New heads waste seacock, which brand ?

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tsekul

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Hi There,

I need to replace my waste seacock in the heads. What's the best option ?

Has anyone had any experience with Tru Design composite sea cock from New Zealand.

Seems as everyone is saying how plastic lasts for ever in the ocean, might be the way to go these days ?

Blakes are an obvious choice but I don't think they are bronze any more, and they are hideously expensive.

Thanks in advance
 
tsekul said:
Hi There,

I need to replace my waste seacock in the heads. What's the best option ?

Has anyone had any experience with Tru Design composite sea cock from New Zealand.

Seems as everyone is saying how plastic lasts for ever in the ocean, might be the way to go these days ?

Blakes are an obvious choice but I don't think they are bronze any more, and they are hideously expensive.

Thanks in advance
Click to expand...

If you currently have a Blakes then it makes sense to replace it with the same as you will have to remake the hole to fit a ball valve and you may well find there is not enough room to fit a ball valve. Blakes have not been Bronze for decades. They are DZR (dezincification resistant) brass, which is also the material you should choose if you are fitting a metal ball valve. You can also fit a Tru Design which are also ball valves similar in configuration to metal valves but a bit more bulky and expensive. All 3 of these will in practical terms provide similar service life.
 
tsekul said:
Hi There,

I need to replace my waste seacock in the heads. What's the best option ?

Has anyone had any experience with Tru Design composite sea cock from New Zealand.

Seems as everyone is saying how plastic lasts for ever in the ocean, might be the way to go these days ?

Blakes are an obvious choice but I don't think they are bronze any more, and they are hideously expensive.

Thanks in advance
Click to expand...

Perko seacock is the obvious choice for you.

Cast bronze body with a plastic ball and seat

https://www.asap-supplies.com/fitti...pares/seacock-valves/perko-seacock-0835008plb

Still complaining about the price of Blakes seacocks ?
 
I'm in my second season with Tru Design skin fitting and seacock. Expensive, but seemed well made. The seacock is bigger than the normal 'bronze' ones so do make sure that you have the room for it. I also used a back nut with the seacock to lock it in place with the handle in the correct position.
 
Still very glad I fitted Tru-Design everywhere (with HDPE sheet backing plates I've cut myself and their optional load-bearing collars). Only two years into their supposedly very long lifespan so far though.

seacocks_galley.jpg
 
One thing to bear in mind if you're replacing Blakes, they take upp much less "headroom" than an alternative through hull/valve/hose tail arrangement. I discovered this replacing my cockpit drain seacocks (which were ball valves) and couldn't get the "stack" low enough, and Blakes 38mm weren't that much more than the equivalent DZR components listed...
 
I've opted to go with blakes. Mainly because its a straight swap with no issues of clearance to worry about.

its on a Westerly GK29 and the whole base of the fitting including the bolts were glassed in. Nothing a couple of hours and an angle grinder didn't sort out........The dust !
I had to remove the whole preformed toilet enclosure to get to it.

I like a challenge
 
tsekul said:
I've opted to go with blakes. Mainly because its a straight swap with no issues of clearance to worry about.

its on a Westerly GK29 and the whole base of the fitting including the bolts were glassed in. Nothing a couple of hours and an angle grinder didn't sort out........The dust !
I had to remove the whole preformed toilet enclosure to get to it.

I like a challenge
Click to expand...

Just wonder why you had to replace it. Those things are just about indestructable and can normally be refurbished without removing from the boat.
 
poter said:
Why buy metal valves for seawater, I would only use plastic (ABS) ..
Click to expand...

Hope you don't use ABS. That is not the material either Tru Design or Forespar (the two major manufacturers) use.

There is nothing wrong with using metal valves underwater provided the material is correct. Indeed there are probably millions in use all over the world in boats and industrial installations.
 
I am delighted with the 316 sea cocks on my boat. They remain easy to operate , they don’t show any external corrosion and as there is plenty of free oxygen in all the wetted areas I don’t fear internal corrosion. Over the years I have tried various bronze and DZR ones and they have proven less good by going stiff and green. Not enough room for the various plastic ones in my case.
 
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