Water Tank on a 1988 300da any problems

[Iprof]

I seem to have a leak on my boat that I can only attribute to the water tank, I think. When the boat sits for a few days I remove the cushion in the rear aft port side and there is some water in rear area where the AC pump is located. The strange part this water is the color of weak tea. I know it can't be the holding tank or any of it's lines they are located on the other side of the boat and lower (the lines) and the tank is in the bilge separated by a locker and 2 bulk heads. There is a small drain hole in the area where ac pump is located and I can see that the water has been coming out this hole. This drain hole goes into the area where the water tank is and the area above the water tank where my water heater is located. I could understand clear water leaking in but not water the color of weak tea. The carpet in the area where the water heater is located is dry and the cupboard on the port side that slides open is also dry. I don't see how this could be rain water or I would see signs of entry. I think it could be the water tank but the color is what is confusing. How do you gain access to the water tank area on a 300da and anyone every have an issue like this? The water has no smell to it at all.


Ken

 

[kybishop]

Color sounds like it may be from rust? May be the inards of the water heater, tank or lines has developed a leak due to rust. Is the water heater original and still in use?

KB

 

[Iprof]

Color sounds like it may be from rust? May be the inards of the water heater, tank or lines has developed a leak due to rust. Is the water heater original and still in use?

KB

Yes it is the original water heater and still in use, it worked over the summer but we have not used it for a month. I did fill the water tank 2 weeks ago and will be checking to see if it is still full tomorrow. The carpet that the water heater sits on is dry. We have not turned the pump on for the water system for 2 weeks also. I will be turning that on tomorrow but there was no water leak in the system the last time we turned the water on and we did notice the water the weekend we had the water system on.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Any one with a 300 of this vintage have a problem with the water tank leaking.

Ken

 

[JVM225]

I don't have the problem (knock wood), but looking at mine I'm not sure the water from the fresh water tank would wind up in that area you describe under the aft bunk. It seems more likely that it would wind up closer to under the step in to the cabin from the outside deck.
The only thing that I can think of that holds water that is close to that is the water heater, but it looks to me like if my water heater were leaking it would wind up in the bilge.
You can always add some food coloring to your fresh water tank to see if that's where it's coming from.
Looking at mine though, it seems more likely to be a hose or connection. The through hull and strainer for the AC/Heat is located in the same compartment under the aft bunk as my AC pump. I imagine your's is pretty much the same.
Could the rust colored water that accumulates be raw water leaking from one of the hoses that connect the through hull to the strainer, the strainer to the pump, or head from the pump to the AC/Heat unit? Or could it be from a loose clamp along there somewhere? Is the cap on the strainer tight? Is the AC/Heat pump itself leaking?
How about the hoses that run through the compartment to the starboard side of the one with the AC stuff in it. The ones closest to the starboard bulkhead. There are waste and water hoses running through there. Any sign of a leak there? I have a manual head and the through hull that pulls the sea water in to the head is located there with a hose going from there to the commode. Is yours the same? Is that through hull, hose, or clamp leaking?

 

[Sundancer]

My hot water tank is the original and in the engine compartment. I don't know if it leaks or not, but i get some rusty icky looking deposits near where it's bolted to the floor where the bracket is aluminum. I don't have a leak, but there is some galvanic stuff going on there when it does get wet. If that were to ooze into a compartment I'm sure it would be rusty looking.

I think your hot water tank is under the port side walkway compartment above the water tank, correct? That would leak into the aft port compartment under the bed. I'd check the arch too, stranger things have happened! Still if the carpet isn't wet in that portside curpboard, I'm not sure where it's coming from.

My freshwater tank can be reached by pulled the floor of the portside compartment. The tanks sits below that. There are a bunch of overboard drains that are in the way, but you can get to it and there is a small access panel to let you look down in there. On your boat, I'd guess the hotwater heater has to come out first??

 

[JVM225]

My fresh water tank is located under the portside compartment just ouside of the entrance to the cabin.
My hot water heater is located in the bilge, forward of the motors. It's situated just slightly favoring the port side of center. Probably because it's also hooked up to the port motor so it can make hot water away from the dock. I have no genny on my boat, so I don't know where the hot water heater would be if I had a genny.
I just took another quick look at my boat and I don't think there is much of a chance of water that might leak from either the fresh water tank or hot water heater leaking in to the compartments below the aft bunk. I'd like to think that Sea Ray designed it this way so that the cabin wouldn't suffer water damage if either one sprung a leak.
In fact; now that I'm thinking about it, I've washed my bilge down with fresh water from top to bottom including the area around the hot water heater several times and never noticed it causing water to gather under the aft bunk.
I would still put the food coloring in the fresh water tank just to eliminate it though, because water is strange and can wind up anywhere. I would also bypass and drain the domestic side of the hot water heater before I put the food coloring in the fresh water tank because anything that goes in that tank will wind up in the hot water heater if you don't bypass it.
If the leak goes away when you drain and bypass the water heater, then you know that it could be the culprit. I don't see how, but stranger things have happened.
I bypass mine when I winterize my fresh water system to save myself 6 gallons of the pink stuff. It's pretty easy to do, all you need is a couple of cheap plastic fittings, a short length of hose, and a couple of clamps from your favorite hime center or hardware store.
My boat isn't equipped with the "optional arch", so I don't know what, if anything, that would do. But I would imagine that if the leak were coming from the fasteners on the port side of the arch, or that side of the bow rail, that the closet on the port side of the steps would be wet too.

 

[SCORPIO]

Iprof, I can't seem to figure out where your water heater is located. Mine is in the same place as Sundancers, in the bilge under the small center hatch. The tank is under the deck compartment by the steps. I doubt it could leak into the cabin sump. Is this just a little bit of water or are we talking about gallons? If its just a small trickle, could it be water coming out of wet rotting wood somewhere?
I'd do the food coloring test and see what that tells you.
BTW, an arch leak will put water into the compartment with the sliding door on the port side, I had to fix that. An arch leak starboard will show up behind the little access door starboard by the helm seat. Both leaks will drain aft into the main bilge.

 

[Iprof]

Iprof, I can't seem to figure out where your water heater is located. Mine is in the same place as Sundancers, in the bilge under the small center hatch. The tank is under the deck compartment by the steps. I doubt it could leak into the cabin sump. Is this just a little bit of water or are we talking about gallons? If its just a small trickle, could it be water coming out of wet rotting wood somewhere?
I'd do the food coloring test and see what that tells you.
BTW, an arch leak will put water into the compartment with the sliding door on the port side, I had to fix that. An arch leak starboard will show up behind the little access door starboard by the helm seat. Both leaks will drain aft into the main bilge.

I have a factory generator so the water heater is re-located by Sea Ray when new into the storage area over the water tank. I didn't make it down to the boat today but I will tomorrow as I am off work.

Ken

 

[Iprof]

My hot water tank is the original and in the engine compartment. I don't know if it leaks or not, but i get some rusty icky looking deposits near where it's bolted to the floor where the bracket is aluminum. I don't have a leak, but there is some galvanic stuff going on there when it does get wet. If that were to ooze into a compartment I'm sure it would be rusty looking.

I think your hot water tank is under the port side walkway compartment above the water tank, correct? That would leak into the aft port compartment under the bed. I'd check the arch too, stranger things have happened! Still if the carpet isn't wet in that portside curpboard, I'm not sure where it's coming from.

My freshwater tank can be reached by pulled the floor of the portside compartment. The tanks sits below that. There are a bunch of overboard drains that are in the way, but you can get to it and there is a small access panel to let you look down in there. On your boat, I'd guess the hotwater heater has to come out first??

I think I might have to pull the water heater, Xantrex charger, carpet and the plywood and have a look in this area. That will tell me for sure where the water is coming in. After reading the replys I'm thinking it might be the water tank and the bracket the tank sits on is rusting. I will take some pictures and let you know.
I'm glad that there have no reports of water tanks leaking sure hope this is not the first.

Ken

 

[SCORPIO]

Must be a small tank to fit into that cockpit compartment. You are probablly right on the money with the leak/rust idea. I didn't know that they ever put a water tank into that area, but since they did, its very likely that its leaking and finding its way into the cabin bilge.

 

[JJCOTTE]

I seem to have a leak on my boat that I can only attribute to the water tank, I think. When the boat sits for a few days I remove the cushion in the rear aft port side and there is some water in rear area where the AC pump is located. The strange part this water is the color of weak tea. I know it can't be the holding tank or any of it's lines they are located on the other side of the boat and lower (the lines) and the tank is in the bilge separated by a locker and 2 bulk heads. There is a small drain hole in the area where ac pump is located and I can see that the water has been coming out this hole. This drain hole goes into the area where the water tank is and the area above the water tank where my water heater is located. I could understand clear water leaking in but not water the color of weak tea. The carpet in the area where the water heater is located is dry and the cupboard on the port side that slides open is also dry. I don't see how this could be rain water or I would see signs of entry. I think it could be the water tank but the color is what is confusing. How do you gain access to the water tank area on a 300da and anyone every have an issue like this? The water has no smell to it at all.


Ken

Sounds like a hot water heater to me

 

[Iprof]

Well the water heater is fine and the water tank is not losing any water and the system is holding pressure. Now I am really stumped. I will start removing every think from the floor locker at the top of the stairs on Friday. I did have a leak at the hose that goes up to the radar arch (port side) in the spring but I fixed that. It has to be rain water but where it is getting in is the mystery and the colour. I think once I get every thing out I will be able to trace it back to the source.

Ken

 

[JVM225]

I'm glad the tank and heater are good. Those could be expensive fixes. I would look closely at the hoses and clamps in that area. The color of the water could be raw water seeping in somewhere.

 

[88dancer300]

Hey Ken, I just pulled my water tank. You need to remove the wall on the port side of the aft cabin. Then remove the screws of the floor under the water heater, and slide it out into the aft cabin. The water tank is right there, and also just slides out. Let me know if you need photos. Dave

 

[88dancer300]

It looks like it would be a small tank, but it is actually a very large tank. 40 gallons. And is removed through the aft cabin. The 300s with factory equipped gennies have the water heater installed under the hatch next to the helm, above the water tank.

 

[Searay-Bob]

I kinda have the same problem. I have a 89 340da and the rug is wet just in front of the berth the water tank is located under the table and seats. I think it is coming in from the rail bolts up on deck that is the only place I haven't checked yet. It really seems like that because it is only wet when it rains?

 

[Iprof]

Hey Ken, I just pulled my water tank. You need to remove the wall on the port side of the aft cabin. Then remove the screws of the floor under the water heater, and slide it out into the aft cabin. The water tank is right there, and also just slides out. Let me know if you need photos. Dave

Hi Dave

Sorry to take so long getting back to you, I was laid up for 3 weeks with back problems. The back still hurts but at least I am back to work. The boat sat for over a month the water tank was at the same level as it was a month ago. When I turned the pump on for the water system it reached full pressure and shut off in less than a second. When I took the cover off at the aft cabin bilge there was the water that looks like weak tea. There was also a trace of it on the port side in the aft cabin in the area where the AC water pump is. You can see where it has been coming in from the drain hole for the locker in the cockpit where the water heater is. I will take the water heater out, and the Xantrex charger and the carpet. I would like to remove that floor and have a look at the water tank. Could you post here or send me the pictures that you took of the removal of your water tank. I can't see any plugs that would hide screws in the teak panel and trim that I have in my aft cabin.

It's good to be back posting here but I can sit too long at the computer. I think the warranty must be up on the body, things are starting to wear out. :smt089

Ken

 

[88dancer300]

Ken, sorry for the late response. I have had some serious back problems as well, and have had a few unrelated surguries. On my aft cabin wall, the teak trim was stapled on, covering the screws holding the panel to the boat. I will try to get out and get you some pics.

 

[SCORPIO]

Did you ever find the source of the water leak?

 

[88dancer300]

Scorpio, I found the leak on my water tank to be at the fitting at the bottom of the tank that feeds the pump.