Skin fittings - good practice or not?

[Independence]

I've recently purchased a vessel new to me which requires the skin fittings to be stripped and checked. It appears the previous owner didn't do this too often and I want to make sure this becomes an annual event without involving too much heart ache getting to them and removing pipes.

Is it good practice to grease the skin fitting before fitting the pipe. I tend to double jubilee clip everything but wondered if greasing the gate valve prior to fitting the pipework had an detrimental effect?

 

[oakum]

Good practice as long as you use correct grease ie one without graphite (I think) as this can cause electrolysis (again I think)

I'm assuming they are metal skin fittings.

 

[KenMcCulloch]

It's widely believed that better than greasing gate valves is recycling them as scrap metal and replacing with ball valves.

 

[holly1]

I would agree with KenMcCulloch

 

[CPD]

[ QUOTE ]
It's widely believed that better than greasing gate valves is recycling them as scrap metal and replacing with ball valves.

[/ QUOTE ]

Paul this has been my understanding too.

 

[MM5AHO]

Just changed some gate valves for ballvalves. The gate valves only lasted 30 years. Hope the ballvalves do better!

 

[doug748]

An interesting suggestion.
Whilst we are all busy scrapping Blakes seacocks, I am still looking for a late used one (can be identified by the grease nipple on side) large size please (1" and 1/4, I think)....

 

[ccscott49]

You could of course, drill an older one (21/64"), tap 1/8 BSP and fit your own grease nipple. As I have done to mine.

 

[vyv_cox]

A Blake's seacock is a plug valve.

A gate valve is the sort commonly used for domestic water supply. Turning the wheel on the top drives a gate across the flow by the use of a screw thread. They tend to foul and the connection of the gate to the thread sometimes breaks. Either problem will effectively seize the valve.

 

[ccscott49]

........and normally in the open position!

 

[graham]

I have just replaced the 35 year old gate valves on my toilet seacocks. The new ballvalves are easier to turn on and off and its obvious at a glance that they are open/shut.

The gatevalves looked poor on ther outside but on close inspection were still in perfect working order.

 

[ghostlymoron]

Beware of brass ball valves. One of these on my boat was only fitted 5 years ago - when I took the hose off to investigate why the cockpit was not draining quickly enough I found that the end of the drive shaft had broken off and was no longer turning the ball. Possibly de-zincification.
The handle still operated through 90degrees giving the impression that the valve was OK. I've now got a 316 stainless replacement and am hoping that will be OK. Need to check all the others though.

 

[Tranona]

Don't think anybody would scrap a functioning Blakes! Buy a new one and make sure it is specifically mentioned in your will.

 

[PeterGibbs]

I used to strip and grease my plug valves every year - messy job. But the valves never failed or jammed, so I never replaced them.

On my present boat it's all ball valves. A touch of veggy oil before launching each spring and all is well.Better.

If you feel inclined to go for the ball, why not. But there is no
history of failure with plug valves to compell you.

Pipe to valve - keep it dry if poss. A touch of vaseline if fitting is difficult, or heat the end of the pipe in water to make it soft and easier to push home.

As the boat is new to you, do check that there is absolutely no movement in the skin fitting - ie it's not been whacked in the past to free the valve. A perfect watertight hull seal is obviously essential whatever the valve.

PWG

 

[mireland]

Bit of soft soap or washing up liquid makes it easy.

 

[doug748]

Buy a new one?
You have touched me on a raw nerve there. Two years ago my local chandlers were asking nearly £95, which nearly caused me to hyperventilate.... I asked again the other week - £145!