04 SunDancer 50 water in cabin bilge

SeaNile

Well-Known Member
Aug 16, 2010
1,514
Chadds Ford, PA
Boat Info
2003 50 Sundancer
Engines
Cummins QSM11
This is driving me crazy. The cabin bilge comes on every 15min or so and the SeaRay systems alarm comes on too.

The aft most hatch in the cabin is where the fresh water pump and manifold is located. The bottom has the slightest amount of water but no leak from this area.

Removed the back portion of the couch and looked down there. Sure enough there is an impossible to reach bilge pump and this is where the water is gathering. Looking forward, on the very bottom are two tubes that look to move water from fwd to aft.

To me it looks like water is coming out of these two tubes, more so the port side if I had to guess.

I’m thinking the freshwater tank must be in this location?

I’ve shut off all the water, used dockside water and no matter what water is gathering in this location.

Thoughts?
 

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Check AC condensate drains, make sure they are clear. The AC unit made overflowing.
 
I checked all the AC pans and they have minimal water. The water that gathers there is at a pretty good rate. I can shop vac out a decent amount of water consistently. It was way too late to really get into it but the food coloring trick is next. My other concern is if it's the fresh water tank, hose or fitting there is absolutely zero access.

And I'll probably burn out another fresh water pump draining the tank a few times!
 
I checked all the AC pans and they have minimal water. The water that gathers there is at a pretty good rate. I can shop vac out a decent amount of water consistently. It was way too late to really get into it but the food coloring trick is next. My other concern is if it's the fresh water tank, hose or fitting there is absolutely zero access.

And I'll probably burn out another fresh water pump draining the tank a few times!
Sea, get a manual bailing pump, save your pump and handy to keep on board. Empty thru side fill fitting.
 
I checked all the AC pans and they have minimal water. The water that gathers there is at a pretty good rate. I can shop vac out a decent amount of water consistently. It was way too late to really get into it but the food coloring trick is next. My other concern is if it's the fresh water tank, hose or fitting there is absolutely zero access.

And I'll probably burn out another fresh water pump draining the tank a few times!

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

John, just remove one of the water lines that hangs low in the bilge.

This way you can mostly drain the FW tank without running your FW pumps constantly

RWS
 
When I went to Long Island for the failed survey on the 450, i arrived the day before the survey to check out the boat.

filled the FW tank up and after a process of elimination, found the FW tank cracked at the top due to poor winterization.

Quickly negotiated a huge price drop to allow for mid cabin floor removal and replacement tank, otherwise I was going to cancel the survey.

I sure do hope you find a simple loose plumbing fixture or fitting.....

BEST !

RWS
 
Check the water heater, on the 46 that’s where it drained, even the blow off fitting had a hose attached that drained there
 
A common source of fresh water in a fairly late model boat, if you have an ice maker, is the ice maker connection to the water system. It is a common garden hose fitting with a flat rubber washer to prevent leaks. The icemaker is connected to a constant source of water under pressure so you are always making ice, or leaking water. If the boat was in a cold area for multiple winters, the washer in the garden hose fitting will shrink and cause a leak.

The difficulty with ice maker leaks is they usually lean in drops. The leaking drops follow the surface they hit on and usually wind up in a crack, crevice or hopefully a gutter connected to a drain. Obviously your leak is not becaause you are finding it in t he cabin.

Another source for a freshwater leak is if your boat has a windshield washer on it. They are also plumbed to the water system. This one will be hard to locate because it ccould be leaking into the area above the headliner then running sideways to the edge of the fiberglass underside of the ceiling, then out along the side of the cabin wall and eventually out behind upholstery, or interior cabin structures.


This one could be a rabbit hooe search, but finding and correcting the leak is important because it will be. The cource of mildew and mold in cabin area soft trim and fabrics.


Frank
 
Has to be the water tank leaking. Went from 3/4 to 1/4 overnight. The bilge keeps going on about every 25 minutes.
 
To be clear, if you turn off the freshwater pump and use only the dockside water are you still gathering water in the sump area under the sofa behind the water tank? I suggest you empty the water tank and use only the dockside water first to isolate if the leak is from the water tank. If you have not done so already, go to the SeaRay.com website, owners section and open the parts manual for your model. I believe the freshwater system schematics are around page 86. Next, I would place some paper under the water line, filter and pump in the floor opening to insure there is not and leakage using the siphon effect drying the tank. Good luck
 
Also, if you are referring to the two PVC pipes/tubes which run aft through the firewall/bulkhead, they are the common drains and do not provide freshwater.
 
I removed the 12v pump to replace it so all of the water lines have been drained and I am not hooked up to dockside water. Tank went from 3/4 to 1/4 overnight. Spent the day on the boat and the bilge in that area kept coming on every 30 min or so.

At this point I'm thinking the only thing it can be is the fresh water tank.
 
I removed the 12v pump to replace it so all of the water lines have been drained and I am not hooked up to dockside water. Tank went from 3/4 to 1/4 overnight. Spent the day on the boat and the bilge in that area kept coming on every 30 min or so.

At this point I'm thinking the only thing it can be is the fresh water tank.

Not sure if your year has two tanks or not. But It could be the hose via from one tank to the other. Mine has two tanks and that wasn't it. I had to have new tanks made up, and had to rip up the salon floor to do it. Not a task I ever want to do again. I hope that is not your issue.
 
I looked briefly through the online manual and the fresh water tank is immediately aft of the 12v pump. No hatch access so the bulkhead will need to be removed, think there are four right angle brackets holding the bulkhead in place which is about 18"h x 36"w. Not the end of the world but why they didn't provide a hatch for a critical access section is beyond me. Plenty of storage in below the floor of the cabin but access to any vital systems, like the fresh water tank, is non existent.

Add it to the "to do" list which includes the haul out for the swim platform and prop swap and replace 12v fresh water pump. Actually not too bad of a list. Haul out is scheduled for Tuesday.
 
If in fact the tank is your issue, and your goal is to be on the water quickly, why not plumb one of these into your system now and delay the tank repair until end of season?

PLASTIMO 52 Gallon Flexible Water Tank | West Marine

This was my plan had I closed on that Long Island 450 with the cracked tank.

These flexible bladders come in various sizes and would easily fit in the bottom of the floor storage lockers in that boat.

Just tie into your inlet/outlet plumbing and you're off to the races till your boating season is over and you have the time to address the problem properly.

BEST !

RWS
 
... No hatch access so the bulkhead will need to be removed, think there are four right angle brackets holding the bulkhead in place which is about 18"h x 36"w. Not the end of the world but why they didn't provide a hatch for a critical access section is beyond me. Plenty of storage in below the floor of the cabin but access to any vital systems, like the fresh water tank, is non existent. ...

If in fact your tank is leaking, sounds like it is, big bummer for sure. You will have to pull the floor up to remove the tank. Pulling that bulkhead will do nothing for you except let you see the good end of the tank. If your tank is bad there will be little holes along the aft bottom/side section of the tank and you will not be able to see them. You will also have to get to the water fill and vent lines to remove them before the tank will move

Before going forward with all of this I would re-verify that this is your issue. Get all water out of the bilge and make sure the fresh water pump is off with no dock water connected, not off - not connected. Fill that tank up again and then come back in the morning.

Outside of pulling a fuel tank, this is the biggest job there is.

Pg 89 of this manual shows you have one tank: https://s3.amazonaws.com/srweb-pvt-...ic/parts-manuals/2004__2004-500-SUNDANCER.pdf

PT# 1686648 TANK, WATER 500DA-03 - 150GAL Give that a shot first.
 

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