280 EC - Sink Drains and Leak Hunting

mvgvb

Hi All,

We bought a 2008 280 EC last summer, and have now been hunting down a leak into the aft berth on the starboard side by the A/C unit since last year.

It's definitely tied to the fresh water or drainage system, and I seem to have it narrowed down to either the fresh water lines (after the pump when the water is routed towards the head) or the sink drainage system. Ran the cockpit sink for a while today and couldn't figure out where it's draining to. Where do the cockpit, cabin, and head sinks normally drain to in a 280 EC?

Just occurred to me today that we bought a lake boat (and moved it to the ocean) and I'm wondering if we are dealing with drains that have been intentionally clogged or re-routed due to grey water regulation, but curious where they would usually drain. Overboard? If so, to separate drains or all to the same?

Separately, any advice on how to get into the wall on the starboard side of the 280 to where all of the plumbing for the head and the A/C unit is? 

Aqua_Aura

Sink drains are all overboard and the shower is overboard..... Normally 

All the plumbing for the head is earlier right next to the pump handle which you can see visually or under the mattress. You can remove the cover over the AC unit at the foot of the bed if you need to access the hoses at midpoint. 

Cableguy Greg

Look in the engine room to see if you have 3 tanks. If you do, then you have a grey water system. If not, all of the drains go overboard. Turn on the cockpit sink and while it is running, look over the port side. You should see water flowing out the thruhull on the side of the boat. The one for the head sink is forward of the quad outlets on the starboard side. The galley sink is just below the galley port light, which is the middle one on the port side. 

To get into the air conditioner to see the pipe route, where the silver grate is located, there are two white caps. Pop those caps off to reveal two screws. They are 2 inch screws. Remove and you will be able to see the pipes. There shouldn’t be any connections from the engine room elbows until the head sink. If you have a manual head, it doesn’t draw water from the fresh water tank. It draws sea water. If you have vacuflush, I believe it draws from the fresh water tank. The galley sink water lines run under the port side. I would check the air conditioner tray. If it rusted, which it more than likely did, the drain could be clogged. That line runs from the tray to the engine room. It drains into the bilge on the starboard side on the front side of the engine. Let me know if you need pictures. My 280 is sitting in my driveway. 

If you have an arch, be sure the drains are not plugged. 

mvgvb

Thanks guys.

@Cableguy Greg I did check cockpit sink and didn't see anything draining out the hull. I traced the cockpit sink drain, and it actually heads down to the engine compartment, across to the starboard side of the boat, and then heads forward behind the area with the A/C. Couple questions:

@Cableguy Greg @Aqua_Aura On the shower sump under the aft berth - looks like there's 3 hoses. I assume the large, white hose coming from the direction of the head, is the shower drain? The hose by the pump is the one pumping out, what's the hose coming in from the port side (bottom of the pic)? Any chance it's the galley sink?





I opened the A/C wall opening and reached in with a camera to see if I could find anything. Looks like there's another sump box behind the A/C unit... very inaccessible and I can't tell what's going on there. Any ideas?



I'm not certain yet, but I actually think one of those black hoses going into the box may be coming all the way from the cockpit sink. 

Aqua_Aura

I think my shower sump has 2 hoses, one for shower and then the other is overboard the other you have would possibly be the galley sink. It may be easier for you to return these hoses to their original drain rather than try and figure out where they currently go. To access the sinks and where they normally drain is very accessible unlike your current situation where it looks as though it all goes to your waste tank. 

Cableguy Greg

It looks like the boat was modified to pump all grey water into the waste tank instead of adding a grey water tank. The lake that it came from probably had a regulation where you weren’t allowed to dump grey water into the lake. It looks like the second sump is open, which could be the problem. If the pump is clogged, it over fills and leaks water onto the carpet. The sink drains are accessible from under each unit. The head sink drain needs the lower storage compartment removed to access the drain. The cockpit sink drain can be accessed by removing the trash can. 

Grahamu

The shower sump also has a vent/overflow hose which is your third hose. On mine that hose goes close to the bilge pump so that if the shower pump fails or the float sticks the shower water drains through that hose and then overboard by the bilge pump

mvgvb

@Cableguy Greg @Aqua_Aura

it sounds like you guys may have more thru-hulls than we do, also based on google images.

I have 3 on the starboard side by helm. One is for the A/C, not sure about other two.

I have one on the bow, starboard side, for the anchor locker drain. 

And I have one towards the stern on the port side, also unclear what it’s for.

most pictures I see, there’s at least 4 on the starboard side by the helm, and usually on towards the stern on starboard as well. Also usually one on port side mid-ship.

Can you guys confirm mines different from yours? Think Rinker made a fresh water version of the model?

Aqua_Aura

I have 4 mid starboard side where it looks like you have 3


On Port I have two one for each sink overboard 

Squatch68

On starboard side I have a group of 4 midship, then one more forward of that group which is head sink, then another one at the bow just above the chain locker drains. I think in the group of four there is the AC drain, floor drain under the helm, not sure about the other two. 

On port I have one forward which is galley sink, one midship which is cockpit sink, and one aft which is bilge pump.

Ignore the scum line, these were pre-cleaning! 

Aqua_Aura

The pack of four is AC, shower sump, mid bilge pump, and door track drain under the helm. 

Nice trailer @Squatch68

mvgvb

Thanks Squatch / Aura.

I don’t have the 4th, or the head drain one, or the galley sink or cockpit sink drains. I assume my 3 in the grouping are AC, Helm Drain, and mid-ship bilge.

@Aqua_Aura I liked your idea of forgetting the current setup and just starting fresh routing to the original placement. Doesn’t seem like that’s an option anymore. Any other ideas? Is it possible use hose splitters and route two separate drains to a single thru-hull?

YYZRC

I would punch the holes in the hull and do it right. I’m sure someone here could provide measurements so you get the thru hulls in the factory location. Not a difficult task and you could do it while the boat is in the water if needed. 

Aqua_Aura

I would make the holes like I have and since it's from the factory like that normally you know what to expect. Simple to seal those outlets and they are above the waterline so not a big worry.