Servicing seacocks

stuartwineberg

stuartwineberg

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What routine servicing do these need? I regularly move all of them to make sure they aren't seized, check that the orifices are clear from the outside when the boat is lifted. Am I missing something?
 
I mentioned the same question to a bloke at the marina, as my seacock had jammed open and the handle snapped whilst trying to close it. He told me to pack some grease inside to stop the internal parts seizing.
 
It depends what type of seacock. If ball valve no maintenance is necessary except regular exercising. If Blakes annual strip down and greasing. If gate valve, throw them away and fit better ones.
 
Stuart, addition to previous post. With ball valves it's perhaps beneficial to remove the handle a couple of times a year and squirt some 3 in 1 around the spindle. Also check they are DZR (or bronze if you're rich) not plain brass.
 
ghostlymoron said:
They should be marked as DZR.
If not assume they're plain brass without the arsenic.
Agree it's not easy to see marks in situ
Click to expand...

Are DZR marked DZR or just CR for corrosion resistant?

How can you distinguish between brass and bronze?
 
ghostlymoron said:
It depends what type of seacock. If ball valve no maintenance is necessary except regular exercising. If Blakes annual strip down and greasing. If gate valve, throw them away and fit better ones.
Click to expand...
Sorry to hijack, but how do you tell the difference? I have some blakes ones for sure, but only for the bog inlet/outlet. All the others have a red-handled lever that swivels 90 degrees, either 'across' the pipe for closed or 'in line' for open. How do you know whether they are ball or gate?
 
KAL said:
Sorry to hijack, but how do you tell the difference? I have some blakes ones for sure, but only for the bog inlet/outlet. All the others have a red-handled lever that swivels 90 degrees, either ' the pipe for closed or 'in line' for open. How do you know whether they are ball or gate?
Click to expand...
a gate valve has a wheel to spin to shut the gate
a ball valve will be a lever

http://www.bing.com/search?q=gate+valve&form=OPRTSD&pc=OPER
 
sailorman said:
a gate valve has a wheel to spin to shut the gate
a ball valve will be a lever

http://www.bing.com/search?q=gate+valve&form=OPRTSD&pc=OPER
Click to expand...
Phew! Cheers sailorman. I seem to have balls. That's a relief. :o

Actually, one of the ball valve seacocks seems to have developed a slight weep of seawater around the body of the valve (i.e. not through the skin fitting) but only when open. Can anyone suggest a cure for this? Can it be serviced?
 
Last edited:
KAL said:
Phew! Cheers sailorman. I seem to have balls. That's a relief. :o

Actually, one of the ball valve seacocks seems to have developed a slight weep of seawater around the body of the valve (i.e. not through the skin fitting) but only when open. Can anyone suggest a cure for this? Can it be serviced?
Click to expand...
Ball valves are relatively cheap so I would think that the only remedy is to change it.
 
KAL said:
Sorry to hijack, but how do you tell the difference? I have some blakes ones for sure, but only for the bog inlet/outlet. All the others have a red-handled lever that swivels 90 degrees, either 'across' the pipe for closed or 'in line' for open. How do you know whether they are ball or gate?
Click to expand...

Lots of information about valve types, why they fail and how to identify them on my website here http://coxengineering.sharepoint.com/Pages/BrassandBronze.aspx
 
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