Blakes stuck or do I just not know something…

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khushildep

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Can anyone please shed some light on if this a Blake’s and is I can tell if it’s open or not? It seems to be stuck as I can move that handle - anyway to free it up at all or Amy not using it properly I wonder?
 
If it is a Blakes Lavac loo then check the inlet is not closed or blocked, as this will cause a hydro lock up.

If it if a Blakes seacock, then slacken the bolts holding the cone valve and it should then turn, then retighten.
 
It's partly open. Not fully but open.

Turning the handle either way as far as it can go shuts it. The handle will then be almost alongside the pipe.
 
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Google Blake’s Seacock manual and you will get instructions for this.

The handle is attached to a cone that sits inside the body. The cone is hollow and has an oblong cut out on one side. The oblong cut out aliens with spigot on the body that the hose is attached to. A keeper plate that is secured by the nut and bolts you see in the pictures.

If the nut and bolts are tight, the cone won’t turn. You can back off the nuts, then back off the bolts, as they are also threaded into the body. The nuts are lock nuts. Only back off a 1/8 turn at a time, unit a 1/2 turn max. Tap the handle with a hammer to try and move the cone, you can be quite firm with the tapping. Alternatively slip a piece of pipe, or the end of a ring spanner over the handheld and try and lever the handle to rotate the cone.

Fully open is when the handle is in line with the pipe but on the opposite side.

The Seacocks are very reliable if maintained and of a quality that gives confidence. Get the manual and read up.

Edit
Edited to remove the closed position, which was indicated wrongly. Closed is when the handle is moved up against the hose body.
 
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Poignard said:
It's open. Not fully but open.

Turning the handle either way as far as it can go shuts it. The handle will then be almost alongside the pipe.
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So that top plate is upside down? So if I’m having trouble closing it then I should loosen those screws as suggested and try?

mum a little confused as when I try to flush the seas toilet it feels like a lot of pressure and nothing happens to the water level in the toilet.

jusy bought the boat!
 
BlowingOldBoots said:
Google Blake’s Seacock manual and you will get instructions for this.

The handle is attached to a cone that sits inside the body. The cone is hollow and has an oblong cut out on one side. The oblong cut out aliens with spigot on the body that the hose is attached to. A keeper plate that is secured by the nut and bolts you see in the pictures.

If the nut and bolts are tight, the cone won’t turn. You can back off the nuts, then back off the bolts, as they are also threaded into the body. The nuts are lock nuts. Only back off a 1/8 turn at a time, unit a 1/2 turn max. Tap the handle with a hammer to try and move the cone, you can be quite firm with the tapping. Alternatively slip a piece of pipe, or the end of a ring spanner over the handheld and try and lever the handle to rotate the cone.

Fully open is when the handle is in line with the pipe but on the opposite side. Closed is when the handle is at right angles to the pipe, either way. Caution though, the cone can be assembled 90 degrees offset, or even 180 degrees out.

The Seacocks are very reliable if maintained and of a quality that gives confidence. Get the manual and read up.
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Awesome! Thank you - I will!
 
khushildep said:
So that top plate is upside down? So if I’m having trouble closing it then I should loosen those screws as suggested and try?

mum a little confused as when I try to flush the seas toilet it feels like a lot of pressure and nothing happens to the water level in the toilet.

jusy bought the boat!
Click to expand...
Yes

With the handle pointing away from the pipe, the seacock is open. The handle would then be over the "ON" mark.

To shut it you turn the handle in either direction until it comes up against the pipe.

NB with the handle at 90 degrees to the pipe, the seacock is still partly open.
 
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A lot of force has been applied to the handle, as it is bent downwards. It looks like someone has already whacked it with a hammer, repeatedly.

This is a severe case, and I definitely recommend getting the boat out of the water (drying out between tides might be enough, but at this end of the season it’s best to wait till you have laid up ashore) to deal with it.

With the outlet clear of the water, undo the bolts holding the retaining ring on the inboard side. Remove the ring. (EDITED - slacken the bolts - a lot - see Vyv Cox’s post below).

From outboard, remove any strainer (there won’t be one if it’s a WC outlet, which it probably is). take a foot or so length of broomstick, shove this all the way up the inside of the fitting and clout the outside end of the broomstick with a club hammer.

One of two things will happen:

95% probability: the stuck cone will pop into the boat.

5% probability - if there has been a LOT of electrolytic corrosion - the whole casting will disintegrate or the bolts holding it to the boat will let go. In which case, it needed replacement anyway.

In this event, raid your piggy bank and buy a new one.

Otherwise, clean everything up, and grind the cone in with valve grinding paste, as per Blakes’ instructions, clean that off, coat the mating surfaced in Blakes’ seacock grease, and re-assemble.
 
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I slightly disagree with Kukri's post. Do not remove the nuts and yoke, just loosen them several turns. Then when the cone lets go, sometimes requiring heavy hammering, it will not fly across the boat doing damage to furniture.

Lesson learned from removing car steering wheels where the same applies, although in that case the wheel hits you in the face.
 
And you might also want to add an extra jubilee clip on that hose, from your photo, it looks like there is only one and insurance companies tend to like them being double clipped... your one also looks like the thread nut is showing signs of rust. Make sure you use a quality stainless steel clip.
 
khushildep said:
So that top plate is upside down?
Click to expand...

Not to me !

I think of the long end as a handle which you use the get the opposite end pointing at the label you want.

ie if you want the seacock open, move the handle so that the pointer is pointing at 'On'.

If you want the seacock closed, move the handle either way through 90 degrees (so the pointer is pointing at one of the bolts).

Well: I know what I mean!
 
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NealB said:
Not to me !

I think of the long end as a handle which you use the get the opposite end pointing at the label you want.

ie if you want the seacock open, move the handle so that the pointer is pointing at 'On' (as in your pic).

If you want the seacock closed, move the handle either way through 90 degrees (so the pointer is pointing at one of the bolts).

Well: I know what I mean!
Click to expand...
Yes, I agree with you about the keep plate not being upside down
 
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