Water by the starter battery...doesnt drain to the bilge

DougM · Dec 30, 2012

There should be a small hole in the stiffening rib that allows water to drain to the bilge. The problem is that there is very little slope toward the bilge drain. It takes a long time for the water in the area under the stairs to work its way to the bilge. That means, too, that it takes awhile to figure out where its coming from inthe first place. It could be water coming down the companionway. It could be from a leak in the transom shower water lines, or the water heater. It could be dripping from the shaft log. If you are in salt water, can you determine whether it is salty or fresh?

Rick I · Dec 30, 2012

The water in the engine pan does not usually drain anywhere on Beneteaus. This is to prevent oil leaks from running into the bilge. Your water is probably due to a plugged anti-siphon valve. You can take it apart and clean it or get a new one from Beneteau. I think they're made by Vetus.

Captn TJ · Dec 30, 2012

An alternate source could be from the transom. On 423s there have been documented leaks from four potential areas along the stern/transom.

Water leak from the cockpit shower - easy to identify by turning on water pump/valve and observing hose for water.

The other three are less obvious: water coming in from the ladder bolts in the swim platform. Water migrating underneath the rubber trim piece - hull stern joint. This is accelerated being under power. The last is the drain hose for the wet locker in the stern.

On the last three water accumulates in the hull under the swim platform - some of which migrates into the engine pan. Crawling into the stern lockers with a flashlight could be very revealing

Rick I · Dec 30, 2012

The anti-siphon valve is usually on a bulkhead with a small diameter hose coming out of it. The water would be salty if coming from this. The two main hoses are attached at the bottom and if it leaks it's from the small hose that comes from the top and drains into the pan.

Mike B · Dec 30, 2012

As Capt TJ mentioned check the swim platform shower, both the shower head and mixer valve.

Ron20324 · Jan 2, 2013

Te_Awatea said:
... can't seem to work out how it drains though...I think it doesn't.... water is confined to area under battery box.

It doesn't. If battery acid gets in that sump, you don't want it draining all over the bilge. Fix the water leak.

Gunni · Jan 3, 2013

I see this issue with water in the battery tray when I sail without my dodger deployed.

Maine Sail · Jan 3, 2013

Te_Awatea said:
Have attached a photo of battery box and engine. Water is confined to area under battery box.

Thanks for every ones help and thoughts.

View attachment 59848

My bigger concern would be the batteries physical location. I know the fad with builders today is to fit a battery in the engine space but this is a HORRIBLE location for a battery in terms of longevity and battery life. Heat kills......

There is likely no drain there for a couple of reasons:

Any spilling of battery acid must remain contained. Last thing you want is battery acid eating away your keel bolts..

Any spilling of engine oils or lubes must remain self contained and not make it to the bilge pump.

Without a better close up pic hard to say for sure what the drain layout is.. Often water from aft can drain under the engine pan but anything from the engine pan remains captured and should not drain... You likely have a limber hole under the engine pan but not one from the engine pan.

Gunni · Jan 3, 2013

This is common Beneteau construction design - battery tray in the engine compartment. There are not a lot of good places to put a battery in these shallow-bilge hulls. And once you start moving them outboard, aft, and up (cockpit lockers) the boat comes off her lines.

The battery tray, and the engine bilge sump are molded so that once water levels reach a high level, it spills over into the ships bilge, and drain through the grid limber holes to the bilge sump. In all cases that I have seen this is gridded off from the keel sump where the bolts are exposed.

Some folks have moved their batteries into the boat's cabinetry, but even with battery cases, I've never been comfortable with a gassy wet cell in my living space. That's why I continue to look for options using AGM's, gels, or something.

Gunni · Jan 4, 2013

Te_Awatea said:
I have moved to lithium batteries for house btw and they are expensive but great.

I would really like to know more about your conversion to Lithium batts - when you have time. Size and location, as well as any special installation considerations. Thanks!

joker460 · Jan 4, 2013

How many wet cell batteries could you buy for a 200AH Lith Battery:

http://www.lithiumion-batteries.com...ion-battery/12v-200ah-lithium-ion-battery.php

Maine Sail · Jan 4, 2013

joker460 said:
How many wet cell batteries could you buy for a 200AH Lith Battery:

http://www.lithiumion-batteries.com...ion-battery/12v-200ah-lithium-ion-battery.php

And that's a good price for LiFePO4! That however would be one of the last LiFePO4 batteries I would install. These battery cells can get out of "balance" and the BMS (battery management system) they use on those, as well as the sealed case, are really quite suspect at this time. The race to drive cost down will likely lead to some unhappy customers who get burned. For a very good LiFePO4 pack Genasun and Mastervolt are the two reputable players for the marine market right now. They are very pricey and thus force people to look at "cost conscious" options for which there are always bottom feeder shysters ready to take your money. I am not saying that company is full of shysters just that their cell balancing and methodology is not shared by most in the world of LiFePO4 technology

I am building my own pack with 400Ah Winston cells, a custom BMS with HVE disconnects as well as LVE disconnects, alarms etc. etc. etc.. You also need to have a load bus with LVE disconnect and a charge bus with HVE disconnect that can cut the field wire for the alt as well as battery charger, solar or wind. This is vastly different from how we do lead acid. These batteries are not plug & play yet or ready for DIY prime time...

One of the problems with LiFePO4 is that if a cell goes out of balance and gets over charged, as can happen..... TOAST! If you drain the battery below the "discharge knee", TOAST! The BMS really needs to do its job and no one I know in the industry is liking the "plastic boxed" LiFePO4's....

Gunni · Jan 4, 2013

One of the more valuable aspects of these lithium batteries is that they are actually made of many smaller cells. If you are assembling a few hundred / thousand lithium cell batteries into a package you can pretty much conform that battery into a customized shape. That is really appealing. I would love to be able to create a custom battery box to fit my gridded bilge and get the weight where I want it. Or alternatively, create a series of batteries distributed into scavenged space that would otherwise be going to waste.

I'm surprised that some innovative outfitter isn't creating custom battery installs for boats. I would pay the premium for a proper battery storage system that would allow me to tuck a maintenance free battery into the recesses of the boat, lose the L/A bricks and get my boat back on her lines.