Where is the water going?

Hi guys sorry about silence (notice post #30 I was away on other matters).

3 things have been learned:

1. I had a tech over to install a new impeller and he took an initial look..my cooling system is closed loop, so what I thought was the most likely answer seems to have been ruled out.

2. When I checked the bilge for water I looked in the engine compartment...no water there. But the tech mentioned that the hull may be divided with multiple chambers. So we pulled up the cabin carpet, opened the floor, and that section is bone dry.

3. Pulled the aft cabin mattress and panels out, to look at the fresh water tank and fittings. Everything looks fine, nothing is wet there.

Ongoing when the tech returns, I guess. Unfortunately at my marina he is only allowed on-site on thursdays, very frustrating.
 
From everything you've said, it looks like the water you're losing from the tank is not going into the boat. That means it's going directly out. According to the water system diagram for your boat you don't have a washdown spigot in your anchor locker, so that's not the leak. Items 35-36-37-38 are the only other places I could see that might be your leak.

I'm not familiar with your boat, where can water from 35-36-37 go? Item 38, HWH pressure relief, is piped direct to the outside. It's a common leaker but you say nothing comes out of any thru hull fitting. I'd watch it again. It's not going to be shooting out in a stream, it'll be oozing out.
water.JPG
 
Hi guys sorry about silence (notice post #30 I was away on other matters).

3 things have been learned:

1. I had a tech over to install a new impeller and he took an initial look..my cooling system is closed loop, so what I thought was the most likely answer seems to have been ruled out.

2. When I checked the bilge for water I looked in the engine compartment...no water there. But the tech mentioned that the hull may be divided with multiple chambers. So we pulled up the cabin carpet, opened the floor, and that section is bone dry.

3. Pulled the aft cabin mattress and panels out, to look at the fresh water tank and fittings. Everything looks fine, nothing is wet there.

Ongoing when the tech returns, I guess. Unfortunately at my marina he is only allowed on-site on thursdays, very frustrating.
@Rigby did you find your leak?
 
PROBLEM SOLVED

So according to the tech, the pressure relief valve at the Hot Water Heater was somehow stuck in the open position. He has ordered a new one, but in the meantime the old one (having been removed and examined) is now 'unstuck' and working, since I no longer lose fresh water.

As to where the bloody hell this water was going? It doesn't go into the blige. From the relief valve, it goes to a drain that is right at the waterline and the tech says "you would never see or hear that.

Thanks to everyone who contributed here, it sure was a puzzle to me.
 
Have had 2 instances where we were loosing fresh water from the tank. One was a leak from shore water pressure regulator. Second was a pressure release valve from the hot water tank. Both easy to confirm as there are tell tale leaks from the vent overboard for the pressure release and the regulator would be leaking in or around transom locker. If you don't loose water with the fresh water pump or the hot water heater on it is also a sign that you leak is when pressure is applied to the tank.
nailed it
 
Yep, right tank. After filling the lights say full. 60-90min later it is at 3/4. Another 30-60 min later it is at 1/2.

I agree it is a LOT of water. Since buying the boat i have pumped out once but somehow filled the fresh water 6 times. It is so puzzling. The system HAS to be leaking somewhere downstream of the pump, and not into the bilge or waste tank.

One thing I have not done yet is hook up the water inflow fitting (in the transom trunk) to city/shore water and just let it rip. I should be able to hear it or see it somewhere. Will try that tomorrow.

So since you are in a water problems thread maybe you are interested in this. I did try the above, and that isn't what led to a solution, but I learned something anyway. My tech says that my boat, and most boats, have water systems rated for 20-30 psi. My particular marina's shore water connections at the slips are delivering city water at 60psi. Guess what that results in - yep - he alone has serviced 5 boats this summer which managed to blow fittings while the owners were away and left their shore water on.
 
So since you are in a water problems thread maybe you are interested in this. I did try the above, and that isn't what led to a solution, but I learned something anyway. My tech says that my boat, and most boats, have water systems rated for 20-30 psi. My particular marina's shore water connections at the slips are delivering city water at 60psi. Guess what that results in - yep - he alone has serviced 5 boats this summer which managed to blow fittings while the owners were away and left their shore water on.
That makes sense that the fitting would drain overboard. If it didn't, then if the valve stuck on and you were connected to the shore water, your boat could potentially sink if the bilge pump couldn't keep up.

I am pretty sure that mine just vents into the bilge. Might be a retrofit for me at some point to do what yours does. Should be easy to plumb a drain from the vent to a new thru hull.
 
My HWH pressure relief valve drains onto the engine room floor and finds its way to the low point in the bilge where it is pumped overboard by the bilge pump.
 
So I clearly jinxed myself in commenting on where @Rigby water was going! When I went to the boat second last weekend, my water tank was empty. Hmmm - it was nearly full the weekend before. I filled it and noticed that overnight the pump would kick in every 15 min or so just for a few seconds. Never before. No big deal, just turned the pump off at night until I can track down the leak. Was too busy that weekend to do any repairs.

So this past weekend, I have some more time and decided after coming back from fishing Saturday AM I would track the issue down. I looked in the bilge in the AM and noticed water under the pump, so I figured it was there, hoping it wasn't the pump. When I get back and fuel up, I bought a pump from the chandlery just in case.

I found that the original pump was not actually properly mounted with only the top two rubber mounts installed, and one of the mounts had ripped off from the vibration I guess. So reattach it all put old pump on, check all the fittings, but it still comes on and off and dripping.

So Sunday morning I start again, and after taking it all apart and putting it back on 2 times, its now leaking more and I can finally see that the two fittings that attach directly to the pump and have a threaded other end, have VERY tiny streams of water coming out of the sides.

I guess they were cracking from the pump hanging on the hoses, and my moving them around so much opened the cracks more so there was a more visible spray. Of course the chandlery does not have that fitting, but Amazon does (ordered and arrived, but not at the boat yet). So it wasn't the pump exactly, so I don't need a new pump, but just a couple of fittings. Here is a picture of the worst one. You can just barely see the tiny spray of water mist which is what finally made me realize it was cracked. Before it was dripping underneath, but I thought it was the gasket in the fitting above. Hard do see without hanging upside down in the bilge. Pictures with my phone helped.

Anyway, if anyone in future is trying to track down a similar issue, those black pump fittings can crack in odd spots.
IMG_2274.JPG
 
PROBLEM SOLVED

So according to the tech, the pressure relief valve at the Hot Water Heater was somehow stuck in the open position. He has ordered a new one, but in the meantime the old one (having been removed and examined) is now 'unstuck' and working, since I no longer lose fresh water.

As to where the bloody hell this water was going? It doesn't go into the blige. From the relief valve, it goes to a drain that is right at the waterline and the tech says "you would never see or hear that.

Thanks to everyone who contributed here, it sure was a puzzle to me.

Thank you for following up with the resolution. That will help peeps down the road when they are searching for the same thing!
 
So since you are in a water problems thread maybe you are interested in this. I did try the above, and that isn't what led to a solution, but I learned something anyway. My tech says that my boat, and most boats, have water systems rated for 20-30 psi. My particular marina's shore water connections at the slips are delivering city water at 60psi. Guess what that results in - yep - he alone has serviced 5 boats this summer which managed to blow fittings while the owners were away and left their shore water on.
You can purchase a regulator Amazon $25 and attach it to the shore water outlet. Set the pressure to 35 psi and save your boat regulator and thus your fresh water system from over pressure
 
Reference for a 2000 540 DA. I have a fresh water leak that seems to be coming from the 120 gal fresh water tank. I can see some staining and mold looking forward at the tank from the bilge in the master stateroom. There is no access to the tank other than pulling up the new rugs and cutting through the deck. Has anyone experienced this? It’s an aluminum tank I believe. Are there any products like Barrs leak that seal when exposed to air. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
 
There is a product for sealing hot tub leaks (made in Canada). You'd be best to fill your empty water tank with hot water along with the appropriate amount of the leak sealant. Might be worth a try for $30.

 

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