New 3way raw water intake valves for my Ferretti

[jfm]

Lots of garbage on here by Portofino, as ever. Type first, and everything else including the facts can wait.

The RB valves pictured in baylabayla's boat, with RB in a diamond, are Italian made genuine Rubinetterie Bonomi valves, made in Italy. High quality. That company makes both brass and bonze and if they are indeed brass (I can't tell) then of course it might be time to change them.

The indian company linked to in Portofino's post is on the receiving end of 2014 litigation from Rubinetterie Bonomi. The Indian company sourced low quality valves made locally, with the RB logo (in an ellipse not a diamond), and obviously these are not the real thing made in italy by Rubinetterie Bonomi. Unsurprisingly Rubinetterie Bonomi sued the Indian company for passing off/counterfeiting. So the company/product that Portofino has linked to is not what is fitted on baylabayla's boat.

 

[MapisM]

Fitting Bronze is what I would do and advise.
MapishM what would you advise…..it seems replace with brass balls In a like for like …..Is that the thrust of your anti Porto posts on this thread?

Not sure of why you are interested in what I would advise.
I just tried to give an answer to what the OP was asking, and you will forgive me if along the way I highlighted some irrelevant BS - regardless of who posted it. Guilty conscience, PF?

Anyhow, FWIW and just in case the OP would consider a bit or redesign, imho at the moment the best bronze valves for this application are the so-called "anti-block" ones produced by Guidi, with no lever.
I'm just not sure the available space is OK for them.

BTW, @baylabalya: 3,5"?!? Are you sure? That sounds waaaay oversized for your boat/engines.
I would have thought 2", or 2.5" max.

 

[baylabayla3288]

Tx guys, now I know much more about valves . I downloaded the RB catalogue (almost 500 pages) containing info on a very large amount of different valves with detailed specs. Gives me confidence that the right valve will be found and that Ferretti selected a quality supplier for this application…

 

[petem]

For the record, WD40 isn't acidic, it just contains various solvents, hence its cleaning qualities.

 

[baylabayla3288]

BTW, @baylabalya: 3,5"?!? Are you sure? That sounds waaaay oversized for your boat/engines.
I would have thought 2", or 2.5" max.

Was wondering the same however the scupper tube that goes through the bottom measures 3,5 in. On the inside end of the valve the diameter is reduced to fit clearly smaller hoses. I guess Ferretti streamlined their inventory and used the same valves from the bigger boats in their smaller ones. At least enough cooling water comes through the bottom

 

[Portofino]

Rubinetterie Bonomi"Are those white metal bodied valves like the OP s pic bronze ?
I always thought bronze used in marine stuff like valve was the darker colour like elbows in the same pic ?what is this white metal ?

Anybody ?

@ Pete M ….WD 40 does remove lime scale and such .If it’s not acid do you know the chemistry involved .How can it dissolve it ?

 

[jfm]

Rubinetterie Bonomi"Are those white metal bodied valves like the OP s pic bronze ?
I always thought bronze used in marine stuff like valve was the darker colour like elbows in the same pic ?what is this white metal ?

Anybody ?

@ Pete M ….WD 40 does remove lime scale and such .If it’s not acid do you know the chemistry involved .How can it dissolve it ?

I can't make any sense of the first line of your post. What are you asking?

As for "what is this white metal?" it's nickel plating. Very common, and more usually found on (and is a good protector of) brass than bronze.

 

[Portofino]

I can't make any sense of the first line of your post. What are you asking?

As for "what is this white metal?" it's nickel plating. Very common, and more usually found on (and is a good protector of) brass than bronze.

Asking what the white metal is ?

Challenging you can’t really tell what it is ?
But I agree with your summation it’s probably not bronze .
That elbow looks bronze to me , can,t see the skin fitting well enough but it’s a darker colour like the elbow .

Can’t see Ferretti using a salad of three different metals .I thought but as always happy to stand corrects it’s best all three are the same ideally bronze .

So if that white metal is plated brass as I suspect then like for like replacement is not very good advice inho .

 

[Portofino]

Maybe they only do the 3 way valve in brass ( nickel plated ) …….hence where we are , Ops stiff valve .

@ The Op is there a bronze 3 way ( for your Ferretti bilge pump function) in the RB catalogue?

 

[rafiki_]

I can't make any sense of the first line of your post. What are you asking?

As for "what is this white metal?" it's nickel plating. Very common, and more usually found on (and is a good protector of) brass than bronze.

Great Avatar JFM

 

[petem]

Rubinetterie Bonomi"Are those white metal bodied valves like the OP s pic bronze ?
I always thought bronze used in marine stuff like valve was the darker colour like elbows in the same pic ?what is this white metal ?

Anybody ?

@ Pete M ….WD 40 does remove lime scale and such .If it’s not acid do you know the chemistry involved .How can it dissolve it ?

Its formulation is a trade secret so I'd have to kill you if I told you!

 

[Portofino]

Ok folks downloaded the catalogue and read it .
They only do brass ball valves it seems and have factories all over the 3 rd world .
Historically they started with wine industry in Italy supplying valves and kicked off from there .

I couldn’t see any bronze valves .
They do bronze fittings thats all under the FRABO brand .

The Valve the op has the silver one in his pic is called a 3 way diverter it’s a brass one albeit nickel plated with the diamond RB logo .That plant is in Italy.



Now we know what it is and why it’s a different colour to the metal fittings it’s attached .
This helps understand why it was stiff and eventually ceased .
The Op can decide what to do next .

 

[Portofino]

@jfm …..which type of salt water contact valves come as std on a SL ? Presume of Italian origin ?

 

[jfm]

@jfm …..which type of salt water contact valves come as std on a SL ? Presume of Italian origin ?

Bronze Maestrini in general, but I'm getting a bill of materials in a while and it's on my list of things to check/work through with them.

 

[baylabayla3288]

Here is an update on the progress on this matter. I contacted Ferretti customer service and they answered promptly with a friendly reply that new valves for my boat can be obtained from Ferretti with a few weeks delivery delay only. The only issue was that these are very expensive so I decided to try to unseize the original taps with acid as suggested. This seems to work well as they are now easily movable without tools. Tx to all for the comments!