badly. I'd be pretty concerned if you're really taking on water at that rate...
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Peggie Hall/Head Mistress
John, did you mean to say your fresh water pump
is cycling every few seconds...or your bilge pump?
is cycling every few seconds...or your bilge pump?
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Dakota Jim Russell
Cockpit Shower . . . ??
Check the valves on the cockpit shower . . . on our 340, my wife turned the shower unit off at the head of the shower . . . not good as it leaked back into the lazarette and eventually found its way to the bilge, though it was hard to trace. It caused the pump to run quite frequently. Needs to be shut off at the box in the cockpit. Also check the tubes as they attach to the cockpit fixture as they may be leaking there and that is equally hard to spot. Other hidden possibilities . . . the water lines as they attach to the sinks can have a subtle leak that are hard to find as they may follow the back side of the lines down into the bilge. A kleenex wraped around them can test for a leak or not. And someltimes it is well to say the obvious, make sure that you have the water pressure on when you're checking <grin>. And one place not to look . . . you apparently do not have a leak between the water tank and the pump as that would not affect the pump cycle.
Check the valves on the cockpit shower . . . on our 340, my wife turned the shower unit off at the head of the shower . . . not good as it leaked back into the lazarette and eventually found its way to the bilge, though it was hard to trace. It caused the pump to run quite frequently. Needs to be shut off at the box in the cockpit. Also check the tubes as they attach to the cockpit fixture as they may be leaking there and that is equally hard to spot. Other hidden possibilities . . . the water lines as they attach to the sinks can have a subtle leak that are hard to find as they may follow the back side of the lines down into the bilge. A kleenex wraped around them can test for a leak or not. And someltimes it is well to say the obvious, make sure that you have the water pressure on when you're checking <grin>. And one place not to look . . . you apparently do not have a leak between the water tank and the pump as that would not affect the pump cycle.
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David
John, Do you have
An automatic bilge pump that cycles every few seconds? If yo udon't have a float switch, this may be the case. I know Rule (I hate their pumps, 4 failed in 2 years--and yes they were installed correctly, but it's all thats out there). has a pump that "cycles" every 2 minutes for 2 seconds and checks for resistance on the impeller. If none is felt, then it shuts off, if it detects water resistance, it continues to pump. How this cannot lead to early pump failure, I don't know (mine did). You might want to see if this is the cause of the constant cycling. Just an Idea.
An automatic bilge pump that cycles every few seconds? If yo udon't have a float switch, this may be the case. I know Rule (I hate their pumps, 4 failed in 2 years--and yes they were installed correctly, but it's all thats out there). has a pump that "cycles" every 2 minutes for 2 seconds and checks for resistance on the impeller. If none is felt, then it shuts off, if it detects water resistance, it continues to pump. How this cannot lead to early pump failure, I don't know (mine did). You might want to see if this is the cause of the constant cycling. Just an Idea.
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