Tracking down a bilge leak

[LadyStardust]

[QUOTE=Sandero;2272949]First determine if it is salt or fresh water.

Any tips for how to determine if it's salt or fresh water, other than tasting it. I have often thought that it must be possible to make a product to do this, i envisage something like a lollipop stick you dip in the water and it turns blue for salt or green for fresh, or something similar. I seem to recall something like this for litmus testing back in my school days.
I expect most people like me don't fancy tasting bilge water, especially from the deep bilge areas under the engine!

[UNCIVILIZED]

Originally Posted by RKsailsolo

Thx sjfk and all others for feedback.

I believe my issue may be a bad check valve somewhere between the pump and the bilge exit port on the hull. How to find that check valve on my particular system is my next task.

Ideas anyone?

Follow the hose. And if you truly want to do it by the numbers. Remove & reinstall the whole thing; pump, hose, etc. That way you know that the hose is still sound. Ditto for the other components.
If you do choose this route, have a wooden bung or three handy, just in case.

[UNCIVILIZED]

[QUOTE=LadyStardust;2275309]

Originally Posted by Sandero

First determine if it is salt or fresh water.

Any tips for how to determine if it's salt or fresh water, other than tasting it. I have often thought that it must be possible to make a product to do this, i envisage something like a lollipop stick you dip in the water and it turns blue for salt or green for fresh, or something similar. I seem to recall something like this for litmus testing back in my school days.
I expect most people like me don't fancy tasting bilge water, especially from the deep bilge areas under the engine!

There are salinity testers. Including simple ones which just measure the resistance/conductivity of the water, but don't tell you what "salts" are present that are making the water conductive. Or you can get kits, & equipment that tells you to a very precise level how much dissolved solids are present, with some telling you what those solids are.

[RKsailsolo]

I did find the check valve. It is in the same compertment as the bilge pump itself, the pump hse runs for ten inches to a gaggle of hses attached to the bilge compartment wall just above and forward of the pump. The valve is barely visible as it is behind a bunch of hoses. Replacing that valve looks like it may not be hard except for the fact that the other hses need to be un bundled to get at the valave. As much as i like to do it myself, i am hesitant to mess with it as its an important system and i do not want to void my warranty.

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