Hello everyone - new member [with fresh water leak]

[Sandpiper]

Hello everyone, we recently bought our first boat a 2003 Bavaria 32 from Clipper Marine at Woolverstone, and I've just joined the BOA. My wife and I have been chartering and doing the RYA courses for a few years now, but we decided to take the plunge this year.

Our home port is Blyth in Northumberland and we have had a successful trip north so far, setting out from Woolverstone to Lowestoft last Saturday. After waiting for an extra crew member to join us on Monday, we set off for Whitby at HW on Monday, only to return later in the day after encountering a fairly big sea north of the Scroby Sands wind farm. We waited for another weather window and set off again on Weds deciding to aim for a nearer destination - Grimsby - this time. We arrived early on Thursday morning and had to potter about in the Humber for an hour or two waiting for the lock to open.

We came home on the train and we are going to continue our journey north on the next decent weekend.

My question for the forum is this. We have found that a considerable amount of fresh water is collecting in the bilge. I have mopped 5 to 7 litres from it in roughly each 24 hour period. We have examined all of the visible pipework and cannot see any leaks. Also the fresh water tank does not seem to be depleting by a corresponding amount. So I am thinking that maybe it is rainwater. We have had some very wet weather at times. Water starts to collect in the 'main' part of the bilge where the bilge pump is (obviously) and when there is enough it will flow through into the compartment forward of that and eventually the next one as well. It does not seem to be coming in from forward and flowing back (as far as I can tell). Under the engine is dry, as is the rear part of the boat under the rear cabin. Also under the forward cabin is dry.

Do you think the problem is most likely to be deck fittings around the midships area letting in rainwater? How difficult is it to get behind the woodwork under the sink unit so that I can properly examine fresh water pipes there and eliminate them from the equation.

Any advice would be gratefully received!

[Nigel]

I've just joined the BOA...

We have found that a considerable amount of fresh water is collecting in the bilge... the fresh water tank does not seem to be depleting by a corresponding amount.

Hello and welcome. I've changed the subject of your thread to mention the problem you have.

Do you think you would notice the tank level depleting?

One thing you could try: put some bleach in the water tanks, enough so the smell is obvious, say about 10-20 ppm, the same as a shock dose in a swimming pool. You can use cheap household bleach, which is normally 10% (check the label). To get 10ppm using 10% bleach, you need 100mg per litre, or 1g per 10 litre, 10g per 100 litre etc. You can use a medicine spoon to measure 5ml, which is close enough to 5g. Then see if the bilge water smells of bleach. There are also tracer chemicals you can use for this.

Don't use for cooking or drinking until you dilute it to about 2 ppm or less. Bleach is a good idea in the water tanks from time to time. We add a couple of Milton tables every time we fill up.

Oh, please post a message on the BOA forum telling them about this site: http://www.bavariayacht.info - you never know, one of the dozen of so users may see it


 

[KAOS]

1. Taste it and check whether it is salty or fresh water unless you are in a river.
2. Take note whether the fresh water pump is working at times you are NOT using any water faucets/showers. 
3. Check your sea water anti syphon  over flow
4. Check if any stanchions are loose from top deck
5. Inspect water tank outlet plumbing for leaks
6. Inspect shower and toilet faucet drains  and galley drain plumbing
6a. Inspect the filter just before the shower drain pump is tightened properly.
7. Inspect fridge for any leaks from the bottom inside
and finally check that the bow water tank filling pipe embedded in the GRP in  the anchor bay is sealed with  SIKAFLEX or some good sealant. You could have water seaping through between the pipe and GRP embedding.

Wish you luck.

If none of the above you would have to start removing some access panels and check the toe rail and stanchions for any leaks.

[willfinch36]

I am having the same sort of issue, the pump is whurring every so often even when the taps are not in use.

I have checked all connections etc. Everything appears ok - Checked stern showerhead wasnt cracked and leaking.

Water is definatly fresh, its also coming through the small hole that flows into the bildge from the stern.

The bildge in the engine bay is all dry, as is around the water tank.

Any addtional ideas?

[KAOS]

Check your calorifier.
Check the debris filter just before the fresh water diaphram pump is not leaking.
Check the outside shower from the stern (inside) is not leaking.

[Trapeze Artist]

I'll second the calorifier suggestion. I had a similar problem which I eventually traced to a union on the calorifier, although it wasn't obvious until I had poked prodded and pulled it. The hot water gets VERY hot, yet the connectors are only rated up to 65º (or so I am told). Certainly my failed one showed signs of having been cooked.

Of course, it could also be any one of the other suggestions.

[stevem]

This sounds very much like the same problem that I have with my 2003 38 cruiser. I have had a small fresh water leak in the bilge compartment where the bilge pumps are situated. I searched everywhere without success until recently I noticed some scale around the joint on the shureflow fresh water pump. When the pump is running there is a small leak. I have yet to strip the pump down to clean and seal the joint but am sure that is where the problem is. Good luck with your search.

Stevem

[Bronco 30]

I've the same problem. (Bavaria 30 2005)
Somehow I'm able to solve it if:
-I leave the pump (#12 on Main Board Switch) off while not using and open tap while off.
-Not use calorifier.

I've tried red ink (Culinary use for cakes etc) to trace the leak but tested before in my hand. Don't use it.

To solve the leak should be easy as soon as I'm able to find it...

Any more ideas?

Regards,

[Chrisstracey]

I had the same problem. This was the fresh water pump leaking just before it reached pressure. Also when I dried the water it reappear. This I found was due to the water collecting in the stringers and when you sail and are heeled over the water Slops back in. Took weeks to dry completely

[willfinch36]

Right I had a look on my Bav30, and it was as expected coming from the calorifier. It was leaking around the Blue connector directly beneath the red connector shown in the picture. Not sure the best way of sealing it. I have tried waterproof sealent. I assume that should only be a temporary thing?

[Anthony]

I have had a small freshwater leak in my 2001 Bav 40.
I would hear the pump intermittently repressurise for a few seconds and at night it was a waking annoyance.
I eventually tracked it to the hot water outlet from the water heater mounted under the rear bed. It was quite obvious that when the heater gets very hot ( from exhaust transfer), the plastic pipes become much softer and with a weight of several pipe junctures at that point simply bends resulting in weeping of the joint. I fixed this with a much longer piece of hot water exit piping inserted in the hot circuit and made up a simple suspension bracket to the underside of the bed flooring so that the cluster of pipes was supported and therefore no weight was put on the hottest coupling. I have had had no further problems since. Of course this phenomenon is more likely in tropical climes.

[Odysseus]

Put kitchen towel under the areas that you think are an issue, pump, pipe connections, calorifier connections, remember hot water will leak easier than cold as there is more co-efficient. Run the water pump on and off a few times.

But the Surflo pumps are a prime suspect as they do not have a gasket.

When you winterise you never get all the water out of the pump unless you strip it down.

The only other issue is the fridge drain that goes into the bilge.

Odysseus

[Sandpiper]

Turns out the source of the problem was the stern shower.

Last weekend we got our torches out for another look inside lockers and under hatches and found some moisture trickling down from the stern under the aft cabin under-berth locker. It was running under the hot water cylinder which made it hard to spot.

Outside for a check of the bathing platform shower revealed a needle-fine jet of water squirting from the plastic handle along the mould-line and the tap was not properly turned off. My theory is that it may have had some water left in it when the system was drained last winter and it has frozen up causing the plastic to give way.

Last Monday we got Sandpiper back to our home port of Blyth and I have had some time to devote to the problem. I drained the fresh water tank completely, dried out the bilge and left it for a couple of days, during which we have had some very heavy rain.  When I went back the bilge was still dry so it looks like the shower was probably the source of the problem.

I have replaced the shower handset, refilled the tank and pressured up the system, and after 24 hours there was a small amount of water in the bilge, but probably only about a quarter of a litre - not the 5 to 7 litres we were getting before.

If I can track down the source of that, I will update this post again.

Thanks everyone for all your useful advice and suggestions.

[KAOS]

I am glad you found the problem, don't worry about the little water you see! 99%  there will be some cup fulls running in the beams which will eventually find their way to the bilge once you sail a couple of times.

Kaos

[Hawkesbaynz]

Bought a Bav 33 Cruiser in February then found water in the Bilges and stern compartment. Likewise it was the stern hose head which cracks over winter with the frost. Fixed that then found that the hose was welded to the diesel heater exhaust and leaking too! Hose head will be coming off next winter.

[johncranfield]

Pleased you found the source. We too had a fresh water leak in our 2006 Bavaria 37. The system was re-pressurising regularly through the night. Discovered a pin-prick hole in the hot water outlet pipe from the calorifier. Replaced the pipe and now have spare on board just in case!!!

[Brian]

I have had 2 noticeable leaks recently, one from the extendable shower spray that comes out of the tap. The other from the inspection hatch on the fresh water tank which required tightening.

[stevem]

 I eventually removed the "Sureflow" fresh water pump and found it was leaking round the joint stripping it down revealed a lot of debris and scale on the pump interior. Replaced with a Jabasco pump of same output. But I think the problem arose from the fact that the inline filter was fitted on the delivery side of the pump Not the suction side!! this was as fitted from new. Bilge is now dry.