Water leak and lines help needed - Maxum Boat Owners Club

cgheli · 10-19-2009, 12:40 PM

I have a 2001 2700 SCR. I now have the boat looking great and running great. I go to take it out the other day and when I check the engine compartment before starting I see water pooled up around the water heater. I have yet to use the water heater and of course common sense would say it is leaking. I am going to mark my freshwater tank to determine if it is rain water or water from my tank. The storage locker outside just forward of the swim platform in the back fills with water when it rains as the drain is on the starboard side and the boat sits a little to the portside while in the rack. Should this locker be water tight? I wonder if I am missing a seal? Also are the freshwater lines with the weird connections easy to get? I am thinking if it is the water heater leaking I will bypass it for now to stop the leak until I can replace the heater. Any help would be great. Seapuppy, I noticed you had the same boat. Did you have any issue like I have described? Thank you in advance if you are able to help.

seapuppy · 10-19-2009, 03:14 PM

CG..
I didn't have any leaks like that but others have..usually the connections on the FW system didn't get install properly and all you had to do is push the connections in till you hear a click...that's all there is too that...but as for the water in a locker...what locker are you talking about??...sometimes water on or near the water heater means that either a hose clamp is loose...try tightning that...or the tank has failed....doubtful but it can happen I'd imagine....water will sometimes drip down from the curtains on the cockpit....work it's way to the bilge and pool in places......check to see if your rub rail maybe leaking..sometimes the water will follow the track until it finds it's way in...(sneaky stuff water is)...the only other thing that can be is the tank itself.....

hope this helps...

SP :hello:

shrew · 10-20-2009, 03:51 PM

HW Heater: Try draining the hot water tank and filling it with propylene glycol (biodegaradble antifreeze) and see if the puddle begins showing up as the color of the glycol (typically pink). If you flush it through the pressure water system it might make it easier to trace the leak if it is in the connectors as well. If it is still clear, it is most likely coming from somewhere else. Also, is the water heater hooked up to the engine? Is it the heating passages the engine coolant gets pushed through? I would only suspect it would leak when the engine is run, if that were the case.

Transom Locker: I would say the installation of a drain in the bottom of the locker is indicative that the manufacturer expects water to make it's way in there from time to time. If the boat were level or floating and the locker drained more readily, you probably wouldn't notice it. You may be able to run a small rubber gasket around the locker to make it a bit more weather tight. I only store lines and fenders back there, so I don't care if things get a bit damp. Half the time the lines go in damp and stay damp anyway.

Ticamo · 10-20-2009, 05:59 PM

I had both problems on my 2700 at one time or another. SeaPuppy is correct that you should push on the water connectors to make sure they are snapped tight. On mine, one of the transom showed connectors came loose (probably from pushing the transom shower hose in) and the leak appeared around the hot water heater, exactly where yours is, because the water ran down one of the hoses. Just a little push fixed it right up.

I also had rain collect in my transom locker. It only really happened when I used the mooring cover, not when I had the full canvas up. You can adjust the door to fit a little tighter and/or install a rubber gasket.

cgheli · 10-21-2009, 12:42 PM

Thanks for all the input. I will check all my connections when I get out to the boat and then will update the post with what I find.

shrew · 10-21-2009, 01:26 PM

BTW, I noticed this is a 2001. Are your connectors the quick connect, snap-on type or are they the older threaded compression type fittings? My 1997 had the threaded compression fittings. I replaced all the connectors on the boat with the newer snap-conect type. The older ones were crumbling apart and I was blowing out connectors all the time. I suspect the P.O. failing to properly winterize the pressure water system at some point. I got tired of chasing leaks and ruptures in the connectors 2 years ago and just replaced them all last spring. Talk about Six-dollaring your self to death. You think a $6.00 connector is cheap until you have to replace them all at once. It doesn't look like there are as many as there are.

hybris1 · 10-21-2009, 02:20 PM

Where did you get the connectors? I have the PVC barbed/compression type on mine that are coming apart.

seapuppy · 10-21-2009, 03:00 PM

they can be gotten at any west marine...they are pretty standard items for potable water systems....

SP

irate:

shrew · 10-22-2009, 03:52 PM

I got mine at a Camping/RV store, but only because it is closer to my house and because I live inland, there aren't many marine supply stores close by. When the RV guy found out they were for a boat, he was skeptical adn balked a bit. when he brought out the parts, they were "Marine-Tek" brand. My reply: "Marine-Tek, are you sure these are ok for an RV?" LOL.

Here are some recommendations:
1) Buy the PVC/PEX ratcheting pipe cutting tool. It makes clean, square cuts of the water line and significantly simplifies the process.

2) Consider buying some spare tubing. The compression fittings can mushroom the ends of the tubing and make them very difficult to slip into the newer snap-connectors. They will fit with some force, but troublesome ones may simply be easier to replace the tubing at the same time.

3) For those that are mushroomed and need to be re-used, make sure you push until it 'clicks'. Otherwise you won't get a water-tight seal.

4) I'd replace them all. Once a handful started cracking, the all started cracking. I gave up chasing them and just bit the bullet and replaced them all over a spring weekend before commissioning.