[Anonymous]

I have a 2004 Bavaria 36. At the end of last year and the begining of this I have found fresh water in the bilge section by the sink where the electric bilge pump is situated. I cannot find where this is commng from but it looks like the rear tank as this appears to go down slowly. I have checked all the pipe connections and all seem dry as does the pump unit and accumulator tank. The strange thing is the water seems to be comming from the web section and then into this part of the bilge via the limber hole. How water could get into the web is a mystery to me and I am running out of ideas. All help appreciated.

Keith & Carole Wave Dancer

[Anonymous]

Hi
I had exactly the same problem with my B30 when I bought her last year. The owner told me that the fresh water in the bilge was from when he washed the boat down prior to me viewing as he had left the main hatch open. This we excepted at the time as there was water drips around the hatch.
Once we took ownership I dried the bilges and did not visit the boat for a week as we were away on holiday, when we returned the bilges had about 1″ of fresh water standing. I made enquiries with the locals & it had not rained for that week. In the end it took me over 2 weeks crawling around the fresh water system. It turned out to be the brass Tee piece at the base of the calorifier. Once removed the fitting was found to be split and had probably been like this from new (boat was only 18 months old at the time).
I changed the fitting and the problem went away.
Hope this helps
Alan.

[Anonymous]

I had exactly the same problem last year on my 2003 Bav 36 and eventually traced it to a leak on the domestic water pump that is located in the under berth storage in the aft port cabin. Eventually noticed it when checking all the pipework out and the kids turned the tap on. The pump pressurised and hey presto I spotted the leak on the pump where a crack had appeared on the casing. Suspect it had not been drained down properly the previous winter and froze.
It’s worth rechecking the pump and turning the tap on as up until then all appeared to be dry and leak free.

[Anonymous]

Another place to check is the transom shower. Ours had split in the winter due to being frozen. We do have isolator taps, but one wasn’t quite closed, and the shower head still had water in it which then froze and split the plastic head. Water then trickes back through the boat whenever the pump is on.

Moonbeam

[Anonymous]

Tanami has yet another place to look for a leak.

Each time I use Tanami, at least twice a week, the hot water system is cold when I start and then as the engine heats the pressure in the hot water service seems to leak through the pressure relief valve. However as all Bavaria owners know you will never find the the leak when you are looking for it.

So by a process of elimination I narrowed down to the hot water service. The work around is to turn off the the water pressure pump and open the sink tap turned across to the hot water position. You will see water coming out of the tap as the water heats.

Last year I lived on board for 5 months cruising to the Whitsundays. The leaking hot water system was not a problem as the water water was always hot and I never had to release the pressure.

Greg

[Anonymous]

Dar all,

Thanks to Tanami, Moonbeam, Sundance and Olivia Rose, Looked in all the places mentioned this weekend and of course found no leak indeed the mystery deepens. Having run the aft tank to empty used the forward tank and guess what, no water in the bilge. So the pipe work to the pressure side of the pump is ok. So the water is comming from the aft tank both when in use and when left for a time. My deduction is it must either be a split tank, but no evidance of draining water were you would expect to see it, or from the immediate pipe work as I still have water in the bilge when the pump is off. Any thoughts?

And just to add to the week end the holding tank blocked!

Keith & Carole Wave Dancer.

[Anonymous]

have a bavaria 37 as with moonbeam had water in bildges that had come from shower head at transom the water ran under water tank into the stringers i thought it was split water tank until i found a slight drip from connector to shower head took three weeks to drain down into bildges sailing only prolonged the drying up period by sloshing it around other parts of the boat. had the added problem when we took the boat over peters filled bildges with diesel so after two years the water had a layer of oiley diesel on top as well so couldnt discharge overboard.look hard at shower make sure shower tap is closed
johnd

[Anonymous]

John,

Many thanks I will look again at this as all week the bilge has been dry running on the bow tank. I will fill aft tank at the week end and see what happens.

Thanks & Keith Carole Wave Dancer

[Anonymous]

We have a leak from the aft tank where the pipe comes out but only very slight, manageable if we don’t leave the tank full

regards Jane

[Anonymous]

We recently found water in the bilges, which i tracked down to the bilge under the aft, port side water tank.
On investigation the leak was thro the water level gauge sender unit in the top of the tank – it only leaked when the tank was full and under a head of pressure.
I tightened the sender and which seems to have cured the problem.

[Author]

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