I have a solid green corrosion on all my seacocks. Why is this happening to ALL my seacocks elbows and fittings at the seacocks? What do I do to clean it and stop it?
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Type of Material
They don't appear to be marine grade material. Your might think about changing them to bronze or plastic in the not to distant future.
They don't appear to be marine grade material. Your might think about changing them to bronze or plastic in the not to distant future.
Jack
I too have that and just replaced the bad one. I was told that it wasn't corrosion because a seacock would actually corrode on the inside, not the outside and that if you take a wire brush and remove it and it's still a gold color then it's not corroding, but if it's a yellow color, then it is. This comes from a trusted sailor. However, if it's not corrosion, what the ____ is it?
I too have that and just replaced the bad one. I was told that it wasn't corrosion because a seacock would actually corrode on the inside, not the outside and that if you take a wire brush and remove it and it's still a gold color then it's not corroding, but if it's a yellow color, then it is. This comes from a trusted sailor. However, if it's not corrosion, what the ____ is it?
Green stuff
I had a seacock once that looked like that and the problem was electrolysis caused by a bad bonding wire to the ground system. None of the other seacocks had the problem. The image you posted does not show a bond wire and that could be the problem.
I had a seacock once that looked like that and the problem was electrolysis caused by a bad bonding wire to the ground system. None of the other seacocks had the problem. The image you posted does not show a bond wire and that could be the problem.
not a seacock
That's not even a seacock. A marine seacock has a bolt flange for bolting it down. A seacock will also have a straight pipe thread where it connects to the through-hull. What's shown in your photo is an inline ball valve, which will have a tapered thread and only thread on a certain distance before it jams. You need to replace it ASAP with a real marine seacock. See West Marine's description of seacocks:
That's not even a seacock. A marine seacock has a bolt flange for bolting it down. A seacock will also have a straight pipe thread where it connects to the through-hull. What's shown in your photo is an inline ball valve, which will have a tapered thread and only thread on a certain distance before it jams. You need to replace it ASAP with a real marine seacock. See West Marine's description of seacocks:
Steve and Eric
Eric, you may be right in that it's not marine grade but that's what Hunter puts on it's boats and I find it hard to believe that Hunter would go cheap on something that important. Steve, I called Hunter and asked them why they don't bond the thru-hulls and their answer is that they've been doing that for 15 years without a problem. They feel it reduces the chances of electrolysis by not connecting the thru hull to any electrical current in the boat. There is one flaw to this. If you have current getting into the fiberglass, the current can reach the thru-hull.
Eric, you may be right in that it's not marine grade but that's what Hunter puts on it's boats and I find it hard to believe that Hunter would go cheap on something that important. Steve, I called Hunter and asked them why they don't bond the thru-hulls and their answer is that they've been doing that for 15 years without a problem. They feel it reduces the chances of electrolysis by not connecting the thru hull to any electrical current in the boat. There is one flaw to this. If you have current getting into the fiberglass, the current can reach the thru-hull.
That doesn't make any sense
"At the top of the seacock the story can be different and more complicated. Look at the descriptions of seacocks and you will see that some have straight threads top and bottom (NPS, for National Pipe Straight), and some have NPS bottom and National Pipe Tapered (NPT) at the top. The tapered thread at the top is probably more common. It receives the tapered threads of tailpieces for the connection of hoses. Straight threads at the top are used when some other piece of hardware, like a strainer, is to be installed. " from Eric's link. If tapered isn't strong enough for the bottom, then it isn't going to be strong enough for the top either. The same force is going to be applied to the top as is the bottom. As for the pressure...isn't city water pressure like about 26 psi or more? Water pressure on the thru hulls is less then 1 psi (.433 psi per foot below water line). So I find it hard to believe that a tapered isn't strong enough. Now if the metal is made of the wrong material, that's a different story.
"At the top of the seacock the story can be different and more complicated. Look at the descriptions of seacocks and you will see that some have straight threads top and bottom (NPS, for National Pipe Straight), and some have NPS bottom and National Pipe Tapered (NPT) at the top. The tapered thread at the top is probably more common. It receives the tapered threads of tailpieces for the connection of hoses. Straight threads at the top are used when some other piece of hardware, like a strainer, is to be installed. " from Eric's link. If tapered isn't strong enough for the bottom, then it isn't going to be strong enough for the top either. The same force is going to be applied to the top as is the bottom. As for the pressure...isn't city water pressure like about 26 psi or more? Water pressure on the thru hulls is less then 1 psi (.433 psi per foot below water line). So I find it hard to believe that a tapered isn't strong enough. Now if the metal is made of the wrong material, that's a different story.
Eric's right
that's not a seacock, it appears that it could be a cheap ball valve connected to a 90 degree pipe elbow. The hose clamps also appear to be over tightened or the hose-to-pipe size is wrong because of the great amount of compression evident in the picture. Franklin, I don't think that Hunter's answer may be applicable to this post, since they didn't see this particular picture. I would sure hope they install more than what this assembly appears to be, regardless of bonding or not. Jack, if it was my boat, I would say to myself: "Houston, we MAY have a BIG problem here." The reason is that those ball valves could simply be ACE hardware material, as may be the elbow. You may want to read up a bit on brass vs bronze in the West Marine catalog Advisors (don't know if they have that one on line, but check). In addition to what we're suggesting here, why not get a knowledgeable fellow dock mate, or even hire a surveyor for an hour, to actually look at your boat and tell you. It's impossible for us to tell what the materials are from the picture. I urge you to followup in person with appropriate experts. IF it turns out that the materials are OK, then cleaning them up and applying Lanocote or anhydrous lanolin should keep them looking better.
that's not a seacock, it appears that it could be a cheap ball valve connected to a 90 degree pipe elbow. The hose clamps also appear to be over tightened or the hose-to-pipe size is wrong because of the great amount of compression evident in the picture. Franklin, I don't think that Hunter's answer may be applicable to this post, since they didn't see this particular picture. I would sure hope they install more than what this assembly appears to be, regardless of bonding or not. Jack, if it was my boat, I would say to myself: "Houston, we MAY have a BIG problem here." The reason is that those ball valves could simply be ACE hardware material, as may be the elbow. You may want to read up a bit on brass vs bronze in the West Marine catalog Advisors (don't know if they have that one on line, but check). In addition to what we're suggesting here, why not get a knowledgeable fellow dock mate, or even hire a surveyor for an hour, to actually look at your boat and tell you. It's impossible for us to tell what the materials are from the picture. I urge you to followup in person with appropriate experts. IF it turns out that the materials are OK, then cleaning them up and applying Lanocote or anhydrous lanolin should keep them looking better.
Franklin - interesting points, but....
Even considering that the force on the bottom is the same as the force on the top, would you rather have your critical weakness between the seacock and your internal plumbing, or between the seacock and the through-hull. Personally, if I had to choose, I'd rather have a tapered thread on the inside to ensure that if any of it breaks, it's breaking inside the seacock and I'm still able to stop the volcano! In addition, a proper seacock will not transmit force to the threads on the through-hull, but instead to the bolts that hold its flange to the through-hull's backing plate.
Even considering that the force on the bottom is the same as the force on the top, would you rather have your critical weakness between the seacock and your internal plumbing, or between the seacock and the through-hull. Personally, if I had to choose, I'd rather have a tapered thread on the inside to ensure that if any of it breaks, it's breaking inside the seacock and I'm still able to stop the volcano! In addition, a proper seacock will not transmit force to the threads on the through-hull, but instead to the bolts that hold its flange to the through-hull's backing plate.
yep
"I'm still able to stop the volcano!" but not if your not on your boat. What percentage of the year are you on your boat? I'm a live-aboard and still only on it 60%. Yes, Hunter does use these on all thru-hulls. At least that's the way my boat is on all and I'm sure the previous owner didn't change them. I had an electrolysis problem and part of that problem was current getting into the ground system through a short wire and the ground was connected to the mast via the antina wire so I did have current in the fiberglass. I fixed that. Maybe that's what caused the greenness. You should look into that for your greenness. Tomorrow I get to check out of the hotel and splash my boat. Had the green value replace, cutles bearing replace, new zincs, new packing, prop sent to shop and bottom job done. I feel like I'm getting a new baby
I'll be taking the day off to take her out and get that loving feeling back
"I'm still able to stop the volcano!" but not if your not on your boat. What percentage of the year are you on your boat? I'm a live-aboard and still only on it 60%. Yes, Hunter does use these on all thru-hulls. At least that's the way my boat is on all and I'm sure the previous owner didn't change them. I had an electrolysis problem and part of that problem was current getting into the ground system through a short wire and the ground was connected to the mast via the antina wire so I did have current in the fiberglass. I fixed that. Maybe that's what caused the greenness. You should look into that for your greenness. Tomorrow I get to check out of the hotel and splash my boat. Had the green value replace, cutles bearing replace, new zincs, new packing, prop sent to shop and bottom job done. I feel like I'm getting a new baby
I'll be taking the day off to take her out and get that loving feeling back grounding and bonding systems connected
Franklin raises an important point regarding electrolysis: Virtually all boats are set up vulnerable to the same type of probem he experienced. This is because your grounding system is connected to your bonding system in a nonobvious way. All the experts say these two systems should be electrically isolated from each other. Typically, the battery neg terminal is connected to the engine which brings it to ground potential via the prop shaft being immersed. Then we have the bonding system, which connects the bow and stern pulpits, lifelines, shrouds, mast, and often throughhull fittings, to a keelbolt. Calder and others will tell you to keep these systems isolated from one another because when connected you have a kind of a battery (two dissimilar metals immersed in an electrolite). Connect these with a wire and current will flow! (electrolysis). Franklin stated it: his grounding system is connected to his bonding system through the antenna. He had a short-to-ground, which makes the situation much worse, but we are all in this situation. The path is: water to prop shaft to engine block to neg. battery terminal to radio neg. wire to radio case to coax. outer conductor to mast antenna base to mast to bonding wire to keel to water. Here is the fix: buy an In/Out DC block from a ham radio supply store. Insert this into the coax. between the masthead antenna and the radio. It will allow RF signals to pass through but block the tiny DC electrolytic current. It will also block any current generated by a ground fault like Franklin had. Owen Palmer-Johnson 30
Franklin raises an important point regarding electrolysis: Virtually all boats are set up vulnerable to the same type of probem he experienced. This is because your grounding system is connected to your bonding system in a nonobvious way. All the experts say these two systems should be electrically isolated from each other. Typically, the battery neg terminal is connected to the engine which brings it to ground potential via the prop shaft being immersed. Then we have the bonding system, which connects the bow and stern pulpits, lifelines, shrouds, mast, and often throughhull fittings, to a keelbolt. Calder and others will tell you to keep these systems isolated from one another because when connected you have a kind of a battery (two dissimilar metals immersed in an electrolite). Connect these with a wire and current will flow! (electrolysis). Franklin stated it: his grounding system is connected to his bonding system through the antenna. He had a short-to-ground, which makes the situation much worse, but we are all in this situation. The path is: water to prop shaft to engine block to neg. battery terminal to radio neg. wire to radio case to coax. outer conductor to mast antenna base to mast to bonding wire to keel to water. Here is the fix: buy an In/Out DC block from a ham radio supply store. Insert this into the coax. between the masthead antenna and the radio. It will allow RF signals to pass through but block the tiny DC electrolytic current. It will also block any current generated by a ground fault like Franklin had. Owen Palmer-Johnson 30
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