This is my first season on my new 3500's. we've had a lot of rain in the past while and the other day i pumped a shitload of water out of every compartment. i can only assume it's coming in the tops. I thought they looked like they were gasketed pretty good but i guess not. the storage locker compartments had the least amount in them - i assume because those are gasketed pretty good. Anyone else with the same issue?

garth

What is a shitload-a quart or a gallon? My plane sits out of the water when I'm not using and after a rainy spell I'll have maybe a quart in some compartments which obviously comes in the tops. The storage lockers might have more but those don't have a gasket just plastic strips around the perimeter and it's obvious water could get by those. We got 2 inches of rain yesterday I'll go pump mine and report back.

I have never had much water to pump out of mine and it had set in the lake for the last four summers. I do think what little water I have pumped out has leaked from the top, through rain or water splashing. Have you called Jeff?

I am finally heading down to Park Rapids to pick up the plane and bring it home. It has been sitting in a hanger down there since the end of August. Need to get a BFR with Larry while I'm there. The monsoon season just won't end, looks like XM weather radar may come in handy on the trip back.

Steve

All floats will leak SOME through the pump outs and access ports.

If it really is a LOT, I'd check all the access covers to make sure the gaskets aren't twisted, or got unseated.

MTV

I'd say 10-15 pumps out of most of the compartments - maybe 5 out of the storage locker compartments. Although we've had may days of rain, that just seems like a lot to me. If these were my edo's, it would be less than half that.
I'll phone Jeff and ask him.

Garth

It would be a rare day that I ever pump any out of them, if so it would only be a couple of pump strokes, 5 strokes would be max, ever. That is one of the great things about the Aerosets, sure sounds like there is an issue with the float covers sealing.

Steve

Well I went and pumped mine after the torrential downpoars we had on Saturday, and I would say 2-3 pumps out of all but the locker compartments, which might have had 10 pumps each. I know the water runs in the top of those on mine. Garth bring some soap and compressed air to the plane, pour the liquid soap around the perimeter of the gaskets and push air down the pump out tube and watch for bubbles. I'm betting you're going to see some big ones. Aerocet should send you new gaskets to try at least - for the cost of new floats now days.

Do NOT use compressed air on float compartments unless you have it regulated down to 2or3psi max. You can do some real damage with very little pressure.

Best way to check for leaks is to put a hose on the discharge side of a vacuum cleaner, and fashion an adapter from the vacuum hose to the pump out fittings. Then spray a mix of soapy water and look for bubbles.

Rather than that, I'd just live with it, or, MAYBE see if I could get Aerocet to send you a set of gaskets.

A few pumps to clear the water from floats is really no big deal. Now, if they fill up and sink after a big rain....I'd be concerned---and I've operated floats that gave me a serious upper body workout every morning.

MTV

Mike is probably right on the high psi. On my floats the compartment that takes in the most water, I can hear the air sucking in through the gasket on the cover when I pump that compartment out. A couple of the compartments are so air tight that when I put the pump on them its almost hard to pull up the pump handle if I have the pump jammed tight in the pump out. You could possible reverse your pump and push some water slowly back in the float with the soap on the gaskets and I'm guessing you'll find the leak. Coincidentally a couple years ago I ordered new gaskets for mine from Aerocet for just this reason and they sent me some big thick gasket material that wasn't anything close to what would fit in there. I got side tracked and never sent the stuff back to them. Same for some of the replacement screws I ordered. I also had to order a new bumper for the front and the price of that made my eyes water. So if you do get new gaskets I'd be interested to here what they send you.

ok guys - thanks for the comments. I'm definately not interested in pumping them as many times as i did. One of the reasons i bought them was because "no leaks" according to Aerocet. I realize the covers will leak some, but in my opinion, this is too much. I have a customer service contact at Aerocet so i'll shoot them an email and see what they say. Will also try "slightly" pressurizing to see where the leaks are, and how much.

Will keep everyone posted on findings and comments from Aerocet.

garth

Garth,

With these floats, there's really only one place the leak can be: gaskets. The rest is pretty well sealed up.

Have you removed the hatches and looked at the gaskets?

Again, ALL floats leak SOME from the tops. The amount you note isn't bad, assuming you had a real "toad strangler" downpour event. Normal weather you won't see any more than likely.

MTV

You might be surprised how much condensation accumulates if they sit very long with large swings in barometric pressure.......

My Aerocets do the same. Rain is getting in through the gaskets. Let us know if you find a solid solution!

The compartment just aft of the lockers seems to be the most water for me.

I don't think it's more than 3 gallons or so per side and that's after a major 3-7 inch multi day rain event. On my way to Oshkosh 2years ago, got stuck at mid-way in Chicago and I felt bad after pumping out all over the corporate ramp



I hear the air leaking at pump out too.

That being said they don't leak from the other side, never really notice much from was over either. There the best floats to me.

If one really wanted to get anal about this, I suppose you could pull all the access hatches, inspect the gaskets, and lube the gaskets liberally with some sort of Ickum-Pucky (a scientific term for some gooie stuff that helps seal things) and re-install.

I've never met a set of floats that didn't leak some from the tops in a deluge.

Good luck.

MTV

I emailed aerocet and someone responded and said they would get back to me. I havent inspected the gaskets - but will do that next time i'm at the plane.

I am wondering about condensation. With cold water on the bottom side, and warm moist air on top, condensation conditions definately exist - i noticed quite a bit in the access hatch compartments.

I realize some will leak in the top, but my EDO's under the same conditions, would have had 1/3 the water in them, or even less.

Will definately report back.

garth

If you have consensation problems, you would think the rest of us would too? I am in Park Rapids today picking up the plane. I asked Toby about the leakage issue, we talked about the probability of a gasket problem and he wondered if possibly some was coming through the screws that hold the inspection covers on also. We went out and looked at my (4 year old) screws and they are identical to the ones on a new set of floats and mine seem ok. They are working on trying to figure out your problem.

Lovely weather here yesterday and this morning, finally started clearing this afternoon, but there were still storms between here and home. Drove through horrible rain after leaving Brainard late yesterday afternoon on our roundabout way to PKD. Intended on getting out of here today, but postponed it and will try early in the morning. I am ready for some float time.

Steve

gear wrote:I emailed aerocet and someone responded and said they would get back to me. I havent inspected the gaskets - but will do that next time i'm at the plane.

I am wondering about condensation. With cold water on the bottom side, and warm moist air on top, condensation conditions definately exist - i noticed quite a bit in the access hatch compartments.

I realize some will leak in the top, but my EDO's under the same conditions, would have had 1/3 the water in them, or even less.

Will definately report back.

garth

Garth,

Condensation is minimal. Granted, you'll find some droplets on the inside tops of the floats, but bear in mind MOST of that moisture is already inside the float, in the bilges, and just evaporates, then condenses.

Remember, for water to get inside the floats, it has to come through some opening. Those openings are pretty tiny, and minimal factors in condensation. It looks bad when you open a float hatch, but most of that water was already inside the float.

Were your old EDOs 2870 or 2960s, by chance? If so, round tops with round access hatches on top of the float......water is less likely to run uphill to then run into your float.

MTV

I think I may have found the problem. I took one of the covers off today and the seal looked good. I decided to check the screws for tightness and found most of them needed anywhere from a 1/4 to two turns on every single compartment. I did not reef down on them but rather just snugged them up.
I'll monitor and see how they seal now from the rain.

Garth

You know it'll never rain again the rest of the summer, right??

MTV

If not, i'll set up a sprinkler there overnight,.....