Replacing faucets on old boat

[rusbet]

We are in the process of replacing the galley and head faucets on our 1986 Monk.*

The galley refit doesn't leak but it took teflon tape and another go at tighening it up before it was completely dry.*

Today we could not get the faucet in our stateroom head to quit leaking.* One issue might be that the supply line connection is worn.* We don't see the other end of the supply line - we assume it connects to the water tank.* The line is grey and from what we can tell it just fits into the metal support of the faucet, and then we tighten up the plastic nut that is part of the supply line.* Has anyone replaced just the plastic nut?* Are the supply lines suppose to be replaced when installing new faucets.

 

[Marin]

I would think the faucet supply line would be connected to your fresh water pump, not directly to the fresh water tank unless your boat has a gravity fresh water system.

There is normally no need to replace a supply line when changing a faucet unless the supply line is deteriorating. But even if the hose is okay the faucet end of the supply hose may be swollen, cracked, or distorted from being clamped onto the previous faucet. If so it may no longer make a good seal. Unless there is no slack in the line at all an easy fix for that is to cut off an inch or two from the end of the supply hose-- however much it takes to remove the distorted end-- and have a clean, undistorted end to attach to the faucet.

-- Edited by Marin on Tuesday 22nd of February 2011 09:34:14 PM

 

[rusbet]

Of course, what was I thinking - the supply line would be connected to the fresh water pump.

Cutting off the end of the supply line is not a problem. Our galley supply lines have a rubber gasket over which the nut tightens. The head faucets do not. Perhaps that is also factoring in. Our counter is thick and the faucet shafts do not extend the required 1/2 inch so we also have to see if we can use a thinner nut to secure the faucet to the underside of the counter.

I'm sure this is old stuff for you but this is our first (ad)venture in replacing faucets.

 

[Marin]

rusbet wrote:I'm sure this is old stuff for you but this is our first (ad)venture in replacing faucets.

Well, you will be more experienced than me.* We've not yet had to replace any plumbing fixtures in our GB although we would like to replace the "normal" galley sink swivel neck faucet with a high-neck faucet which would give us more working room in the sink.* But we haven't investigated this seriously yet so don't know what we'd go with for a replacement.

*

 

[jleonard]

When I replaced my boat fixtures I used all new stainless flex supply lines.
I cut the original copper lines back and used adapters from copper to the flex.
Then clamped the copper to the wall good so it can't vibrate and start to leak.

The olny real problem I had was the accumulation of the copper flakes from saw cutting the original lines (could not swing a pipe cutter). They clogged up the exit screens in the faucet a few times before everything finally cleared.

 

[rusbet]

Another afternoon with our heads under the counters. Lines are still leaking. So we made the rounds of stores for help. As our supply lines are made from polybutylene, the compression fittings are not available at the local hardware stores or plumbing supply stores or marine supply stores. One really clever guy at Ace Hardware suggested we use Shark bite. He didn't have it in our size so we went to Lowes. Their version is Gator-bite. It connects the brass fixture to the 3/8"supply line and costs about $6 a piece. The on-line reviews have been favorable.

 

[Woodsong]

Betty,

Are you trying to connect your faucet directly to the polybutlene supply line? Can you post a picture of what you are dealing with? My monk also has grey polybutlene service lines. I utilized standard stainless steel flex connection lines that go from the fixtures to the poly lines. These are the same type lines you'd get at a big box hardware store and they look like this:
http://www.lowes.com/pd_103893-104-...1&currentURL=/pl__0__s?Ntt=faucet+supply+line

Also, I have used the sharkbite brass fittings on my previous boat with VERY good results. I had one fitting in particular on that boat that just continually cracked for no obvious reason. I replaced it 2-3 times and it just kept cracking. Finally I switched to the brass to plastic sharkbite fittings and never ever had another problem.

If you use the standard flex line from fixture to the poly service line you should not be having leaks. The flex service lines (link above) usually are compression fittings and should not be leaking or require thread dope/teflon to not leak. I've put together my fair share of plumbing fixtures over the years on houses and just replumbed our galley on our Monk when we did the new granite tops and new undermount sink/fixtures- post a pic of the lines/fittings in question and it would help.


P.S. You definitely should be able to get everything you need for replumbing any fixtures on your trawler at the local hardware or big box home store- no need to spend 4x's the amount @ a boating/marine store for the same thing! *You could replumb your entire boat with stuff @ home depot without issue.


-- Edited by Woodsong on Friday 25th of February 2011 08:35:00 PM

 

[rusbet]

Tony, attached is our dry run with the polybutylene fitting attached to the stem of the new faucet.* This leaked.* Then we cut off the end of the polybutylene hose and compression fitting.* We attached the gator-bite to the faucet set (brass to brass with teflon) and then inserted the polybutylene hose in the other end of the gator-bite adaptor.* Neither the brass to brass snugged up completely, nor did the hose insert the full 15/16" as per the instructions.

 

[Woodsong]

so the faucet still leaked after you installed the brass fitting/sharkbite directly to the faucet? I've never installed a sharkbite fitting directly to a fixture so not sure if that is creating issues? If I am understanding you though, it still leaked after you installed the sharkbite connector, yes?

 

[rusbet]

Yes, the gator-bite fitting was connected directly to the faucet and it leaked (very slowly but still leaked). I like the idea of using steel flex connection lines. Did you use them for a particular reason rather than install the fixture directly to the poly line?

 

[Marin]

So where is it leaking? From where the hose goes into the gray connector or out of the greay connector where it screws onto the bronze adaptor threads, or out of where the bronze adaptor threads screw into the faucet?

I know they make these bronze (or brass) male to male pipe adapors with different diameters on each side of the central "nut". If it was me--- and if I could find the proper adaptor-- I'd get one that was sized to screw into the faucet on one side and was sized to the inside diameter of the feed line on the other side. I'd screw the connector into the faucet (with tape) and then simply slide the feed hose over the other end of the connector and secure it with a hose clamp.

In fact the marine supply store we use in Seattle (Fisheries Supply) has these things with one side threaded and the other side a hose barb, and has this combination in a variety of sizes. But even if all one could find has threads on both ends, the slide-the-hose-on-and-clamp-it works great, at least in my experience.

So you'd be doing away with that gray plastic connector on the hose altogether.

Virtually every water connection on our boat is this way--- the bronze/brass adaptor screws into the faucet or hot water heater or water pump*or whatever and the feed hose simply slides over the other end of the adaptor and is held (and sealed) with a hose clamp.

-- Edited by Marin on Friday 25th of February 2011 09:19:17 PM

 

[rusbet]

Marin, the photo shows the connection before we cut off the grey connector. Then we installed the gator-bite adaptor. We found the leak was at the brass to brass connection. There is very little wiggle room under the counter in our heads so I got the honors. I applied the tape to the faucet brass stem as best as I could, with some of it twisting, but I smoothed it as well as I could. Then the adapter was screwed onto the faucet. It didn't seem to twist up all the way it could but it was tight. Then we tighened it further with a wrench but it still leaks from that spot. The barb end of the adapter is holding fine even though we could not get it inserted the full 15/16 inches as per the instructions.

We are afraid to tighten the brass connections any more for fear of stripping the threads. Isn't it suppose to be just hand-tightened and the a twist with the wrench. In our case we did more than just a twist with the wrench.

 

[Woodsong]

The brass to brass is not a compression fitting so, and I could be wrong here, but I'd do it more than hand tightened. I think you would do better to use a flex service line designed to attach to the sink as you would then have a compression fitting with a washer and if you get it tightened down a twist past hand tightened, it should not leak.

 

[rusbet]

Tony, are you suggesting a short flex service line attached to the faucet, followed by the shark or gator-bite which is attached to the 3/8 supply line?

 

[Woodsong]

I would use a flex service line with compression fitting to tie into the sink fixture and then attach that flex line to your new sharkbite fitting which hopefully has a threaded end that would receive the other end of the flex line. It sounds like a lot of connections but I'd rather have a few more that don't leak than fewer fittings that DO leak.

 

[rusbet]

Just to close this out. We took off the gatorbite and installed a 12" flex service line with female ends both sides. Ace Hardware had a connection/adaptor called flair-it that connected the service line to the supply line. We did not use any teflon tape or goop. The whole thing took about 10 minutes. No more leaks. To be fair, the gatorbite installation on the other supply line worked fine.

 

[JohnP]

Rusbet,**Glad you got that all straighten out.* If you ever decide to redo your plumbing system look into pex pipe and fittings.

You need to invest in a crimping tool, and cutter.* The system is real secure (no leaks) and they have fittings for direct connection to faucets with rubber seals like your flex pipe.

I am pretty old school and also like copper tubing and flare connections.*

For now I am sure you are happy to have new faucets and be done with the project.

Take Care* JohnP*

 

[jleonard]

Sorry to continue this (ok not really) but I heard that pex or some of them, do not have to be winterized...they are flexible enough to handle the expansion.

T or F ?

 

[Keith]

Depends on the temps they'll see. Look at the specs for the PEX tubing. Big difference between 7 days at 32F and 7 days at 4F. Also, do you heat an engine space or the boat? At some point, everything needs winterizing or draining.

 

[FF]

While it wont take freezing at all, my favorite for domestic plumbing is 5/8 copper tubing with flared ends. The fittings are expensive , but ruseable and do not leak with temperature changes or age.

Copper tubing is easy to replace should a tool box crush a bit ,

but best of all it does not give off plasticizer chemicals and is light proof , do the green slime does not grow inside.

Household service parts may have use on a vessel, but the operational differences like long term non use or a hot engine room or damage ,may make upgrades a better choice.