clogged seacock

[BOBBIN]

Any bright suggestion how I can clear a blocked raw water inlet. The strainer was clear at the last lift out and the system is clear on the on board side of the seacock.
The seacock works fine and is less than 12 months old but the flow of water is insuficient at higher revs.

How can I clear the internal blockage without flooding the boat?

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[Anthony]

difficult to say without know exactly how your pipework runs, but a few ideas:

If you remove the intake pipe from the engine, will the top be higher than the water level (or can you extend it so it is, obviously whilst the sea cock is off), if so then the water should just come part way up the pipe and not over the top / flood the boat.

This may then enable you to try putting somthing down the pipe (being careful not to peirce it) and clear the blockage. Another option maybe to pump air or water into the top of the intake pipe and try to force the blockage back out the intake.

Also are you sure that the intake is blocked, and that it is not a problem with the strainer, or water pump, or even build up of corrosion in the engine water jacket?

Suggestion for next time its out the water; add a 2nd intake. I have 2, so if one gets bloked at least the other one should be ok (although sods law says it will be a huge plastic bag that will cover them both!).

Good luck.

Anthony

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[AndrewB]

Likely to be weed or grot trapped in the strainer. Maybe you could fit a short length of pipe to the seacock, just long enough to be held with the open end above water level, then open the seacock and poke down to the strainer with a wire kitchen sink unblocker (see below) or similar to clear it? Even pumping water with some force back down might just work. Canting, i.e. using a masthead halliard to pull the yacht well over on one side, might help raise the seacock nearer to the water line so the pipe could be shorter.

Otherwise its don goggles and a dive and poke round the inlet (easy enough if the water is clean); the scrubbing berth, or the lift-and-hold.
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[tross]

Now, I know this sounds daft but I had the same problem with the inlet to the heads. I tried disconnecting the pipe and pouring water back the othe way, then I tested my lungs by trying to blow it out, then I hit on my old trick for cleaning blocked sinks at home - I emptied as much water out as possible and then poured in some coke - the cheaper the better. And that fixed it !

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[wiggy]

take the pipe off at the engine end and use dinghy pump to blow any muck out the other end.

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[chas]

Have you got the old fashined vertical brass strainer? If so, close the seacock, take off the top of the strainer and remove the element, fit a tube long enough to rise above the waterline round the outside of the strainer and secure with a jubilee clip. Open strainer and poke bamboo or something down the tube.

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[cliff]

Mask, snorkel and fins and over the side!
Assuming it is the external strainer is choked. Might try the piece of hose trick and poking wire down it but I still prefer to do it from below - only takes a few seconds and after all it is summer - isn't it?

Plan "b"..... Any drying out posts near you or a harbour or jetty that dries out at low tide?

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[l'escargot]

Run a hose from the tap on a pontoon, disconnect the hose from the seacock to the waterpump, attach the pontoon hose to the seacock (use a jubilee clip if possible - if it comes off it also has the disadvantage of filling the boat.) Don't forget to open the seacock and get someone else to turn on the tap so that you can shout if the pipe does come off. It's worked for me when other methods have failed.

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[rich]

Try useing the dinghy pump, to blow it out,worked for me on my old boat.

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