water flowing through pipe into bilge

petergumbrell · #1 (**permalink**) 05-17-2011

I have just purchased a 1993 Beneteau 35s5 and it went in the water last week. There were several inches of water in the bilge two days later and, after pumping it dry, there were several again today. There is a slow but steady trickle of water from one pipe that runs into into the bilge and I cannot understand where this is coming from. The pipe runs aft and under the floor of the head. Any ideas what might be causing this?
Thanks,
Peter

tdw · #2 (**permalink**) 05-17-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by petergumbrell

I have just purchased a 1993 Beneteau 35s5 and it went in the water last week. There were several inches of water in the bilge two days later and, after pumping it dry, there were several again today. There is a slow but steady trickle of water from one pipe that runs into into the bilge and I cannot understand where this is coming from. The pipe runs aft and under the floor of the head. Any ideas what might be causing this?
Thanks,
Peter

35s5 head is aft alongside the companionway , correct ? How can pipe run aft under the floor of the head and exit into the bilge ? Doesn't make sense to me.

sfchallenger · #3 (**permalink**) 05-17-2011

What kind of pipe? Flex hose? What diameter? Can you get someone to help you so you can watch while they jiggle? You have to figure out where it is coming from to have an idea of how to solve the problem.

Cheers,
h

petergumbrell · #4 (**permalink**) 05-17-2011

Sorry. My poor description. The pipe seems to run from under the head compartment to the bilge. Aft of the head is the starboard locker which is very large. I haven't had the chance to pull everything out of if and see what is there. But it doesn't make sense that a pipe would run from there forward to the bilge.

sfchallenger · #5 (**permalink**) 05-17-2011

What kind of diameter? Flexible pipe?
-h

petergumbrell · #6 (**permalink**) 05-17-2011

It's flex hose of about 1" diameter.

Tempest · #7 (**permalink**) 05-17-2011

I Don't know your boat...is there a shower sump?

petergumbrell · #8 (**permalink**) 05-17-2011

Yes, there is. there doesn't seem to be any water there, though I can't see under it.

sfchallenger · #9 (**permalink**) 05-17-2011

1" line (o.d.) is likely to be fresh water supply, possibly a vent loop, or a bilge line. Do you have pumps in the bilge? Have you tasted the water to determine if it is salt or fresh (assuming you are floating in salt water)? Emptying your locker is likely to provide more insight than conjecture by characters on the internets.

Cheers,
h

fallard · #10 (**permalink**) 05-17-2011

You might try shutting off your through-hulls one-by one and seeing if the leak stops. That would help isolate the source, if not the cause. If you still have a leak with all the through-hulls shut off, you may need to check for a leak in your fresh water system.

If it were my boat, I'd clear out that locker and whatever else was in the way of tracing the leak.

In any case, you ought to shut the through-hulls off when you are away from your boat until you get this figured out.