I need some advice from our great Catalina sailors. I have a slow seepage of water into my bilge, it has a slightly oily sheen to it. I notice that it comes into the bilge from a bilge compartment IN FRONT AND BELOW the engine plastic pan. I can see water seeping in from a hole looking to the back of the flat bildge (an area in front and below the engine where I can't get to unless I pull up the floor. It looks like water builds up below the engine pan and seeps through a hole into a flat bilge, then via a hole in the "flat bilge" area it seeps into the bildge itself (where the keel bolts are.) I wonder if it is condensation from the air conditioning unit, and mixes with some floor oils to seep into the bilge and it builds up? I wonder how to drain any water below the engine pan? Any thoughts would be good. Also, when I look aft of the engine near the transmission area, it seems to be dry. The area below and under the engine pan I do not know how to get to other than pulling up flooring....So, what could be the sepage coming from and how to keep the bildge under the engine dry? Any thoughts would be great...Bob
Seeping in bilge
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but just to be clear, I have attached a photo.
The area in yellow is the bilge below the stuffing box and for most of the rear of the boat. It drains through a whole in about the location of the blue arrow. That drain brings water to the main bilge for the boat where it is pumped out by the automatic bilge pump.
The area in red is the engine bilge. This area extends below the front of the engine. Water in this bilge only goes to the main bilge under extreme circumstances. It is intended to be separate to trap oil, grease, antifreeze, etc. From my recent experience with the exhaust riser blowing up (not really just cracking into two pieces) it needs to be a lot of water down there before it overflows. Mine was full to the top. This needs to be drained separately and not dumped overboard as this is likely impacted with engine oil, etc. Unless something is wrong, it should be mostly try. Until my exhaust riser incident, it would just collect a couple of drops of water that I would simply cleanup with a paper towel.
So if you are getting water in the engine bilge, the questions is why. From the help I have had on this forum and my own experience, here are some things to check:
The area in yellow is the bilge below the stuffing box and for most of the rear of the boat. It drains through a whole in about the location of the blue arrow. That drain brings water to the main bilge for the boat where it is pumped out by the automatic bilge pump.
The area in red is the engine bilge. This area extends below the front of the engine. Water in this bilge only goes to the main bilge under extreme circumstances. It is intended to be separate to trap oil, grease, antifreeze, etc. From my recent experience with the exhaust riser blowing up (not really just cracking into two pieces) it needs to be a lot of water down there before it overflows. Mine was full to the top. This needs to be drained separately and not dumped overboard as this is likely impacted with engine oil, etc. Unless something is wrong, it should be mostly try. Until my exhaust riser incident, it would just collect a couple of drops of water that I would simply cleanup with a paper towel.
So if you are getting water in the engine bilge, the questions is why. From the help I have had on this forum and my own experience, here are some things to check:
- black rubber hose from and to water pump and heat exchanger
- the heat exchanger at the mounts
- the heat exchanger at the ends
- the exhaust riser can crack below the insulation where the water from cooling the heat exchanger enters
- the water pump itself if it needs to be rebuild
- the plastic antifreeze overflow container
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JK...
Good points, I will check, do you think it could be condensation from the Air Conditioning, as it seeps, even when I don't run the engines. If I am at dock, no engines, and the AC runs it seeps. Could the condensation just drain in the bilge and "move forward" to the "engine bilge"? I think there is a lot of water below, in the engine bilge as it comes thru the little hole and overflows to the flat surface then forward to the main bilge. I will check all the elements you mentioned above... I have no hoses as shown in your picture going from the area of the stuffing box foward...I also don't have any water below the transmission, it is forward of that....
Good points, I will check, do you think it could be condensation from the Air Conditioning, as it seeps, even when I don't run the engines. If I am at dock, no engines, and the AC runs it seeps. Could the condensation just drain in the bilge and "move forward" to the "engine bilge"? I think there is a lot of water below, in the engine bilge as it comes thru the little hole and overflows to the flat surface then forward to the main bilge. I will check all the elements you mentioned above... I have no hoses as shown in your picture going from the area of the stuffing box foward...I also don't have any water below the transmission, it is forward of that....
JK...no last question, you mentioned you kept your engine bilge dry with paper towels...How did you get to the engine bilge? The only way I could figure out is to remove the steps bolted to the floor, and then remove the screws holding down the floor itself....Its a tough place to get to
The idiot that installed my AC put the condensate drain in the engine bilge. I have since re-routed it aft to where the stuffing box drips. I have a small container there that collects the condensate and is manually dumped. I also keep a large sponge to collect the drippings from the stuffing box. I use the GFO Gore-Tex packing and have it adjusted so it only drips when it runs. As a result I have a dry bilge. This is important, because now if I see any water in there I know it is from somewhere else, and needs to be investigated.
Witzend...other than what JK told me to look for,which I will do I am thinking the water could be AC condensation in engine bilge...now only have to figure out how to get to the engine bilge..
Not sure I follow you here, it's quit accessible, right under the engine.
To solve the problem, I just located the condensate tube cut the zip ties and pulled it out from aft of the engine. I'm assuming your AC unit is located in the aft front portion of the port cockpit locker.
Witzend...I thought the engine bilge is below the big plastic "bowl" underneath the engine...if you go from the transmission forward towards the bow, that is where all the water is building, and seeping further forward into the main bilge....I am assuming either the ac condensation drain or possible leaks from hoses around the heat exchanger are building there.....One gentlemen talked about draining that area beneath the engine "bowl" with a turkey baster...
The engine bilge is a separate catch area directly below the engine to catch oil and coolant so that it does not mix with the other water in the bilge and get pumped overboard. There are two holes in this catch basin that will overflow into the area you are referring to and then into the bilge proper if allowed to accumulate.
The area you are referring to normally gets feed from the two overflow holes for the catch basin that the packing gland drips into, the most likely cause of your water. The other possible sources for water in this area to investigate, are the shower drain and the refrigerator drain. These should normally go the the "Y" valve under the galley sink, to be pumped overboard, but if you have a pluming problem from one of these drains, water will show up in this area as well. Even leaky deck fittings will drip down on the topside of the cabin roof liner run down the inside and also show up there, it's kind of a catch all from aft.
Is it fresh water, or does it have a salty taste?
The area you are referring to normally gets feed from the two overflow holes for the catch basin that the packing gland drips into, the most likely cause of your water. The other possible sources for water in this area to investigate, are the shower drain and the refrigerator drain. These should normally go the the "Y" valve under the galley sink, to be pumped overboard, but if you have a pluming problem from one of these drains, water will show up in this area as well. Even leaky deck fittings will drip down on the topside of the cabin roof liner run down the inside and also show up there, it's kind of a catch all from aft.
Is it fresh water, or does it have a salty taste?
Witzend...its fresh, not salty water, but again, I am in a river off the Chesapeake, so it could be brackish....for some strange reason, I think it is the overflow (below the engine bilge) that is seeping, into the regular bilge....perhaps a hose from A/C dumps it there.. ..trouble is I have a hard time figuring out how to inspect this area in front and below the engine bilge without pulling up the flooring...any thoughts?
The floor boards do not pull up to reveal anything but fiberglass pockets they sit in so you can not access this area. You can see up in there a little ways with a flash light at the right angle from the bilge access.
Follow the AC condensate hose from the unit and see where it goes. Stop running the AC and see if the water stops accumulating there.
Does you domestic water pump run when you are not using any water?
Have you checked your stuffing box? But that should be brackish.
Follow the AC condensate hose from the unit and see where it goes. Stop running the AC and see if the water stops accumulating there.
Does you domestic water pump run when you are not using any water?
Have you checked your stuffing box? But that should be brackish.
Witzend....will check out this weekend, when I replace the check valve on the bilge pump..
I turn off the water pump when I don't use fresh water and when I do turn it on, it doesn't come on, meaning no big leaks. The flow thru the hole to the flat bilge area is almost oozing, and I notice it just sitting on the boat with AC running. I read that over time the A/C condensation is quite a bit...I will get into it this weekend and report back. Stuffing box, doesn't put too much water out at all...probably a tablespoon sitting below the box...
I turn off the water pump when I don't use fresh water and when I do turn it on, it doesn't come on, meaning no big leaks. The flow thru the hole to the flat bilge area is almost oozing, and I notice it just sitting on the boat with AC running. I read that over time the A/C condensation is quite a bit...I will get into it this weekend and report back. Stuffing box, doesn't put too much water out at all...probably a tablespoon sitting below the box...
But as the boat rocks that water will find it's way thru the overflow holes and down into the very area you are finding it.
I have a similar issue and determined that the seepage originates at the heat exchanger when hot water is being used. When I turn off the hot water/heat exchanger and use only cold water I do not get the leak/seepage from the heat exchanger under the engine area, into the "flat bilge" area and then down into the bilge..one of these days I'll get the heat exchanger fixed or replaced but since we don't use it that much I don't feel it's worth the expense and trouble. It seems difficult to get at and get it out.
Odd...the domestic HW heat exchanger is in the HWH, not on the engine. Not sure how they are connected except the lines that run from the engine coolant system to the HWH.
Seems like your talking about the heat exchanger that uses raw water to cool the engine coolant. If you have the older model the mounting tabs welded to the body of the head exchanger crack, that causes the leak.
Irish Ayes...I never turn on the hot water heater, and the seepage continues, I will take previous advice, and check out all the hoses to and from the heat exchanger, as well as the A/C drainage....I think you have to be a midget to work on some of these areas, they are impossible to see or get anything done in...my one key investment has been a mirror on a extension tube (ACE Hardware) to see things in tight areas...
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