Capping the heads seacocks as pota potti now installed

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FairweatherDave

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Changing from a sea toilet to a porta potti but I want to leave the seacocks in case I reverse the process. So I want to cap the "hose tails" from the Blakes seacocks (heads inlet and outlet) as a belt and braces approach. The old plastic pipework would be nice to remove as it is probably a bit smelly. Any suggestions?
Dave
 
Hmm, I'm about to blank off some temporarily-unused seacocks using screw-in blanking plugs. But those wouldn't be much help with Blakes seacocks.

The traditional approach would probably be cement :D

How about fitting (double-clamped, as always) a short length of hose and then clamping some sort of short bar or plug in the other end? With the seacocks closed, any sealing on the hose tail is only a backup anyway.

If you do up the adjusting bolts fairly tight nobody will be able to accidentally open the valve. You could take the lever off too. Might need to knock the cones out with a broom handle if you ever put them back into use though!

Pete
 
Cheers Pete. That is all good food for thought. Intrigued by the idea of cement??
I will probably go for a blend of methods two and three and try and find a short length of some new outlet pipe.
Dave
 
FairweatherDave said:
Intrigued by the idea of cement??
Click to expand...

Absolutely not suggesting you use it, but traditionally it had a number of sealing purposes on board.

Ballast is the obvious one - even if the weight was scrap iron, pouring cement over it would hold things in place and prevent rust.
Freshwater tanks might be lined with a thin layer of cement as an inert coating.
On oceangoing vessels, the navel pipe from the windlass to the chain locker would be sealed with cement at the start of a voyage, to keep the water out. I think the US Coastguard's square rigger, Eagle, still does this.
Rusted-through iron plates I think were sometimes temporarily repaired with cement.

No idea if it was ever used to seal seacocks, but it struck me as the natural complement to the old-fashioned Blakes valves :)

Pete
 
We have an old sink outlet that's a blakes seacock - waiting to decide if we're going to reuse it. Firstly service the seacock, taking it apart and greasing then reassemble. This confirms it's staying closed, but don't over tighten. We did :( Then we attached a 2 foot length of new pipe and tapped in a softwood bung which was jubilee clamped as well. Then the whole lot was bound in rescue tape which ensures that it's watertight come what may. None of the seacocks leak in the closed position because blakes stuff is top notch and they're properly serviced but the pipe and bung is a nice belt and braces. In a year or so we'll have decided if we're keeping it.
 
Thanks all. Thanks for explaining the cement Pete! I was curious.
Will do a proper bodge job when I get onto servicing them. Just wanted to check I was not missing a more elegant solution. Taking the handles off seems a good idea (as long as you don't lose them)
Dave
 
V1701 said:
After doing same I removed the handles & lightly tapped in soft wood bungs...
Click to expand...

I reckon that's a better idea than my short hoses, actually.

So,
  • Dismantle
  • Grease
  • Reassemble
  • Turn to closed position
  • Do up adjusting bolts a bit tighter than usual (but not excessively tight)
  • Remove handle (and put somewhere safe!)
  • Tap a bung into the hole.


Pete
 
I wouldn't do anything too permanent as I guess you'll soon be re-installing the sea toilet unless you're going to go on a permanent inland waterway cruise.:D
 
I wouldnt take the handles off, I would wire lock them in the closed position. You can also wire lock the bungs if you like.
 
use decent plastic cable ties to lock the levers in the closed position...rather than wire....softwood bungs in the holes..
 
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