Testing water

[Scoma 1]

Hi. Help please, other than the obvious taste approach, is there any way to determine if it is fresh water or saltwater in my bilge?

[Grinna 2]

A simple conductivity pen (small electronic water conductivity tester) can be bought relatively cheaply and can tell you immediately if its fresh or salt (or a mix of). No tasting involved.

 

Conductivity pens can be bought from swimming pool places.

[Scoma 1]

Great. thanks for the responding Grinna

[Grinna 2]

Something like this:

 

http://www.tdsmeter.com/products/zt2.html

 

Will test for Total Dissolved Salts (TDS) and should be relatively cheap. Basically for your application, if you stick a meter like this in the water you're testing, push the button and get a huge number then there's salt in it. If the number is low then its mostly fresh water. Pool maintenance places would be your best bet for a simple TDS or electrical conductivity meter.

[wheels 543]

You can also do it with a simple Multimeter. Every boat should have one Switch it to Ohms and place the test probes in some fresh water first, so you have a reference. Hold them about 25mm apart. Then place them in the water in your bilge at the same distance apart and see if the reading is similar or higher.

[Scoma 1]

Thanks Wheels, I will try that tomorrow. It has got to be better than the taste approach

[Fish 0]

Damn that is a good idea Wheels. We already have a multi meter on board. No more bilge water tasting for me

Can you get the multi meter to comment on the softer back notes of silty river water or the slight aromatic bouquet of bird sh*t in the rain water though

It would be a shame to waste all this developed experience trying to work out if its the mast letting rain water in or the packing gland needs some grease

[too_tall 15]

Wheels has suggested a good way to do this - but you should also test salt water as well - then you know approximately what the concentration of salt in the water is...

[wheels 543]

Hehe, I was thinking that. Thanks TT.