Air leak test using a valve stem

[steffenme1]

I'm not sure if this has been mentioned on this forum before but while performing a leak test on my boat yesterday and I found that a standard valve stem fit perfectly in the drain plug, making the whole process rather tidy.

 

[Satch4621]

Great idea, thanks for sharing. So did you find any leaks?

 

[steffenme1]

Indeed, however it turned out to be a 3' crack in the keel directly under the trailer roller so it didn't really require a fancy leak test, more like a "don't be an idiot and take a boat off its trailer for a proper inspection before you buy it" sort of test.

 

[L&VW]

You can just push the valve stem in?

 

[Blue Heron]

dang....... and to think that I spent $10 to buy a spareaccess port cover, and installed a valve on it when I could have just bought a valve!

Oh well... that's a GREAT tip. Thanks for sharing it. How many psi will it take before it pops out?

 

[steffenme1]

You can just push the valve stem in?

Yep, just pushes right in. I thought about pushing it further down and screwing it into the threads of the drain but it seemed unnecessary.

How many psi will it take before it pops out?

Not sure, I plan on re-checking it next week so I'll try and remember to put a gauge on it this time. When I did it initially I just used a little bicycle pump to pressurize it to the point that I got a sufficient "whoosh" when I removed the valve. I realize that's not terribly scientific.

 

[L&VW]

"...When I did it initially I just used a little bicycle pump to pressurize it to the point that I got a sufficient "whoosh" when I removed the valve..."

What's happening at the tiny air vent just below the forward deck combing? Isn't that "pumped air" whooshing out?

Can't things go very wrong with too much pressure?

I think I'd rather bail!

 

[steffenme1]

What's happening at the tiny air vent just below the forward deck combing? Isn't that "pumped air" whooshing out?

Can't things go very wrong with too much pressure?

I think I'd rather bail!

Per the knowledge base article I covered the vent hole.

If I had to guess I'd say I never had more than 5psi in the boat, I was using a crappy bike pump and the volume to fill is rather large, also because the valve is just pushed in place it would have popped out long before any damage would have occurred to the boat so it was very low on my list of concerns.

 

[L&VW]

Sending compressed air into the vent hole—and placing the Sunfish drain-side down—you could bail your boat. (And reversing the process, bail when the Sunfish is upside-down).

Well, I could...