Where is the water going?

[Rigby]

New owner of a 2001 Sundancer 310 here. I am baffled by the fresh water tank.

It was full when I bought it three weeks ago, and depleted slowly, at an expected rate with use.

Refilled last night; empty this morning. Thought maybe the AC used it all.

Refilled this morning..half empty a little later. Refilled. Went out in the boat for a couple hours...when done, water enott again.

What is using all this water? I don't even see where it is going.

 

[Rizzman]

check your holding tank? Maybe into the toilet and then to the tank? Just a thought?

 

[Hoplite808]

The A/C should have a raw water feed from a through hull fitting not be run from the tank.

You’re going to have to check all the fittings and lines in the plumbing to find the leak. I had the connector that attached the feed from the tank in front of the pump recently start to leak on my boat. Had to take everything apart and clean it up and add a new o-ring to stop the leak.

 

[Golfman25]

You're leaking somewhere.

 

[Rigby]

The A/C should have a raw water feed from a through hull fitting not be run from the tank.

You’re going to have to check all the fittings and lines in the plumbing to find the leak. I had the connector that attached the feed from the tank in front of the pump recently start to leak on my boat. Had to take everything apart and clean it up and add a new o-ring to stop the leak.

So new question then - Does this mean I can only run AC while on shore power, and that I have to connect water to it sonewhere?

 

[Hoplite808]

So new question then - Does this mean I can only run AC while on shore power, and that I have to connect water to it sonewhere?

The air conditioner runs on 110 volts, or 220 outside the US, and should be able to be powered from the built in generator if it's strong enough and otherwise will power fine from shore power. Usually you'll need to be on a 30 amp hookup though. If you've ever gone outside to the back of one of your home's A/C units you can feel heat being exchanged via a fan blowing air through the condenser to cool it down to be sent back to the compressor to be reintroduced to the evaporator to cool the inside air. This is what the boat does too, except rather than blowing air through the condenser it has a radiator like deal around the condenser that pumps the colder water that the boat is sitting in through and then out the side via a through hull. This way you don't have all the heat it generates filling the confined space it sits in. The A/C should not be connected in any way to your fresh water tank and should not be affecting its water consumption in any way shape or form as they are completely separate systems.

If your fresh water tank is loosing water and its not being used via the sinks, showers, icemaker, or if the toilet is flushed via fresh water rather than sea water then there is most definitely a leak somewhere in the plumbing and the water is going into the bilge and being pumped out by your bilge pump into the water the boat sits in. You'll have to trace all the plumbing to find the leak.

 

[Stray Cat]

Does the water pump cycle frequently?

 

[Korkie]

Do you have a water tree that allows you to turn off certain supply lines. If so, shut everything off and fill the tank. Start turning on 1 at a time to see when the level starts going down. That would be the suspect. If level goes down with everything off, high suspect the tank. If you do not have the valves, you can do the same thing with some caps. Cap off all lines and hook up one at a time to try it. If your pump is not cycling as mentioned above, you may have a leak in the tank or in a connection before the pump.

 

[garybly]

So new question then - Does this mean I can only run AC while on shore power, and that I have to connect water to it sonewhere?

The A/C uses sea water to cool, It has a pump that pumps through a seacock on the bottom of the boat

 

[Sicktght311]

Before my next response, keep the following in mind.......if you emptied your water entirely, your water heater was also empty. That takes 6 gallons to refill so if you put 12 gallons in your water tank, then turn on the hot water faucet on the sink, 6 gallons will empty from your water tank and seemingly go "nowhere" but its just re-filling the hot water heater

Aside from that, Heres an easy way to rule out some of the above leaks

Empty your tank and your water heater fully. Pull up on your water feed for your toilet until it runs dry and flush it all into the holding tank. Then Refill your water tank fully, and put in a handful of drops of food coloring/water dye.

Come back to the boat after a few days. If you see that colored water in your bilge, you have a leak somewhere in one of the fittings. If you find it in the toilet, your water feed line is leaking. If you find it in your sinks, your faucets arent fully shutting off.

once your find the leak, flush the tank with fresh water a few times to clear out the dye, and you should be done

 

[Irie308]

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.

 

[Stee6043]

Do you have fresh, clean water in your bilge below where the pumps would pick it up? Is it possible the water is leaking into your bilge and then being pumped overboard?

 

[Creekwood]

If your water pump cycles on periodically when you are not using water, then there is a leak in the lines or fittings (or maybe the water heater tank). Its common if the boat was not properly winterized to have a leak in one of the plastic fittings that are throughout the boat. The fittings and hoses are 12mm not 1/2" just so you know. The 1/2" fittings will "fit" but will leak because they are 0.7mm oversize for the hoses. So its possible someone replaced a few fittings with 1/2" ones and they are leaking. If you find some leaking fittings that may be the reason. Our marina sells both sizes now fortunately. Its always good to have a few spares on hand too.

 

[Rigby]

Great ideas from everyone, thanks


I am on the boat now and trying stuff

It does not lose fresh water volume if the water pump is off

With the pump turned on, it does cycle for 30 seconds every five minutes or so. I would think think this indicates a leak somewhere but damned if i can find it so far.

Bilge is dry and there's no standing water in the hull.

Nothing coming out of the various drain holes on the hull. Water around the boat is absolute glass.

I'm befuddled. Plan to try the food coloring idea next i guess.

 

[Creekwood]

Great ideas from everyone, thanks


I am on the boat now and trying stuff

It does not lose fresh water volume if the water pump is off

With the pump turned on, it does cycle for 30 seconds every five minutes or so. I would think think this indicates a leak somewhere but damned if i can find it so far.

Bilge is dry and there's no standing water in the hull.

Nothing coming out of the various drain holes on the hull. Water around the boat is absolute glass.

I'm befuddled. Plan to try the food coloring idea next i guess.

Check your transom shower. Sometimes the hoses or connections can leak and it may not go into the bilge. Mine is mounted on the transom and any leaks will go into the transom locker and then come out onto the swim platform. I did have a leak in the ball valve that controls the water. Its a standard Delta part (home depot) and can be easily replaced if that is where your leak is.

 

[mrsrobinson]

Perhaps the shower head or llines going to shower are leaking.

 

[dwna1a]

I need to ask a question and please forgive me

are you sure you are putting water in the correct tank? Are the water tank fill lights working? Is the holding tank full.? The head uses fresh water, at least mine does. AC is a completely different system. Unless someone has mixed up supply lines, which would be almost impossible, but it’s a boat. Nothing is impossible.

To pump that much water (approximately 60g) it must be somewhere. If not the bilge, the holding tank or overboard.

 

[Rigby]

Do you have fresh, clean water in your bilge below where the pumps would pick it up? Is it possible the water is leaking into your bilge and then being pumped overboard?

I need to ask a question and please forgive me

are you sure you are putting water in the correct tank? Are the water tank fill lights working? Is the holding tank full.? The head uses fresh water, at least mine does. AC is a completely different system. Unless someone has mixed up supply lines, which would be almost impossible, but it’s a boat. Nothing is impossible.

To pump that much water (approximately 60g) it must be somewhere. If not the bilge, the holding tank or overboard.

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.

 

[Rigby]

Check your transom shower. Sometimes the hoses or connections can leak and it may not go into the bilge. Mine is mounted on the transom and any leaks will go into the transom locker and then come out onto the swim platform. I did have a leak in the ball valve that controls the water. Its a standard Delta part (home depot) and can be easily replaced if that is where your leak is.

Had not thought of this. will do.

 

[dwna1a]

Without the freshwater pump on pressurizing the system wouldn’t it just leak down? This one has my curiosity up