Pink bilge water

David Arnold · June 23, 2009, 05:04:18 PM

I am getting a pink liquid coming in my bilge; it has to be deisel fuel but I can't figure where it is coming from. It is not leaking from any fittings in and around the engine or filters so I can only imagine that it's leaking from the tank. Is there an easy way to access the tank to inspect and tighten the fittings?

Ron Hill · June 23, 2009, 05:12:54 PM

David : To access the fuel tank : Pull off the port side aft cabin panel. It's held in place by screws. You'll be able see the right side and top of the fuel tank.

FIRST Make sure it fuel!! Take a paper towel and sop up some of the pink liquid and smell it.

Jeff Kaplan · June 23, 2009, 06:22:14 PM

david, as ron stated, make sure it is diesel. could be pink antifreeze used for winterizing coming out of the hot water heater, leaking into the bilge or from the water system under the sink. check everywhere. diesel fuel stinks, so you cabin would have a smell. if it is diesel, run engine and look at the fuel pump, injectors, and fuel lines and fittings. good luck...jeff

David Arnold · June 23, 2009, 07:39:32 PM

Strange... The domestic water has been in use for over a month now and both tanks have been repeatedly emptied and filled so there can't be any potable antifreeze in the system. There really is no strong odor of fuel but the liquid is slimy so it must be petrolium based. The only other pink antifreeze is that which is within the closed loop of the engine and I have not had to refill the reservoir. I'm figuring it must be enough fuel to show itself but not enough to smell very strong unless anyone has other thoughts I will do as Ron suggested this coming weekend.

Roc · June 24, 2009, 04:43:39 AM

Other than your water supply, there are other systems that pink antifreeze had to be used (head, Air Cond system, anything that has fresh water running through it). Could it be from some of those places. Do you run pink antifreeze through your bilge pump and manual pump at the end of the season? If so, that might be the backwash of the residual antifreeze still in the hose making it's way back in the bilge while sailing. This happens to me at the start of the season. Diesel has a strong smell, so if it was diesel, I would think you would have known it.

RV61 · June 24, 2009, 05:04:30 AM

Dave,
Another Pink Fluid to think about would be the transmission fluid. Take a look under the engine and see if you pink oil.
Rick

Ken Juul · June 24, 2009, 05:06:05 AM

Transmission fluid is red. A slight leak diluted might show up as pink. Check the fluid level and trans for leaks.

Do you store extra fluids (Dexron, antifreeze, fuel additive, etc) on the boat? If yes maybe one of the containers is leaking.

Ken Juul · June 24, 2009, 05:06:55 AM

Rick you beat me by 30 seconds.

RV61 · June 24, 2009, 05:16:38 AM

Ken,
I wish you were saying that after a sail race!!!!

Good thought on the storage of other chemicals and actually checking the transmission fluid levels.
Rick

tonywright · June 24, 2009, 07:27:45 AM

I suggest that you also remove the "radiator cap" to make sure that the system is actually full. If there is some kind of airlock, the reservoir may be full, but it is not actually replacing what is leaking. This was the case on my engine when I got the boat. I had to bleed air out of the system to get the reservoir to actually connect.

The cap is normally under pressure and will squirt fluid as soon as you loosen it. If it is just air under it, you have to top up the system and bleed the air.

Tony

David Arnold · June 24, 2009, 09:45:15 PM

Some very good ideas have been raised. I have ruled out the transmission fluid since the level is full and no evidence of a leak under the tranny. I had not thought of the manual bilge pump; I did pump anit-freeze into it in the fall and have not used it since. I don't think it is from any containers but I sure will check this weekend and report back. Thanks for the really good ideas!

Ken Heyman · June 25, 2009, 05:31:44 AM

Dave,

It's hard to imagine that it could be odorless Diesel. When did you launch this season? Pink antifreeze is slimy and does back flow after running the bilge pump a bit---particularly shortly after launch.

Ken

David Arnold · June 25, 2009, 06:31:56 PM

Launched in early May. Could be from the hand operated bilge pump but definately not the main electic pump. Will check this weekend and let you know what I find. Thanks again for all the feedback!

Stu Jackson · June 26, 2009, 06:55:55 AM

Quote from: David Arnold on June 25, 2009, 06:31:56 PM
Could be from the hand operated bilge pump but definately not the main electic pump.

How do you know this? Do you have separate thru hulls for each pump?

David Arnold · June 28, 2009, 09:19:24 PM

I traced down the source of the "pink" liquid. Turns out the Racor has an extremely slow leak; not enough to give off a strong diesel odor when it mixes in with the water dripping from the shaft and running into the bilge to dissipate even further but that;s it. Mystery solved! Thanks for all the help.