www.iFourWinns.com

I warned you guys I'm new at this, and full of questions. Lol. How much water is normal if any In the bilge. We stopped for lunch and I forgot to leave the bilge switch on. Then we cruised around with it not on for a while and sat in a cove. Then I realized it wasn't on and checked the bilge and it had quite a bit of water in it. Probably 4 or 5 inches. Do I have a leak I need to track down, or is this just operator error. Toilet valve was left open on wet side but that shouldn't fill the bilge. If it is Normal do you just leave bilge on all night when you anchor out. If I do need to track down a leak where would you start

Thanks
Rick

_________________

2001 Four Winns Vista 248 by rick2752, on Flickr

Rick,
Your bilge pump has an automatic float switch so you don't need the switch to be on for it to work. If your pump isn't working then that's a whole different problem, but if you want to get familiar with it's operation put a garden hose in the bilge and watch it kick on and off with the float switch. If the pump if switched on for long periods of time with no water to pump it could damage the pump.

The pump never fully evacuates your bilge dry, and usually when it shuts off water back flows into the bilge a little from the output hose. If you can hear the pump run but it's not moving water the pick up screen could be clogged.

_________________
Our Boating Blog: http://ben-dana.blogspot.com/

2005 268 Vista "Sea Pickle II"
1979 AMF Alcort Puffer
Previous:
2003 FW190 Horizon
1973 Startcraft 18ft "Sea Pickle"

I aim for no water in the bilge.

And if I had 4-5" of water in my bilge, I'd be in a big panic. Thats way too much water. I/O's do not seep water into the bilge area like a straight inboard motor would with shafts. Either you have water coming in from your bellows (not good), you have a water leak in your freshwater system (not good),somebody forgot to put the plugs back in or the hoses on tight on your engine (easy check/fix) or you had a LOT of water sitting down there, and when you got on plane it all washed to the bilge.

Either way, get it out of there and monitor where it came from.

Oh, and in a 248 Vista, your bilge pump should be fully automatic. Both of my factory ones are in my 1997 Vista 278, which btw, never has ANY water in the bilge unless I place it there from cleaning, etc.

_________________
1997 Four Winns Vista 278
T - 4.3l EFI
Kohler 4esz Genset
379 hours as of 8/8/21

Yea thats the problem in buying a boat from someone you cant talk to. I bought the boat from an estate and noone really had alot of information about it. I got it dirt cheap but now I have to tie up the loose ends. I could have a plug not tightened all the way from its winterization or even a hose clamp but im just going to have to dig. Any issue with running some rv antifreeze. That would rule out the fresh water system, I think i will try to rig up a hose or something for the toilet fresh water uptake while its dry to see if I can get any water in the bilge. So im guessing my bilge float is stuck then if it should have kicked on automatically when the switch is not turned on. If I have an engine issue , do you think it would show if I run it with the hose connected. When I got it, it was winterized but had been in storage for 2 yrs.

_________________

2001 Four Winns Vista 248 by rick2752, on Flickr

Post-winterization by someone else, or one bought from someone else pretty much means you HAVE TO check ALL the hose clamps and fittings yourself.

When someone else is doing a lot of these winterizing jobs there's always the tendency to forget something. After all, if you'd been doing a half-dozen of them a day you might think you'd reconnected something on 'this boat' that was actually done on 'that boat'.

Same deal with something sold by someone else, they're getting rid of it and might not have applied the same diligence they'd have put into their own boat.

First off, update your user profile to indicate your location. That helps others know what region-specific advice might be useful. As in, if you're in salt water then testing the water for smell/taste would be a quick indicator if it's a water system leak or something through a hull fitting.

Then there's the question of 'which bilge'? There's usually several; one in the engine compartment and then another down in a cabin. The engine room one should always be capable of running. As should all of them, really. The switch should only need to be used when you want to manually turn one on. Otherwise their built-in (or nearby) float switch should be determining when the pumps should be running. If yours didn't activate with that much water perhaps the switch is bad, or could use repositioning. These switches are notorious for failure, so don't automatically assume they're in working order.

_________________
-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

Suck it all put with a shop abc and monitor! The only water I get s when it rains...

Like others have said, zero water. Check all your hoses, clamps, risers/manifolds (around the gaskets). Have someone watch whole underway to see of it's coming from your forward bilge area.

Did it happen after a rain?

_________________
-Tony
2016 Robalo R200 w/Yahama 200!

Previous boats:
2003 Four Winns 248 Vista - sold
1994 Sunbird Corsair 200 - sold
1980 Checkmate Predictor - sold

Well I'm with the boat now, the auto bilge float switch is trash. Another one is ordered. I found a hose clamp that was loose but don't think that was the culprit. I had a lot of water and can't imagine me not seeing that spraying but it was over about 4 hrs. I found the toilet water shut off and turned that off so that should isolate one source. The bilge pump works fine when I turn it on at the helm, But when I tracked the hose off the pump it has a kink before it goes out the boat...I assume that should be a loop and not a kink. No rain before issue. I'm going to put antifreeze in fresh water tank and take it out. Any other suggestions. If it is coming from forward bilge area what would that be?



Thanks guys

Hopefully one day ill be able to return the favor.

Rick

_________________

2001 Four Winns Vista 248 by rick2752, on Flickr

Look at the fittings to the faucets. When I bought our 248, the hot water line was disconnected and water was flooding my forward bilge. Check drains as well to make sure none of those came loose. I'm also assuming your water tank is full and you had the water pump switch turned on.

_________________
-Tony
2016 Robalo R200 w/Yahama 200!

Previous boats:
2003 Four Winns 248 Vista - sold
1994 Sunbird Corsair 200 - sold
1980 Checkmate Predictor - sold

i agree!!!

_________________
Vista 318 2007

Taz how did you access the faucets to check or find that?

_________________

2001 Four Winns Vista 248 by rick2752, on Flickr

In the head, remove the cabinet (4 screws).

_________________
-Tony
2016 Robalo R200 w/Yahama 200!

Previous boats:
2003 Four Winns 248 Vista - sold
1994 Sunbird Corsair 200 - sold
1980 Checkmate Predictor - sold

Yea ...lol....hadn't looked at it when I typed that then went out there and felt like a dumb@&$ for asking....oh well it was high and dry still had fiberglass powder in there so it's good. Slowly eliminating things...got to get it on the water to check the rest I guess.

_________________

2001 Four Winns Vista 248 by rick2752, on Flickr

Put the muffs on her and see if she fills up.

_________________
07 Azure AZ200,
Previous boat,
95 278 Vista,
And a lot of others.

Ontario, Canada

I'll probably try the muffs...tomorrow. So far I've got about 12 hrs working on the boat and 6 hrs playing with the boat. I think that's backwards...lol

_________________

2001 Four Winns Vista 248 by rick2752, on Flickr

I aim for zero water in the bilge but I certainly get rain water. Improvements to keep the water out included sealing the anchor locker. Last year the engine was pulled and the upper gimbal pivot pin replaced following the intrusion of sea water.
As a submersible sump pump will not take out the last inch or so of water, I installed a manually operated diaphragm pump (in addition to the supplied submersibles) which takes out the last drop of water. It's useful in drying out the engine compartment after washing out the area and I avoid hauling a wet vac down to the jetty.
Good luck in getting a bone dry bilge but do not give up trying! Of course at some point the bilge water depth indicates a serious problem demanding instant attention. Longer term ownership and good maintenance will eventually reveal what's normal and what demands a panic.

_________________
John
2006 Four Winns Vista 278 (sold)