Help! The soap bubble test didn't work.

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imported_Brad

New Member
I know my Sunfish leaks. The last time I took it out (about a month ago) it took on about 5 gallons! I did the soap bubble test to see where my leaks are but I got no bubbles! I wasn't able to get the brass drainhole loose, so I taped over it and pumped air with an electric compressor into the vent hole in the cockpit and sealed it with tape. What am I doing wrong?
Brad
 
You have to keep pumping air into the hull (at a fairly low pressure) as any leak can quickly lose any pressure you built up. No pressure, no air movement, no leak detection.
I'd find a way to open the drain and use it to introduce the air.
As a note, we find it's easier to stand the hull to check as well as sitting flat. Easier to check around the bottom of the daggerboard well and the upperward facing deck edge then flip it to check the other side of the boat.
BTW how did you get the 5 gallons out of the hull?
 
Still confused, if the 1/8" hole in the cockpit was the only opening, where did you hook up the shopvac to suck the water out?
 
Well since you have the inspection port, what we've done is to buy a second cover and drill it out and mount an air fitting on it. In fact the shop vac with the hose hooked to the exhaust port instead of the suction port makes a good "pressurizer". Some place in the attic/ceiler/garage, if I haven't loaned it out to someone and not gotten it back, I've got a made up adapter for a shop vac hose that necks down to seal on the deck drain plug. Works very well to find leaks.
 
I wanted to attach my shop vac hose to the discharge end of my shop vac, but it has a 'grill' that expells the air instead of a hole in which to mount the hose. If I could use the hose to pressurize the hull I'd like to use the method that is suggested on the Wind Line website of taping the hose into the inspection port and sealing the port with tape.
Brad
 
Another alternative is to use an electric leaf blower in the port. I used one on its low setting without sealing the port with tape and found my leak. It's also important to use a good bubbling soap. When I first tried it I think my soapy mix was too watery and I missed the leak under the trim rail. You can borrow a blower from a neighbor if you don't have one.

Fred
 
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