Seacocks DZR

[Johnny WAFI]

Hi

Where would you buy DZR seacocks from to ensure they are properly made and not some copy cat rubbish that will sink my boat?

I have already received helpful advice from Tranona, Kwik Decesion and John Alison along the lines of:
"If they are Blakes then just do the regular maintenance. If ball valves then they are likely to be bronze if original. If gate valves get rid of them and replace with DZR or composite."

Johnny

 

[doug748]

ASAP are pretty up front with the stuff they sell, see this page:

Threaded Pipe and Hose Fittings

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[Tranona]

Most chandlers will clearly label them DZR (and prices will be higher than plain brass1). Valves will have CR cast in the body, but not all fittings like through hulls and hose tails will have markings because there is no suitable unmachined casting area left so you have to rely on the supplier labeling. most like ASAP do this very clearly.

 

[Plum]

Hi

Where would you buy DZR seacocks from to ensure they are properly made and not some copy cat rubbish that will sink my boat?

I have already received helpful advice from Tranona, Kwik Decesion and John Alison along the lines of:
"If they are Blakes then just do the regular maintenance. If ball valves then they are likely to be bronze if original. If gate valves get rid of them and replace with DZR or composite."

Johnny

Another vote, based on long term experience, for ASAP when buying DZR fittings and ball valves. Hull Fittings, Valves and Strainers

 

[Bobc]

Why not just fit plastic ones?

 

[Baggywrinkle]

These are excellent ....

 

[Kwik Decision]

Another shout out for ASAP. That's where the DZR bits on my current boat were bought from 8 yes ago.

Oh, and I would not support your statement "If ball valves then they are likely to be bronze if original". A great many boats have come out of factories fitted with bog standard brass ball valves as sea cocks, which is (or was?) fine according to the RCD, as they have a design life of 5 yrs.

 

[Tranona]

Another shout out for ASAP. That's where the DZR bits on my current boat were bought from 8 yes ago.

Oh, and I would not support your statement "If ball valves then they are likely to be bronze if original". A great many boats have come out of factories fitted with bog standard brass ball valves as sea cocks, which is (or was?) fine according to the RCD, as they have a design life of 5 yrs.

I think the boat in question is a 1980s Sadler which would only have brass if they had been replaced.

It is not true that brass valves have a "design life" of 5 years. The RCD simply states that they must last a minimum of 5 years and they last far more than that. If they failed in that sort of time there would have been an epidemic of failures given the literally hundreds of thousands that are in use round the world as seacocks in boats. Even if there is dezincification it is rarely in the valve but in the threaded fittings and rarely results in the assembly failing and letting water in.

This is not a recommendation to fit plain brass but to make certain that the fittings and valve are corrosion resistant.

 

[lustyd]

Why not just fit plastic ones?

Composite! Calling them plastic just causes people to doubt them.

 

[lustyd]

If they failed in that sort of time there would have been an epidemic of failures

Not all failures are catastrophic. Most seacocks fail by seizing long before they’re dangerous, and I’d suggest we have seen considerable numbers fail after not a lot of years.
I agree with your point that very few have sunk boats, but they’re still terrible and there’s no sensible reason to fit one.

 

[Bobc]

Composite! Calling them plastic just causes people to doubt them.

Depends if you understand materials or not

 

[Tranona]

Not all failures are catastrophic. Most seacocks fail by seizing long before they’re dangerous, and I’d suggest we have seen considerable numbers fail after not a lot of years.
I agree with your point that very few have sunk boats, but they’re still terrible and there’s no sensible reason to fit one.

Seizing is not necessarily failure and nothing to do with the type of metal used for the bodies or fittings, but more the type of ball and lining used. The main cause of seizing is build up of deposits on the outer side of the ball or opening. Composite valves seem to be able to cope with this better. The other failure point is often the spindle for the ball which may be steel and can rust. Seized or stiff valves can usually be freed.

The problem with this debate is that a complex subject is dominated by a simplistic "seacocks that only last 5 years" mantra and ignorance on the part of some so called "professionals" who don't understand the real nature of the problems.

 

[vyv_cox]

There is a brass ball valve on my 40 year old boat that is original. It is the galley drain valve, still operating well and never changed out.

 

[PetiteFleur]

I fitted a TruDesign seacock when I replaced my Lavac hoses last year. Very easy to fit and operate, and a reasonable price. The previous ball Valve had become very hard to operate, a DZR one from memory. Very pleased and will replace others in the future with Trudesign if necessary.