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A little drip ...

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Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5358 Posts

Initially Posted - 06/17/2012 : 07:01:33

Was checking the Vee berth last week and up inside the area where the through- hull drain is. I found a wee bit of water pooled up. I wiped it up with a paper towel. It rained pretty hard this week and when I checked it again, another few ounces.
I checked and it was seawater. Uh-oh.
So I got the flashlight and noticed that there was a little drop of water near the top of the valve near where the hose is connected. I have a pair of stainless steel hose clamps on the hose and they're tight.
Last week I closed the valve yet this week it still leaked.
Over last winter I took the valve apart, rewrapped the threads with Teflon tape, greased the valve and reclamped the hose.
So now my question is:
1. Do I leave it alone and wipe up the little bit of water each week? or
2. Do I try to take it apart and replace the parts?
I could also just cap off the thru-hull fitting - trick is, she's in the water until Halloween so I'd have to be ready with the right sized plug to do it this summer. What would you do?

Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain � Milford, CT

Edited by - on

Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
3159 Posts

Response Posted - 06/17/2012 : 12:00:24

How much do you like your boat?

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Voyager
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Response Posted - 06/17/2012 : 14:58:57

Chris
A LOT!
But you didn't answer the question.
Now or at the end of the season?
If now, just plug it or should I replace the seacock?

Edited by - on

islander
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4018 Posts

Response Posted - 06/17/2012 : 16:35:38

Get a hold of the PO, I'm sure he will honor the warranty...

Hard to make a call on that but I would close it and keep an eye on it. Messing with those valves while the boat is in the water is rather risky. You can really open up a can of worms. With the valve shut you will probably still have a drip at the hose connection because there is water in the hose above the valve up to the waterline of the boat. If you are sure the valve closed then the leak is in the hose connection. The water in the hose will eventually leak out and the drip will stop.

Edited by - islander on 06/17/2012 16:43:56

Voyager
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5358 Posts

Response Posted - 06/17/2012 : 17:00:18

Scott - thanks I think I'll take up the warranty issue. ;-)
Meanwhile your assessment that the standing water is leaking could be correct since the odds of having a leak both in the hose and in the seacock valve are pretty low. Next time I get down to the boat this week I'll drain the hose and check it.
I recall when I reassembled it all last winter I put Teflon tape on the seacock to through-hull threads, there was a 90 degree plastic elbow with a hose barb and I put tape on that threaded connection too. It all feels really tight, and there's no play at all in any of the connections. Could be the elbow has cracked or separated. I can check that once it's removed while draining the hose.

That is if she's still afloat!?!?!

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Stinkpotter
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Djibouti
9076 Posts

Response Posted - 06/17/2012 : 17:27:11

What's not to like??

(She used to be mine...) But I wouldn't try to "replace parts" in a seacock--replace the seacock. If I understand your description, I doubt this "weeking" is a sign of imminent failure--it's like a drip in a faucet in your house (except not the kind where you can tighten a packing nut). That's a nylon ball-valve that probably has a little groove worn in the ball or socket by some tiny obstruction, where the water is weeping through. I'd replace it on the hard after this season. If you find a gallon of water in there some day, consider my advice null and void.

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Prospector
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Canada
3159 Posts

Response Posted - 06/17/2012 : 18:27:45

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Voyager
 Scott - thanks I think I'll take up the warranty issue. ;-)
Meanwhile your assessment that the standing water is leaking could be correct since the odds of having a leak both in the hose and in the seacock valve are pretty low. Next time I get down to the boat this week I'll drain the hose and check it.
I recall when I reassembled it all last winter I put Teflon tape on the seacock to through-hull threads, there was a 90 degree plastic elbow with a hose barb and I put tape on that threaded connection too. It all feels really tight, and there's no play at all in any of the connections. Could be the elbow has cracked or separated. I can check that once it's removed while draining the hose.

That is if she's still afloat!?!?!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

You shouldn't need teflon on a hose barb. I would glom on that like white on rice if I was looking at this thing. People use teflon tape in all kinds of places where it doesn't belong thinking its a miracle cure. This is a spot where it would be more likely to cause a leak than prevent one. In my opinion anyways.

Teflon tape should only be used on threaded connections where the threads themselves form a seal as opposed to a compression fit where the compression deforms materials creating a seal - such as your hose clamp.

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
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Djibouti
9076 Posts

Response Posted - 06/17/2012 : 19:25:18

I think Bruce is saying he put the tape on the threads, not on the barb. I agree--never on a hose barb.

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redeye
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Response Posted - 06/18/2012 : 03:54:12

Stick a cork in it... From the outside. Not that it could help all that much with the leak, but you could probably sleep better knowing it would not fail and leak whole hog.

so to speak.

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Joe Diver
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1218 Posts

Response Posted - 06/18/2012 : 05:42:36

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Stinkpotter
 .... I'd replace it on the hard after this season. If you find a gallon of water in there some day, consider my advice null and void.

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

X2.

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islander
Master Marine Consultant

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Response Posted - 06/18/2012 : 14:25:35

Bruce, with the valve closed and since you had the hose off recently you should be able to take the hose off without to much yanking and pulling to let the water out of the hose then dry everything up and leave the hose off for a while or overnight and see if the valve has water seeping through somewhere. If its dry then its in one of the hose connections. Just be careful, Like I said, A can of worms....

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Voyager
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5358 Posts

Response Posted - 06/19/2012 : 19:42:08

I stopped by today but did not have time to drain it and check it. There was still a tiny bit of water on the floor, so it's not getting any worse. This Saturday I will find the source and fix it. As you say Scott it's probably water standing in the hose that's leaking now. I will remove the hose and check the seacock over the course of several hours.
Dave's correct - I put Teflon tape on the threaded portions - where the seacock attaches to the thru-hull and where the elbow screws into the seacock. I might try cutting a few inches off the end of the hose and putting a little Vaseline on the hose barb. I will replace the SS hoseclamps and snug them down until tight but not overtighten. Perhaps I got a little carried away last winter in my haste to get the boat ready.
I will bring a cork just in case!

Edited by - on

Prospector
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Canada
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Response Posted - 06/20/2012 : 04:07:43

I find corks travel best stored in a bottle of something good to drink. That way you don't lose it on teh way to teh boat.

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redeye
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3476 Posts

Response Posted - 06/20/2012 : 06:58:07

<< What would you do? >>

Fix it later...

I'd pull the line and cork the opening ( on the top of the through hull ), and look at the through hull for leaks. Like you said most probably the line fitting is leaking.

Mine would occasionally have water from the anchor locker there, and sometimes from condensation coming down on the inside of the hull.

This coming from a guy that named his boat LeeKee.

You could always get all CSI about it and put some powdered fluorescein dye on it and then look at it with a black light ( Bass Light ) after an hour.

http://www.thecarycompany.com/containers/dustchaser.html

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GaryB
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4303 Posts

Response Posted - 06/20/2012 : 09:06:40

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by redeye
 << What would you do? >>

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Put the red cork back in and pump like crazy?

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Voyager
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5358 Posts

Response Posted - 06/20/2012 : 19:11:54

She was still afloat today as I drove past and I could still see the Bottom paint at waterline. I reckon she'll hold until Friday afternoon.

Edited by - Voyager on 06/20/2012 19:13:13

Voyager
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5358 Posts

Response Posted - 06/23/2012 : 18:11:23

So I got down to the boat today and after I got her ready to go out I unscrewed the hose clamps and wriggled the hose off the barb on the through hull seacock. Drained out about 6 oz. of funky water into an old cup and left the hose off. The valve was closed. I was puttering around the boat and dock for an hour and even with the hose disconnected, there was no leak. I took a look at the end of the hose and there was a little seam running parallel to the hose. I trimmed that end back a little and reattached it, and poured some water down the drain. No more drips even after several hours.
Problem solved!

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