Seacock service

rwoofer

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Never have had to service seacocks before, but I'm now in the position where I need to. I've got the rotating ball type ones. What I am supposed to do?

The only thing I've figured out is how to take the handle off - to get inside it looks like you have to remove the attached hoses etc. Have replaced my heads a couple of months ago and knowing how difficult those hoses are to get on I really want to avoid that if poss.

Or can you just leave 'em these days?
 

LORDNELSON

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Have never needed to service my ball type seacocks. The advice I received from a boatyard was "make sure you operate them quite frequently and they should be OK". The local chandlers say they can obtain a (silicone?) spray that you can shoot up the pipes to the ball seacock but I have never tried it. Seems to me that if this is a good quality ball seacock and it works well there is no need to service.
 

Albert Ross

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Halfords do an aerosol waterproof grease. You just squirt it up the pipes from outside and give the handles a good waggle .. anyway, that 's what I did a couple of weeks ago .. I'll know if it works later this year. Wasted most of day trying to take a seacock out to "service" it. Like you, I got the handle off but eventually gave up. If it aint broke ....
 

AndrewB

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Beware!

Last November a yacht started to sink in our marina because of a defective seacock. It would have sunk completely but for quick thinking by a neighbouring berth holder. As it was, the damage was extensive. I understand it was a Blakes seacock that failed, evidently the consequence of dezincing and fracture. I heard on Saturday that the insurers have declined to pay, on the grounds that the seacocks had not been regularly serviced.
 

jfm

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1. Agree, regular exercise is good for them

2. A squirt of grease when boat is put of water seems good idea too, and grease the pivot pin on the inside. I wouldnt remove the hoses - lousy job as you say and might create leak risks

3. After about 10years, this de-zinc thing is serious. On my brothers boat one just snapped off in our hand when we tested it by a light tap with hammer . I'd definitely replace the whole thing, all of them, after about 10years. Remeber if they fail this way it doesnt matter if you have left them in the closed position, your boat still sinks

4. A good selection in terms of different metals/plastic is at www.aquafax.co.uk though there are many other suppliers
 

rwoofer

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Thanks for the tips.

I think I will go for a squirt of grease up the outlet whilst someone is moving the handle. A quick lube of the handle itself and a quick visual to check for dezincification (which I understand is given away by a pink tinge to the brass)
 

AndrewB

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Pink tinge.

You are right that this is a giveaway of dezincing, but unfortunately it is hard to spot where the seacock is exposed and discoloured. If you can take the seacock off the skin fitting and check the buried threads of both, it will be self-evident. The skin-fitting can be more vulnerable than the seacock itself. There is no need to dismantle a ball valve completely as long as it looks clean, but a gate valve always should be because the thread on the gate itself is the weakest link.

For dismantling, the hose will have to be cut off if its been untouched for several years. A replacement will normally be cheap enough (except exhaust hose). New hose should be a tight fit. To ease the process of fitting it back onto the seacock, dip it in boiling water to soften it slightly.

(PS I do all of mine once every three years. Over 10 years of ownership, 5 out of 8 have been replaced, plus one skin-fitting. Seacocks should be accessible for this purpose - if they are not its a sign of bad yacht design.)
 
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