Stiff seacock

[JeremyF]

The heads exit seacock is getting stiff to open and close. Its only 12 months old. Any tips, or should I just leave it open, and sort it out when she's out the water this winter.

Thanks

Jeremy Flynn

 

[Mirelle]

Umm, can you describe it? Is it a Blakes bronze taper bore pattern, or is it a ball valve, or gate valve?

If it is a modern Blakes (and I assume your boat is recent?) you can grease it in situ - there is a grease nipple on it which takes a standard grease gun.

Leaving it open is not the best plan, as your boat will be floating on the WC outlet valve. If you are doing this pro tem, be very sure that the soil pipe does indeed loop well above the w/l and pump the heads when empty so as to leave air in the pipe to break the syphon.

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by mirelle on 16/08/2002 13:37 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[tcm]

there is special grease at the swindlery and it will get better with working it. They say you should open and close a sea cock every time you lay eyes on it so perhaps try poking around the bog more often. Leaving it open will be fine apart from the pesky sinking scenario where you sit in the liferaft and say i know i know, and then get helped in by a stinkiepotter, it's too awful to contemplate...

 

[JeremyF]

Thanks - yes its a modern 1 year old boat. I exercise all seacocks once a week, including the unused ones from a black water holding tank. This one has got stiff despite this. I'll look for the grease nipple, but I must confess I would have thought I'd have seen it by now! Maybe its hiding!

Jeremy Flynn

 

[JeremyF]

Ignominy

You are right - the ignominy and shame of help from stinkies!!

Jeremy Flynn

 

[JeremyF]

Mirelle,

Its a bronze fitting with a steel lever that turns 90 degrees between open and closed......but I guess that all are like that. Its whatever they fit on 2001 Bav's

Jeremy Flynn

 

[Mirelle]

Ah!

It's a ball valve.

What happens is that there is a stainless steel ball sitting in a nylon seat. The nylon swells slightly in seawater, and it binds.

I made the mistake of fitting these on my cockpit drains some years ago because they were half the price of Blake's seacocks. Replaced them with "the real thing" after a similar experience.

I don't think you are doing anything wrong. It just happens with these things.

I am afraid that I don't know of any cure, apart from replacement.

You can be fairly brutal with the steel handle, because that will probably break first - but be sure to have something to shove in the hole in case the whole fitting does rip out of the hull!

It should be a quick job to replace it with another of the same (most chandlers have them) next time you haul out to scrub the antifouling.

Replacing it with a Blakes as I did is more difficult because the hole in the hull for the Blake is smaller.

 

[bedouin]

Re: Probably!

Although some of the seacocks on Bedouin also fit that description and are definitely not ball valves (they have a conical metal plug with a hole drilled through)

 

[JeremyF]

Re: Ah!

Thanks, its reassuring to know that the handle is the first thing to go, but yes I do have bungs handy.

As its nylon on SS, I doubt its going to improve through exercising, but Ill give it a go tomorrow, with bung to hand!

Jeremy Flynn

 

[bedouin]

Re: Ah!

And if you do have any problems, Mirelle is an expert in how to resuscitate a diesel engine following submersion!

 

[davidwf]

Re: Ah!

Got same problem on my boat 3 years old, found spraying teflon lubricant up the inlet before launching helps. Also try some cooking oil in the heads and flush it through with valve half closed and if possible work it as the cooking oil passes.

Not sure about environmental goodness of this move but as long as its cooking oil and small quantities should be ok.

 

[JeremyF]

Re: Ah!

Great idea; I'll try that before taking the hose off and squirting teflon spray down there. I hope the neighbours don't mind a slick of veg oil around - at least its better than diesel

Jeremy Flynn

 

[davidwf]

Re: Ah!

I took my hose off and sprayed teflon down onto the ball, could not for the life of me get the pipe back on, had to buy a replacement hose as I eventually split it in the process.

Best leave taking the hose off until boat out of water or better still pay somebody else to do it!!

David

 

[Mirelle]

Hot air gun

as used for stripping paint, used at low heat, is the tool of choice for that. We wooden boat types with acres of varnish all have one - look for a neighbour with a wooden boat and borrow it!

 

[JeremyF]

Re: Ah!

Great suggestion David. Cooking oil did the trick - a couple of doses and the thing opens and closes much better.

I'll sort it out properly in the winter, but pouring oil on troubled valves seems a simple work-around. Thanks for the tip.

Jeremy Flynn

 

[davidwf]

Re: Ah!

Great news!

 

[LadyInBed]

Re: Hot air gun

Dunking the hose end in a mug of boiling water for a minute or so also does a job.