thruhull elimination

Apr 25, 2008
64
hey all, i'm pulling the vega to replace the gate valves finally, and had a quick question. I know there are originally 5 valves, 1/2 inch for head intake, raw water intake, and salt water sink intake, 1 inch for the sink drain, and 1 1/4 for the head output. Is there any particularly good reason i cant move the engine raw water intake up to a 3/4 inch seacock, and eliminate the two 1/2 inchers for the seawater for washing, and the seawater for head intake. Just split the 3/4 engine intake between the three and throw in a few y valves? I'd love to have fewer holes in the boat. Also, maybe replace the sink drain with a 1 1/2 incher and run the head outlet there too? Any ideas, for why this would or wouldn't work would be much appreciated. I know that a 3/4 inch inlet moves a little more water than two 1/2 inch intakes, so as long as the engine, toilet, and sink weren't pumping at the same time i don't see a problem there. That would put me at two thruhull opennings total. Any thoughts?
 
Feb 13, 2010
528
I would not do that. If the water pump sucks air into any of the lines
you may not get any or enough water to the engine. Consider that carefully.
Doug
kanderson4unc wrote:
 
Aug 3, 2005
66
I wouldn't fancy being near your sink if the heads outlet went through the
same hole too! You'd need to put a u-bend in somewhere.
 
Feb 13, 2010
528
I would not bet the farm on this, but a good friend told me That
European gate valves are not a problem in boats be cause the have no
dissimilar metals. Most Gate valves here in the US are made now days for
industrial use for air valves and have disimular metals in them that
cause electrolysis in saltwater. Has anyone heard of this?
Doug

kanderson4unc wrote:
 
Apr 25, 2008
64
yeah i figured i 'd have to get pretty creative to do it, put a y valve on to make sure i can isolate the engine water when its running, etc. and put a trap of some sort in the sink line. The head intake and sink intake seem to be a safe bet to concolidate. Just figured as long as i was glassing up old transducer holes i'd see what people had to say about getting rid of the other ones, haha.
 
Apr 30, 2000
197
I did something similar but less extreme about 10 years ago: I consolidated the sea water intake for the engine with that for the galley sink by closing off the existing engine intake hole, and installing a larger throughhull and seacock in the bilge location where the sink intake had been. I put a check valve in the line to the sink to prevent air flow back into the system. This accomplished a couple of things - eliminated a through hull, allowed me to shut the seacock without removing the engine cover while forcing me to check the bilge while turning off/on the seacock, put the raw water intake lower on the hull, and put the raw water intake on the port side of the hull while the discharge seacocks are on the starboard side. This has worked fine. Bill Bach V1071
 
Apr 25, 2008
64
bill, that sounds perfectly reasonable, what size seacock did you put in the bilge to supply the engine, and sink? thanks.

karl
 
Jan 28, 2001
694
Hi all. Lyric has one intake on the starboard side and one on the port side. Starboard for the head, sink and engine. There is checkvalve between the head and the through hull. The port side is for the engine also. It was suggested to me that there was the possibility of sucking up trash like a floating garbage bag on one of the intakes. This could overheat the engine. Not as likely with the two intake set up. As another feature, we can close both intakes and open a ball valve in the bilge to use the engine to pump with. Walt
To: AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com
From: BBach1949@...
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:13:29 -0500
Subject: Re: [AlbinVega] thruhull elimination


I did something similar but less extreme about 10 years ago: I consolidated the sea water intake for the engine with that for the galley sink by closing off the existing engine intake hole, and installing a larger throughhull and seacock in the bilge location where the sink intake had been. I put a check valve in the line to the sink to prevent air flow back into the system. This accomplished a couple of things - eliminated a through hull, allowed me to shut the seacock without removing the engine cover while forcing me to check the bilge while turning off/on the seacock, put the raw water intake lower on the hull, and put the raw water intake on the port side of the hull while the discharge seacocks are on the starboard side. This has worked fine. Bill Bach V1071