Seacocks Repalce or not

Sneds

Sneds

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My seacocks are bronze with nickel brass ball valves
Original equipment oh a 1999 Sealine F36
Just had the engines serviced and a few bits attended to and the VP dealer doing the work says the seacocks should be replaced as the "engine ball valves and skin fittings are corroded"
They are having a look at the others for me on Monday
When the boat was surveyed, two years ago, the surveyor said they seemed to be in good condition but the material used has a finite life
I'm sure every thing has a finite life but how long should these last?
I have been been quoted £200 per fitting and the are eleven of them! The yard crane, a different company, may do me a deal on a weekend long lift and hold
I am not doubting what I am being told and I trust the company doing the work, from past experiences with them
Any comments more than welcome

Thanks
 
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Nickel brass is not good quality for underwater fittings. Brass should not be used underwater and gate valves are not good.

For safety and to demonstrate to your insurance company that the boat is well maintained the rule of thumb is to remove dismantle and inspect skin fittings and vales every seven years.

However it is more practical and prudent to replace them with DZR fittings.
 
Iain, I replaced one of mine 2 years ago, not for corrosion, but a sticking ball valve. The new one then stuck less than a year later! You will be due a lift to clean sterngear, check anodes and antifoul. Have a good look at the skin fittings when lifted.
 
I would get them replaced, you have done well on a 1999 Sealine, it was around that year I think when Sealine changed to cheaper material seacocks.

Have you tried Dan from c-line (ex Sealine), he did my Sealine seacocks on my 1999 boat and very happy with his work and price.
 
vas said:
or grp fittings (Marelon, Trudesign)
Click to expand...
The last time I checked, both were only available up to 2", i.e. not enough for my 3" engine intakes.
But aside from my own needs, generally speaking I couldn't help wondering why they don't produce them in larger sizes, if they really are so good... :nonchalance:
 
I replaced some earlier this year.
I did the work myself (with help form friends).
I only intended to replace the skin fittings but when I got them apart, the old seacocks had a strange thread (American NPT).
These were 1.5" fittings and the easy solution for me was to replace the seacocks as well.

I wouldn't think a job like the OP's could be done during a "lift and hold".
This kind of job "grows hairs" and it would be much better to be properly "blocked off" to do that many in one sitting.
Don't be fooled, though, replacing seacocks can be time consuming so that figure of £200 each might be good value if you are paying someone to do it.
Maybe pay someone on a "time and materials basis" if you think £200 is too much.

The skin fittings that I replaced were about 11 years old and there were small some signs of corrosion on the outside when we lifted last year.
So, that was the reason I decided to replace them.
But once we had cut them out, it was clear that they had plenty of life left.

In the OP's case, it would seem to be a good idea to replace them as they are coming up to 20 years old.
Maybe a scheduled replacement over a period of several years - doing the worst ones first????

Are they bonded (wired to the boat's electrical earth) - that should give them a longer life - lots of different views on bonding though.
Mine aren't bonded but are in good condition after 11 years.
Hopefully these comments may help.
 
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rafiki_ said:
Iain, I replaced one of mine 2 years ago, not for corrosion, but a sticking ball valve. The new one then stuck less than a year later! You will be due a lift to clean sterngear, check anodes and antifoul. Have a good look at the skin fittings when lifted.
Click to expand...

I greased the insides of the balls of the new seacocks thoroughly with waterproof grease before refitting.
Maybe this will help sticking.
But, I don't have any stuck seacosks (yet)
There is an old saying - "whenever you see a seacock - operate it".
I don't do that but I do operate most of mine regularly.
 
vas said:
or grp fittings (Marelon, Trudesign)

200quid a pop seems a lot, I guess it's parts+labour
Click to expand...

There was an article in MB&Y may edition (p94) about Leesans new range of corrosion-free skin fittings. Priced from £11.30 May be worth a call.
 
Don't think £200 each is excessive as there is a lot of work involved

It is the engine intake ones the engineer mentioned but they were going to have a better look on Saturday so maybe the others are ok?
Would be a lot happier if I could do half this year and half next

Why would Sealine use a material that isn't suitable for salt water use, cost I get but surely they're not fit for purpose?

Seems like asking for trouble to me
 
Forgot to say they are proposing to use bronze skin fitting with DZR ball valve and hose tail

Will ask them to look at Leesan's plastic option but the majority of the cost is labour
 
I had all mine done and the black pipes ( Vetus ) in the engine room in 2015 on a 2003 boat .
The main engine s were near €400 each , skin scoops , cocks and elbows .
Yard did it and as mentioned by hurricane, the boat was out blocked off for about a week while the guys worked on it .
Lucky for me the main engine were 8astards to remove .
They angle grinded them form both sides and then with a special saw split the tube that was imbedded in the hull , then with a special portable hydraulic jack , jacked up the weakened bits back inside the hull .
I think they did some remedial glassing up before fitting the new .
I can’t remember if they were bronze or DZR they were maestrami ( sp ? ) from France helixes down the road .
Those two were ceased open .Along with a few others .
I do regularly excerise all of them , in fact last done end of March .
All I can say glad I did not tackle this as quick DIY hang in the slings job .

These guys do this stuff day in and day out .

Why ?
Some were ceased - could have been like that for years ?
No history of any work done .
My piece of mind .
Insurance- I have some paperwork of I hope evidence of “ maintaining in a seaworthy condition “ what ever that means ?- another thread :)

So for me date wise it was 2003 to replace 2015 - some were ceased .
As for condition they were fine no evidence of any corrosion and like for like replaced .
 
I am going ahead with this work, I think I'd be to afraid of sinking if I didn't!

I guess this work is more important than the new fridge and electric toilets :-)
 
Portofino said:
I can’t remember if they were bronze or DZR they were maestrami ( sp ? )
Click to expand...
Pretty sure the producer was Maestrini, which is indeed among the best.
But ref. "bronze or DZR", since I happen to have in mind their prices (also for Sneds' reference), the same valves from the same supplier are in the ballpark of twice the cost for the former vs. the latter, for any given size...
 
I’ve literally just finished replacing some on the Princess. Did a few around 5 years previous too.
It wasn’t so much that they were in visually bad shape..more that the spindle had broken on most of them.
Been greasing the internals with white grease spray ever since and operating more regularly.
Ps. If you are replacing them...leave “boat” or “sea cock”out the search criteria. Half price most times.
 
By coincidence I also just had all mine replaced, a month ago. I forgot to spec bronze when I ordered the boat so had a mix- builders seem to mix them up in their stores and I had plenty of dzr and wasn’t sure 100% that I didn’t have brass. And the boat is 5 yrs old now. So I bought all my own maestro in bronze (at a jaw drop price, for the 4 inch) then hired professionals to install them.
To OP, I think this is well worth doing, in bronze that you are sure is bronze, then you can relax for 10++ years.
Mapis is correct on the 2x for bronze vs dzr/brass but I think it’s worth it.
 
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Also replaced an engine hose fitting this year.
3" fitting.
This is why it was replaced.
serve.php


I don't know why it went like that.
One thought was that a wire in the hose had been in contact with it but on close inspection the hose looked fine.
 
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