I'm accummulating some water in my bilge and I'd like to know if it's salt water or fresh. Having failed every chemisty course I ever took, and not being keen to stick my tongue in the bilge, I'm wondering if there's some easy test I can conduct to figure this out. Thoughts? Thanks.
salt or fresh in bilge?
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Test
by putting your hand in the bilge and then tasting it. You can wash your mouth out with mouthwash if you are fussy. Problem is that on many boats the water is brackish. On many keel stepped mast boats there will be water coming into the boat down the mast. Taping the mast boot etc. helps, but does not totally eliminate this source of fresh water. The other major source of salt water entrance is at the stuffing box. If old, not adjusted right, etc. a fair amount of salt water can drip from the box into the bilge. Fix for the salt water is a dripless box. For the mast seal it best you can and live with what comes down inside the mast.
by putting your hand in the bilge and then tasting it. You can wash your mouth out with mouthwash if you are fussy. Problem is that on many boats the water is brackish. On many keel stepped mast boats there will be water coming into the boat down the mast. Taping the mast boot etc. helps, but does not totally eliminate this source of fresh water. The other major source of salt water entrance is at the stuffing box. If old, not adjusted right, etc. a fair amount of salt water can drip from the box into the bilge. Fix for the salt water is a dripless box. For the mast seal it best you can and live with what comes down inside the mast.
It hasn't occurred to you to...
Scoop some out in a cup, stick your finger in the cup, and taste your finger? If you decide to bite the bullet and stick your tongue in the bilge after all, please be sure to take a photo!
Scoop some out in a cup, stick your finger in the cup, and taste your finger? If you decide to bite the bullet and stick your tongue in the bilge after all, please be sure to take a photo!
Taste Your Finger....
...one time I had a persistent discharge into the bilge. I did the taste test. It was somewhat salty. Just to check myself, I repeated the test several times. Later I found the aft holding tank was leaking... :} Rick D.
...one time I had a persistent discharge into the bilge. I did the taste test. It was somewhat salty. Just to check myself, I repeated the test several times. Later I found the aft holding tank was leaking... :} Rick D.
sure
Look at all the thur hull openings there are only a few. if they are leaking you should be able to see it. secondly start the engine and put it in gear. if its leaking you should see it. look aloso where the shaft exixts the hull. that should drip a bit once in a while while turning. this is enough to make it all taste like salt. just about anything else is a leak from a tank or a water leak form rain. if there is just a little just dont worry about it as most boats leak in some water somewhere.
Look at all the thur hull openings there are only a few. if they are leaking you should be able to see it. secondly start the engine and put it in gear. if its leaking you should see it. look aloso where the shaft exixts the hull. that should drip a bit once in a while while turning. this is enough to make it all taste like salt. just about anything else is a leak from a tank or a water leak form rain. if there is just a little just dont worry about it as most boats leak in some water somewhere.
Testing
Put a cupfull in a pan and boil it dry. Do the same and compare what's left to a cup of sea water. Sea water contains lots of salt! Fresh water leaks are nearly always the problem. Deck fittings, Stanchion post fittings, windows, hatches, cable entries etc.
Put a cupfull in a pan and boil it dry. Do the same and compare what's left to a cup of sea water. Sea water contains lots of salt! Fresh water leaks are nearly always the problem. Deck fittings, Stanchion post fittings, windows, hatches, cable entries etc.
How about checking resistance....
salt water vs fresh....shouldn't they be different in electrical conductivity. Just a thought.... don't know if our meters are sensitive enough. Maybe someone smarter could answere that. Also, if you go to an aquarium shop you can get something to measure specific gravity. Scoop some water in a glass and use that gadget....any aquarium/pet store could help you.
salt water vs fresh....shouldn't they be different in electrical conductivity. Just a thought.... don't know if our meters are sensitive enough. Maybe someone smarter could answere that. Also, if you go to an aquarium shop you can get something to measure specific gravity. Scoop some water in a glass and use that gadget....any aquarium/pet store could help you.
Abe, you could run some tests
just stick your probes in equal depths of fresh water, salt water and the sample from the bilge. Check the relative resistances. The thing is that you need to expose the same surface areas of the probes for this to give a good relative indication.
just stick your probes in equal depths of fresh water, salt water and the sample from the bilge. Check the relative resistances. The thing is that you need to expose the same surface areas of the probes for this to give a good relative indication.
excellent insights as usual
thank you folks: great suggestions. If none pan out I will post the tongue in the bilge result! Merry Christmas: safe passage to all in '06.
thank you folks: great suggestions. If none pan out I will post the tongue in the bilge result! Merry Christmas: safe passage to all in '06.
salinity test(stolen from the internet )
There are two main methods of determining the salt content of water: Total Dissolved Salts (or Solids) and Electrical Conductivity. Total Dissolved Salts (TDS) is measured by evaporating a known volume of water to dryness, then weighing the solid residue remaining. Electrical conductivity (EC) is measured by passing an electric current between two metal plates (electrodes) in the water sample and measuring how readily current flows (ie conducted) between the plates. The more dissolved salt in the water, the stronger the current flow and the higher the EC. Measurements of EC can be used to give an estimate of TDS.
There are two main methods of determining the salt content of water: Total Dissolved Salts (or Solids) and Electrical Conductivity. Total Dissolved Salts (TDS) is measured by evaporating a known volume of water to dryness, then weighing the solid residue remaining. Electrical conductivity (EC) is measured by passing an electric current between two metal plates (electrodes) in the water sample and measuring how readily current flows (ie conducted) between the plates. The more dissolved salt in the water, the stronger the current flow and the higher the EC. Measurements of EC can be used to give an estimate of TDS.
Maybe, maybe not
I was going to suggest you watch the weather and continue checking the bilge during a dry spell. If the water's still gathering, it's not rain. (Though it could be a leaking hose on a fresh water tank, too.) Then I saw you're in W.Vancouver. You may want to try one of the other methods, since the next dry spell may be in 2009.
I was going to suggest you watch the weather and continue checking the bilge during a dry spell. If the water's still gathering, it's not rain. (Though it could be a leaking hose on a fresh water tank, too.) Then I saw you're in W.Vancouver. You may want to try one of the other methods, since the next dry spell may be in 2009.
High tech probe
That is easy insert your finger in the bilge water and taste it. It will not kill you. Now the real problem is if you sail in fresh water. Is there a quick way of knowing whether your leak is from internal tanks or rain leaks or from the water you are floating on.?
That is easy insert your finger in the bilge water and taste it. It will not kill you. Now the real problem is if you sail in fresh water. Is there a quick way of knowing whether your leak is from internal tanks or rain leaks or from the water you are floating on.?
The ol' stick test
Back in the day, people would put sticks in the shallow tidepool waters along the beach. They would let the sticks dry and then knock the salt off. Thus their supply of salt. Have a popsicle and put the stick in your bilge. Let it dry... etc. Cheap, simple, and yet enjoyable. Good luck.
Back in the day, people would put sticks in the shallow tidepool waters along the beach. They would let the sticks dry and then knock the salt off. Thus their supply of salt. Have a popsicle and put the stick in your bilge. Let it dry... etc. Cheap, simple, and yet enjoyable. Good luck.
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