1995 370 Sundancer - Water leak in water heater compartment

[gcarnaghi]

Water heater sump located under mid-cabin berth accumulates standing water from time to time. The water heater was replaced in the spring, all hoses and connections have been replaced and checked for leaks, including cold water supply, hot water return, pressure relief, supply and return from starboard engine for heat exchanger, no leaks in connections or hoses. The water heater itself and/or supply/return lines are not the source of accumulated water.

As I was winterizing the boat this past weekend I removed the water heater for kicks and drilled a hole in the bottom of the sump, there is approximately 8" of foam beneath the sump and obviously the hull of the boat below that, the foam is wet and is holding water. Water also accumulates in the sump directly behind the shower sump, where the mid-cabin bilge pump is located, the shower sump is not the source of this water.

I know the water is coming from outside the boat and not an internal source, I speculate rain and/or wash-down water is seeping in and running down the interior surface of the hull and accumulating in the bottom of the boat. No visible signs of water leaks in the cabin, headliner and wall coverings are clean and dry.

has anybody else experienced this issue and if so did you identify the source of the leak? The potential leak points are unfortunately endless (deck hardware, windshield frame, ect.)

 

[PlayDate]

Check out this thread:

http://www.clubsearay.com/index.php?threads/mold-ive-given-up.85463/#post-961030

Water from the portholes runs down the hull to the keel. It accumulates there and eventually rises to point that it floods into the compartment. It is frustrating to find the source of the leak and equally frustrating to get the water out of that area.

 

[370Dancer]

Water heater sump located under mid-cabin berth accumulates standing water from time to time. The water heater was replaced in the spring, all hoses and connections have been replaced and checked for leaks, including cold water supply, hot water return, pressure relief, supply and return from starboard engine for heat exchanger, no leaks in connections or hoses. The water heater itself and/or supply/return lines are not the source of accumulated water.

As I was winterizing the boat this past weekend I removed the water heater for kicks and drilled a hole in the bottom of the sump, there is approximately 8" of foam beneath the sump and obviously the hull of the boat below that, the foam is wet and is holding water. Water also accumulates in the sump directly behind the shower sump, where the mid-cabin bilge pump is located, the shower sump is not the source of this water.

I know the water is coming from outside the boat and not an internal source, I speculate rain and/or wash-down water is seeping in and running down the interior surface of the hull and accumulating in the bottom of the boat. No visible signs of water leaks in the cabin, headliner and wall coverings are clean and dry.

has anybody else experienced this issue and if so did you identify the source of the leak? The potential leak points are unfortunately endless (deck hardware, windshield frame, ect.)

I have experienced this exact issue in my 1998 DA. Walked into the boat one day, and stepped into 2 inches of water in the mid cabin floor. First, I removed the pole base in the mid cabin for the table leg. I busted through the grey epoxy (pretty thin), which exposed the foam. It was so saturated that it would squirt water into the mid cabin floor if you stepped on the floor. When I removed the water heater, the screw holes had a 1 " flow head coming out of them. I dug a hole in the foam under the table base down to the bottom of the foam filled cavity. I then used a wet/dry vac to suck up all the water in that area. It took a looooong time (days). I had sporadically lost entire 70 gallon tanks of freshwater over the weekend, without knowing where it went. Now I know. When inspecting the side coaming lockers behind the cockpit sink and ice maker, I discovered a years old leak in the ice maker line that saturated the floor where Sea Ray "forgot" to coat the wood with resin. That flooring rotted out, and the water flowed between the inner liner and the hull. Since that is a pressure connection, and I routinely leave my pressure pump on, I have emptied the tank more than once into that space.
Since redoing the coaming flooring (correctly), eliminating the leak, and vacuuming out the bilge area, I have not had a repeat experience.
Search around here for me, and I'm sure you'll find some posts about it.