I have read in so many places that now I am unclear of what I should REALLY do. My thru hull valve is NOT conveniently located to desire to shut 'er down before and than again after each sail-day sail or destination sail. We have just been keeping it shut down and adding water to the head via a cute jug for the flush. Not exactly ideal but getting to the valve is not ideal either. What's the consensus....do all of you experienced sailors REALLY shut her down each time you sail? If not, what is the rule of thumb? Your answers will help us decide if we really want to spend the $ to get an updated toilet for the convenience of actually being able to flush. Existing toilet probably is a 1983 and came with our boat and it does not keep the prime from the thru hull.
shutting thru hull valve while sailing
- Thread starter vmaks
- Start date
- Status
some folks do , some dont. i never closed mine ever. they dont back flow. the head is used when i sail--i sail for days. counterproductive to close thruhulls that will be requie-rd to be used while underway.
smaller boats--some do some dont--depends on the owner and experiences ans the plan.
you have a 28 ft boat--you could conceivably sail a couple of days --mebbe you wish to use head--mebbe you wish to use galley sink..mebbe...... so , you would have to spend that much more time away from helm to open and close these while underway?? try it each way and see what you wish to do. everyone is different.
sounds like you might need a rebuild kit for your head??
smaller boats--some do some dont--depends on the owner and experiences ans the plan.
you have a 28 ft boat--you could conceivably sail a couple of days --mebbe you wish to use head--mebbe you wish to use galley sink..mebbe...... so , you would have to spend that much more time away from helm to open and close these while underway?? try it each way and see what you wish to do. everyone is different.
sounds like you might need a rebuild kit for your head??
V,
Whatever the make of your head, the pumps need to be re-done/rebuilt every 3 years or so depending on the make. Pump replacement parts are available for alot of these.
If you have a headmate pump from Wilcox-Crittenden, chances are your pump is no longer made. If you dont have positive priming thru the pump your RUBBER parts are and have been worn out for what sounds like too long.
I always find that people that think in terms of money first go thru more heartache & money that those that do a proper fix first.
Something to keep in mind pal.....
CR
Whatever the make of your head, the pumps need to be re-done/rebuilt every 3 years or so depending on the make. Pump replacement parts are available for alot of these.
If you have a headmate pump from Wilcox-Crittenden, chances are your pump is no longer made. If you dont have positive priming thru the pump your RUBBER parts are and have been worn out for what sounds like too long.
I always find that people that think in terms of money first go thru more heartache & money that those that do a proper fix first.
Something to keep in mind pal.....
CR
Even in a hurricane at sea, I've never shut a sea cock underway unless there was a reason (a leak or bad hose). I'll re-plumb to avoid having to do so. If your head intake line flows when you're sailing, add a vented loop as high as possible, up near the deck. But it should not be necessary, unless as mentioned above, your head needs rebuilding. We are talking about real, bronze sea cocks, not some cobbled together home depot plastic fittings, right?
It kinda depends on how long you are going to be away from the boat. if I'm going out for dinner then no I don't shut all the thru hulls. If I'm going away till next weekend then yes I do. Most of my thru hulls are easy to get to but one is not. Have to move lots of undersink bottles and pans to get to the access panel but those are the breaks.
mine has been many years without needing rebuild, is a manual jabsco--uhoh--here comes the war!!!---but, as i have a spare pump assembly ready for install, knock wood--i am ok--has been 10 yrs that i know of....last owner didnt do it--i didnt need to , yet....if it works, dont fix it. but do keep an eye on it, and have spares handy.
the longevity depends on use, and use, and caring for it regularly.
occasional use is worse for marine goods than is constant use, i found.
the longevity depends on use, and use, and caring for it regularly.
occasional use is worse for marine goods than is constant use, i found.
The best practice, is to periodically inspect the thru-hulls, valves, hoses, clamps and fixtures replacing any that may seem doubtful. If you perform these inspections regularly it will not significantly matter wether you leave the valves open or closed. Nevertheless a leaking head or fixture should be a prompt to close the intake valve when leaving the boat unattended until the proper repair is made.
Good advice. And if you can't find a replacement parts kit for your head, including the important joker valve, then consider a Raritan PHII, PHC or the LBA pump-only kit so you use your old bowl. They sell them here for as good price. They work twice as good as any other manual head.
I rarely open my seacock to flush with. Like you I add water from my fresh water tank via a small bottle, unless of cource the situation requires a large amount to flush with (gross details omitted).
Using the tank water accomplishes two things for me. It helps cycle more water thru the system which keeps the (fresh) water fresher. It also keeps unwanted organics out of the holding tank which contributes to odors.
Of cource all this depends on many factors like your boat usages, docking/moorings, tank sizes, etc.
Using the tank water accomplishes two things for me. It helps cycle more water thru the system which keeps the (fresh) water fresher. It also keeps unwanted organics out of the holding tank which contributes to odors.
Of cource all this depends on many factors like your boat usages, docking/moorings, tank sizes, etc.
Our heads have siphon loops so they shouldn't pose a major hazard. We do shut our sink drains, they do get a bit too close for comfort when healing.
Spending most summer weekends on the boat, I open the thru-hull valves to the galley & lavatory sink drains and the head intake on Friday pm when I get there and close them on Sunday evening when I leave for the week. I have also heard and read that they should be closed while sailing, and no, I don't do that. We use them while sailing and I have had no problems with them when heeling.
The raw water intake for the engine however, is closed whenever the boat is at the dock. It's within easy reach inside the engine compartment and I hang the engine key on the lever so I remember to open the valve before starting the engine.
The raw water intake for the engine however, is closed whenever the boat is at the dock. It's within easy reach inside the engine compartment and I hang the engine key on the lever so I remember to open the valve before starting the engine.
Solved the problem of thru-hulls on my 25 footer I lived aboard and cruised for 3 years-
Took 'em all out and glassed over the holes- no more problems with thru hulls.
Took 'em all out and glassed over the holes- no more problems with thru hulls.
That's for sure. Any and everything in a boat, including the choice of boat, is a compromise of sorts.
We shut all thru hulls when we leave the boat for more than a few hours. Like the OP, our toilet water thru hull is inconvenient, and for that reason and to avoid smelly bay water stinking up the head, we too flush with bottles of water. I might try installing a two-gallon tank for this, if I can find the space, to make the setup less jury rigged.
I have never closed them while sailing. In fact, when I lived 15 minutes from my boat I hardly ever closed them at all. Now I'm 130 miles away and we shut them when we go home for the week.
I would guess that a large majority of boat owners NEVER close their seacocks (think powerboats) and problems are rare. In my two experiences of seeing boats that sank in the slip, neither would have been prevented by a closed seacock. One was caused by a siphoning bilge pump outlet at the waterline with no vented loop.
I now leave most of my sea cocks open but do inspect yearly and replace all below waterline hoses if there is any cracking/hard spots or at 10 years.
Carl
I now leave most of my sea cocks open but do inspect yearly and replace all below waterline hoses if there is any cracking/hard spots or at 10 years.
Carl
- Status