I have a 2005 Hunter 33. I'm attaching a photo of the strainer (slotted strainer?) on my engine through hull. It looks pretty bad to me. Can I remove it to clean it out? Or should I just poke all the junk out of it? Should it be replaced? Thanks. Herman
Engine through hull strainer on H33
- Thread starter Herman18887
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My strainer is part of the thru-hull(picture). And I have never had anything inside it like I think I see in yours. If yours is like mine you could remove the seacock or valve on the inside and then clean out the through hull. The strainer looks fine.
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Thanks Ed. The picture explains a lot. The holes in the strainer are not used, right? As I remove the seacock do I have to worry about the thru-hull/strainer turning?
Your strainer has four bolts if I understand the picture. So it should not turn. Not sure what you have inside. But corrosion is unlikely so it should turn off the thru-hull without much effort. If you do have a real seacock it could be secured somehow. But not with bolts because you would see them in your pictures. What I am trying to say is that the four bolts seen in the strainer do not(usually) engage the seacock.
Herman, before you simply clean out what you have, consider this solution.
Since it looks like you have the one-piece strainer/thru-hull that is pictured in Ed's post, I can attest that this type of strainer is a real pain to clean from either inside or outside. I had the same type of thru-hull on my A/C pick-up.
My solution was to replace the thru-hull with a standard unit and then install a separate screen with a hinged cover on the outside. The cover can be opened to gain clear access to the thru-hull by pulling a pin.
The pictures below show my original one-piece thru-hull with lots of growth inside of it. The second and third pictures show the new thru-hull with the hinged cover screen open and then in the closed position.
Going forward, maintenance is a snap.
Since it looks like you have the one-piece strainer/thru-hull that is pictured in Ed's post, I can attest that this type of strainer is a real pain to clean from either inside or outside. I had the same type of thru-hull on my A/C pick-up.
My solution was to replace the thru-hull with a standard unit and then install a separate screen with a hinged cover on the outside. The cover can be opened to gain clear access to the thru-hull by pulling a pin.
The pictures below show my original one-piece thru-hull with lots of growth inside of it. The second and third pictures show the new thru-hull with the hinged cover screen open and then in the closed position.
Going forward, maintenance is a snap.
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Although not specific to this post, a solution to barnacle restricted intake was used last week by a friend of mine. The exhaust water flow from his Atomic 4 was probably five to 10 time greater when then intake hose was submerged in a bucket sitting on the salon floor with a dock water hose feeding the bucket than it was using the normal thru hull intake. Using a hose extension and a funnel to get the hose to the thru hull above the water line, he poured enough muriatic acid into the hose to ensure that it got down as far as the strainer. After letting this sit for half and hour, he flushed the hose with more fresh water and started the engine. The water flow out the exhaust was greatly increased and his overheating problem was cured. WARNING-muriatic acid is dangerous! Use heavy rubber gloves and make sure there is plenty of ventilation through the boat..
Hope this helps someone. Once again, please be very cautious using the muriatic acid.
Jimmy
Hope this helps someone. Once again, please be very cautious using the muriatic acid.
Jimmy
I owe the forum an update on my thru-hull. After I scraped away the growth inside the strainer, it appears the hole is not obstructed. I tried removing the seacock, but could not budge it. I'm planning to snake a wire down through the seacock to see if there is a clog. Thanks to everyone for your ideas.
Herman
Herman
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