- Dec 30, 2009
- 680
What do u think, I still have some time on this....I found this hiding in the galley couple years ago. I still am schocked when I come across this photo....Red
new valve?
- Thread starter redhead78
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Well you need to find the guy that cut open your valve. That is why it was leaking!
Looks like it could have gone on workig for another 10 years as long as you didn't want to close it.
Looks like it could have gone on workig for another 10 years as long as you didn't want to close it.
Not an expert marine plumber here, but that looks more a valve for in your house than one for on a boat??? Aren't most marine valves the ball type? Almost looks like copper in the picture? I'm sure MaineSail will give us the low down on this.
- Dec 30, 2009
- 680
When I found it hiding in the back under the sink galley, it was open, I mean look at the handle, When I grabbed it to try to turn it off it broke in my hands, this is what I ahd in my hand. The other half of the threads fell off the thru hull which was bronze and cleaned up nicely.Someone along the way must have installed it,I do not think it was done by Jeanneau....Red
Looks like someone replaced the original valve with a household brass gate valve. Bronze gate valves were common on boats from the 70's. Their downfall was that you were never sure when they were all the way closed. Any obstruction could stop the downward motion of the gate and allow water to pass through. The cone valve and ball valves have a handle that when at 90 degrees to the valve body, was positive proof that it was closed.
All the early Hunters had that valve for the galley sink drain. My 1979 still does. It looks new and opens and closes without a problem. The handle is solid, not rusted. They are marine quality bronze attached to a bronze thru-hull.
All the valves were gate valves on the early Hunters. Of my three that one is original, engine water I changed to a larger thru-hull with a seacock, and the head water I changed to a ball-valve. I have a larger thru-hull and seacock for a change to the head. That galley valve is large and expensive to change. But I will probably do that one too.
All the valves were gate valves on the early Hunters. Of my three that one is original, engine water I changed to a larger thru-hull with a seacock, and the head water I changed to a ball-valve. I have a larger thru-hull and seacock for a change to the head. That galley valve is large and expensive to change. But I will probably do that one too.
That valve is a gate valve and was used by many builders. Lots of them were basic yellow brass, not bronze, as I suspect your was. The pink coppery color where the valve was cut apart shows massive dezincification of the valve body. This is VERY dangerous as the valve could have snapped off after being weakened by through the process of dematalization. Proper marine bronze valves, with a UL Marine rating, will not dezincify like that.
Today's safety standards require 1/4 turn valves that meet the UL Marine standards, and disallows gate valves. Jenneau, Beneteau, Hunter and many others often used home center quality gate valves. The problem was that none were ever UL Marine certified so sometimes the builder got "bronze" and sometimes they were shipped yellow brass. Sometimes they actually chose yellow brass, because it was cheaper. If you still have them, get rid of them..
Today's safety standards require 1/4 turn valves that meet the UL Marine standards, and disallows gate valves. Jenneau, Beneteau, Hunter and many others often used home center quality gate valves. The problem was that none were ever UL Marine certified so sometimes the builder got "bronze" and sometimes they were shipped yellow brass. Sometimes they actually chose yellow brass, because it was cheaper. If you still have them, get rid of them..
- Dec 30, 2009
- 680
That valve was not cut open, it broke apart in my hands when I tried to remove it. I replaced it with a groco , I have always been a fan of ball valves. I am an engineer I work with steamfitters frequently, something I learned from them, u can never have too many valves.....Red
WOW! That is indeed VERY scary. Would you mind if I asked you for a copy of that picture to add to one of my seacock articles? I will give you full credit!
If interested feel free to send the full res image to me at: compassmarineservices at gmail dot com
I was preparing a boat for a hurricane once and I went to close the gate valve for the galley sink and the top part that encircles the shaft and screws into the body of the valve just crumbled. Very unfurtunate timing. I was able to remove the slide from the shaft and put it back into the valve body and that slowed the flow of water to a trickle. Then a plastic grocery bag and duct tape stopped the flow. When I went back to the boat after 36 hours the comparment was dry. I went to the hardware store and picked up a PVC cap and removed the duct tape and capped the valve with the slide and plastic bag in it. It was a partial fix until the thruhull and valve could be replaced. The body of the valve was sound but that top part just crumbled like a cookie. To me the problem with gate valves that are still in boats is that they are likely old and have exceeded their useful life. Perhaps the materials were not the best but they seem to have lasted more than 20 years in most cases. I have had problems, of a different sort, with ball type valves also. I had a handle on one that was corroded and when I went to open it it broke off in my hand. The corrosion was not visually apparent. I next grabbed a pair of plyers to use as a handle and this time the turning shaft broke off the ball. I had to take out the hose and insert a screw driver to rotate the ball and open the valve. I believe it was a combination of corrosion and lack of use that caused the failure. Get ball type valves and exercise them periodically.
That is fantastic advice that not only applies to our boats. Applies to your house as well. Guys like me make a comfortable living replacing valves that have not been exercised regularly. Sad truth is, nobody knows their valve has failed until they really need it to function.
~Craig
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