I'm utterly unspeakably fed up with this...

Rivers & creeks

Rivers & creeks

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The lid on our Vetus raw water strainer has stuck again but this time it's personal. Me, SWMBO, the Harbourmaster and the engineer and a big Gaitor couldn't shift it. It's done it before so lots of silicone grease is in there. The thing is it was slightly funny but what about when we pick up some plastic off a lee shore? The stupid thing is one of those with a big plastic cross thing on top. Someone please tell me that there's a better design? This ALWAYS ******** jams stuck but nothing will move it now so a new design is needed.

Suggestions please!
 
I guess you went through the boiling water on top trick etc? I am not convinced that plastic or nylon is the best material but perhaps the top should be made of a different material as the base to avoid them seizing together.
 
paella said:
I guess you went through the boiling water on top trick etc? I am not convinced that plastic or nylon is the best material but perhaps the top should be made of a different material as the base to avoid them seizing together.
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Actually that's a new one on me. I'll try that this time but mucking about with boiling water in a big seaway - ouch!
 
Colvic Watson said:
That looks solid! Two downsides, I have 38mm water hose and the clear top is very useful - seen bits in there to remove a few times.
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High Simon

Yes agree it is always best to see 'what's in there' not when it jams up with a plastic bag or seaweed.

Is your Vetus filter like this one below?

Yes had the same problem at first but now solved and had mine since 2005 with further no problems.

The knack is when fitting the top back on and to screw it backwards on the screw top before tightening the correct way as you can easily 'lock' the threads and the top.

View attachment 55671
 
We had the same problem with a Volvo branded POS. Ordered a proper bronze unit and will fit it on the 16th.

Also increased the diameter from 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inch ID. It will insure more volume to cover simultaneous running of the main engine and genset. Share your pain...
 
Colvic Watson said:
The lid on our Vetus raw water strainer has stuck again but this time it's personal. Me, SWMBO, the Harbourmaster and the engineer and a big Gaitor couldn't shift it. It's done it before so lots of silicone grease is in there. The thing is it was slightly funny but what about when we pick up some plastic off a lee shore? The stupid thing is one of those with a big plastic cross thing on top. Someone please tell me that there's a better design? This ALWAYS ******** jams stuck but nothing will move it now so a new design is needed.

Suggestions please!
Click to expand...

I appreciate these things can be rather sticky but I wonder if the rubber seal in the lid has gone very hard and you are having to do it up too hard so that it really sticks after a few weeks.

When I got my boat (twin Vetus filters) I had to undo the clear lids with a strap wrench but I had to use so much force that I thought they were going to split. Once I had them off I coated the threads and the seal with plenty of silicon grease and then nipped them up quite loosely. One was fine and one wouldn't prime so needed another 20 degrees of turn. It then sealed fine. Since that first time getting a feel of how loose they can be, assuming the seal still has some give, they come off by hand although they are always much tighter than I did them up.

It's like screw-on oil filters on cars. I changed on one a new used car this weekend and had to use the strap wrench because the garage had done it up too tight .... just as they always do. I've put the new one on much looser but just nipped up enough to seal. With all my cars (and the boat) the oil filter will always unscrew by hand but they never ever leak.

Richard
 
Len Ingalls said:
Suggest you use PTFE plumbers paste for any threaded water joint. It is designed to allow un-screwing.
http://www.screwfix.com/p/la-co-lac-42018-slictite-pipe-thread-compound-240ml/53863
A plumbers strap wrench is great boat tool also.

Cheers/ Len
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When you do get it off, clean and wrap with ptfe tape rather than paste (anticlockwise, so it will tend to tighten when you unscrew).
I assume that you aren't over tightening it and as above always untwist till you feel the click before screwing on.
 
I used to have one on my last boat. Same here, it was often very tight to undo but never as bad as Colvic's.

My present boat has a 1950's looking huge bronze gate valve above and part of which is a 2" tube some 6" long.

In that, is what looks like a bronze tube of sieve like material with small round holes to catch the rubbish as the water comes up the centre and out through a side pipe to the water pump.

I clean it out a couple of times each year.

S.
 
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Also look at a proprietary Vetus spanner. They look like a whiffle-ball or pingpong paddle with an X cutout, and they're made of some unsuitable plastic. I made one of nylon sheet with a coping saw and it's bulletproof.
 
Thanks all. Definitely not threaded but reading the descriptions I've been over tightening it, I would give it a good hard turn, even so I would check I could move it back, then I'd nip it u again. Bit defiantly too tight, I was afraid of it pulling air in. So, if and when I get the lid of I'll clean it within an inch of its life, silicone liberally and just a gentle hand tighten and test. It's got one more go and then if it gets stuck again it's the old skip 'n replace routine.

It is the most infuriating stupid thing, anything else on the boat that I hand tighten will happily undo two years later never mind three months later.
 
here your answer to the problem .
I had the same problem and if that not bad enough , Its been fitted where its almost impossible to get to it ,
the way I have found around is , to get a piece of ply and cut an cross in it to fit the cross on the lid , then screw in some screws around the cross in the ply , now I can just put an screw driver in between the screws and lever it round to loosening it .
good luck .
 
Colvic Watson said:
That looks solid! Two downsides, I have 38mm water hose and the clear top is very useful - seen bits in there to remove a few times.
Click to expand...

Those filters are available in different sizes and with glass tops and bottom or side entry. I cant for the life of me remember the company but they are italian.
 
Adamastor said:
Also look at a proprietary Vetus spanner. They look like a whiffle-ball or pingpong paddle with an X cutout, and they're made of some unsuitable plastic. I made one of nylon sheet with a coping saw and it's bulletproof.
Click to expand...

+1 on that. Made mine from marine ply. Never had a problem since.
 
It's all about leverage,When undoing a small nut with a spanner the mechanical advantage is huge, not with a big lid.
 
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