Solutions to blocked Cooling water Inlet ??

[CPD]

I think I know what I am going to do to solve my problem but would welcome comments from others .......

Last season my cooling water inlet system became blocked at the skin fitting (or thereabouts) - it was cleared by removing the rubber hose from the seacock and poking a wire coat-hanger through - it was weed causing the problem (Portsmouth harbour). The same thing happened again last week, thankfully when tied up in a marina, however it could have been a lot more inconvenient if not downright dangerous.

The idea of course is that anything in the cooling water sucked up by the pump should be trapped in the strainer before it gets to the engine. The fact it has blocked the pipe before getting to the strainer suggests that the inlet pipe is too small.

The inlet hose (and fitting I understand) is currently 19mm diameter.

The plan is to replace the skin fitting, seacock and hose to the strainer to 1"/25mm.

Thoughts ?

Many Thanks,

Alan

 

[yoda]

Seems like a reasonable plan. No guarantee of course that it won't do the same but has to have a chance of success.

 

[Seajet]

When this happened to us motoring in a calm off Alderney we took the inlet hose off at the ( high above waterline ) filter end and put the dinghy foot pump on it, blowing the crud and weed off the hull inlet - worked a treat.

 

[michael_w]

Replace the skin fitting and remote strainer with one of the old style combined units. They are easy to rod through, though the jellyfish my engine sucked up died game.

 

[Tranona]

The inlet hose (and fitting I understand) is currently 19mm diameter.

The plan is to replace the skin fitting, seacock and hose to the strainer to 1"/25mm.

Thoughts ?

Many Thanks,

Alan

Expensive solution that is unlikely to make much difference. The inlet is the same size as the raw water pump inlet, so at some point you will have to reduce the diameter of the hose.

The simplest solution is to improve the means of rodding the intake. Remove any external grille if you have one and mount the water strainer immediately above the intake. Then rodding is easy - just remove the lid and basket and rod. No need to take hose off. The alternative suggested by michael_w would also work, but that type is expensive, often difficult to access and not always above the waterline, so you have to shut the valve. You might be able to arrange for it to be above the waterline, but then it is no different from re-arranging your existing system.

 

[sailorman]

Replace the skin fitting and remote strainer with one of the old style combined units. They are easy to rod through, though the jellyfish my engine sucked up died game.

Also the dinghy pump works pumping out the weed with those strainers.
why not have 2 inlets so you can switch over

 

[Flossdog]

I had this problem and solved it by cutting away the grill over the intake and re-siting my Vetus strainer unit under the companionway steps so that the top was just above the water level. It is now easy to see water flowing through the strainer and if it becomes blocked, is easy to rod through (flexible rod as it is not directly above the intake).

 

[Cardo]

We've had our inlet blocked a few times due to weed. Dinghy pump with a hose poked into the inlet side of the strainer. Pump pump pump... glug glug, glug, cleared.