Sticking ball valves

[Guest]

I have ball valves on all of the holes below the water line in the galley and the heads and, with the exception of the one discussed below, all are 5 years old and still appear to be in good working order. However, the 2 inch one in the heads almost seized after about 1 year and has been really difficult to operate since then. Last winter I changed it but within 6 weeks it was as stiff as the one I had removed. Since new I've had a local zinc anode doing its stuff and very slowly dissapearing. Also the water inlet for the flush sits about 12 inch away, is totally trouble free and easy to use. Any comments as to whats going on?

-b-

 

[ccscott49]

It could be getting crusted up with a calcium build up, you get from pumping your sea toilet, it happens fairly quickly, thats one of the reasons I swear by blakes seacocks. But it could well be something else, how did the one you removed look, did it show any sign of what was making it stiff?

 

[dickh]

I had to have my toilet ball valve replaced 2 years ago, it got very stiff and then the handle snapped off! Don't know how long it had been on the boat - at least 8/10 years I guess.
The new one is also getting stiff, even though the 'best quality' one was fitted... I am going to remove and check it this layup.

dickh
I'd rather be sailing...

 

[JeremyF]

I had the same problem with the heads exit seacock that's only 12 months old.

I plan to take a proper look this winter, but the situation is much better now, after half closing the valve, and pumping vegetable oil through the system a couple of times. Pump a few times, then open and close the valve, and repeat as necessary!

<font color=blue>Jeremy Flynn/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif
Dawn Chorus</font color=blue>

 

[Guest]

If you part open a valve you can see a cavity behing the ball; on the valve I remeoved the cavity was full of a hard but powdery deposit. Some sort of corrosion I suppose. As to the one I've fitted, well I've yet to lift out.

-b-

 

[ccscott49]

That sounds like calcium build up, from the reaction of the seawater and what you put down the toilet, you maybe need to work it now and again, with some proper soluble oil, designed for toilets, much better than vegetable oil. You can get it from chandlers, or from your local machine shop, it's used as water soluble cutting fluid for lathes. milling machines etc.

 

[Guest]

Re: Sticking ball valves - further thought

Yes I know the stuff, thanks.

I've just had another thought. When the valve is closed i.e. most of the time, the cavity behind the ball cannot see open water or loo water it simply becomes a fully enclosed cavity. Is that a useful or relevant fact.

-b-

 

[ccscott49]

Re: Sticking ball valves - further thought

To be honest I don't know, I don't have any ball valves on board, mine are all blakes.

 

[SimonD]

Mine did the same after only a few weeks from new, so I don't think it's calcium build up. I conclude that its either a generic design fault or the surface area of the ball is so large that stiffness is inevitable.

Incidentally, since the general consensus is that putting a little vegatable/olive oil down the toilet is a good thing, why doesn't some enterprising manufacturer make a hanging over the rim thingy that oils, disinfects and smells nice?

 

[ccscott49]

I do beleive, that vegetable oil is not a good thing for lubricating toilets etc. I seem to remember a toilet manufcaturer or somebody somewhere sayong its not a good thing, thats why I use a little bottle of solublke oil I keep in each heads, when they start to squeak, I put a few drops in and pump through, no squeaks!

 

[Guest]

Core blimey wot a difference

I got some soluble oil from the machine shop and poored it down the loo and although the oil refused to mix with the water I pumped it through. Ecologically maybe not a bright thing to do but the difference is staggering. The pump mechanism is also friction free.

Barry (yacht Mithril)