Cooling water inlet

[Stemar]

It looks like I'm going to be changing the engine cooling water inlet and seacock. The current one leaks and, at 50 years old, probably isn't going to come off in one piece. I'm going to put a Vetus type strainer, so all the inlet has to do is let water in and turn it off.

The current one is solid, with slots cut in it to keep the big stuff out. Is there an expert who can tell me if I need some sort of grille there or can I get away with an ordinary DZR through hull and ball valve?

Any gotchas I need to know about?

 

[LittleSister]

In my view, a grille on the outside of the hull is unnecessary and undesirable (it only encourages creatures to congregate inside it, and makes it difficult to get them out). The Vetus type strainer is there to keep the weed and creatures out of your engine.

 

[prv]

can I get away with an ordinary DZR through hull and ball valve?

I would say that's preferable. An external grille creates a space that, if anything does get into, it's almost impossible to clear without taking the fitting apart.

An ideal intake would have some thought given to how to rod it out if it ever became necessary. But most don't, and manage perfectly fine.

Pete

 

[Tranona]

No grill - and try to mount the strainer immediately above the intake so that you can rod down. However the chances of you actually needing to do this are tiny!

 

[Refueler]

I am very glad I have a grill over the outer inlet ... my boat channel has reeds, lillys and grass that gets cut by the prop going in and out .. the grill prevents most of it going in. The grill is actually the outer mount plate anyway.
The Seacock is the ball type with vertical strainer - a metal coarse filter tube that sits in the body - with a screw top.
Easy to clear ... I have vertical access all way to the outer grill with valve open ... not something you want to do too often - as the water comes in at quite a rate ! But valve closed - strainer can be cleaned etc.

 

[Stemar]

Thanks everyone.

Since I'll be going up a couple of sizes on the inlet pipe to the filter, I'll pass on the grill - it's also cheaper! Not practicable to have a straight run to the filter, but I can always take the pipe off the filter and straighten it. It'll give me pokabililty from above the waterline, something I haven't got at the moment

 

[Spirit (of Glenans)]

Thanks everyone.

Since I'll be going up a couple of sizes on the inlet pipe to the filter, I'll pass on the grill - it's also cheaper! Not practicable to have a straight run to the filter, but I can always take the pipe off the filter and straighten it. It'll give me pokabililty from above the waterline, something I haven't got at the moment

And if the strainer is below the waterline, an alternative is to take the hose off at the seacock and substitute a spare length of hose that will terminate above the waterline, enabling rodding or pumping with a dinghy pump without any water getting in.

 

[Refueler]

Launched boat and then seawater inlet valve didn't open even though handle turned 90 as it should.

Handle was turning on the spindle .... and when I tried to remove it - it fell off !! That then let me put a small spanner on the square spindle to open it.

Need to source two handles now ...