Ball valve change out

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FF I stand by my statement. It is pretty rare for thru-hull fittings to break. If it was a common problem the ABYC wouldn't approve the type of installation we're discussing.
Note that I said rare, not never.

I feel that a flanged seacock bolted to a backing block that is bonded with epoxy to the hull is an excellent installation. Through bolting adds a little strength and puts three more holes in the hull. Don't forget that the bronze thru-hull itself acts as a big bolt to secure the seacock to the hull.
 
Look at post 54 , this extension of brass items gives leverage to whatever force is applied to the fitting.
 
FF said:
Look at post 54 , this extension of brass items gives leverage to whatever force is applied to the fitting.
Click to expand...

Good eye. I'm considering wooden blocks under some of the longer units as belt and suspenders protection -- although I doubt they'll ever be needed. I torqued the bejeezus out of them with pipe wrenches and all 210 of my pounds and they are rock solid. I worry more about my sea strainers.
 
God bless you, and good luck.

Personally I would never attempt this.
 
Not clear on who you're sending your blessings and good wishes to . . . but if for me, thank you. I found that researching, preparing and stressing about the job was much simpler than just doing it and would not hesitate to do it again.
 
HopCar said:
FF I stand by my statement. It is pretty rare for thru-hull fittings to break. If it was a common problem the ABYC wouldn't approve the type of installation we're discussing.
Click to expand...

ABYC does not approve that type of installation or any other. they simply state what it must accomplish/withstand.
 
ImageUploadedByTrawler Forum1448057586.621441.jpg
ImageUploadedByTrawler Forum1448057601.106781.jpg

Pretty slick IMO. Ball valve screws on top.
 
Last week I decided it was time to clean my strainers. After cleaning the generator intake strainer basket I reached down to pull up (open) the ball valve and it snapped off at the thru hull. Having my face 2 feet from the thru hull I can confirm the salinity of Lake Worth as many parts per million. This was of course Saturday afternoon so no haul outs available. I stuffed a rag in the hole and drove it tight with a screw driver and hammer. I have been carrying the wood plug bag on 6 boats but not this one. Trip to the store for wood plugs. Monday we hauled. Electrolysis destroyed the thru hull. For some reason not connected to the bonding system. New thru hull, sea cock and bonding wire installed. All is good. Glad that unit did not let go while I was offshore heading south this year. I also realized my high water alarm is hooked up to the engine room and bow bilge pumps but not the stern where the gen set and intake are located. Yikes.
 
dbltime said:
Last week I decided it was time to clean my strainers. After cleaning the generator intake strainer basket I reached down to pull up (open) the ball valve and it snapped off at the thru hull. Having my face 2 feet from the thru hull I can confirm the salinity of Lake Worth as many parts per million. This was of course Saturday afternoon so no haul outs available. I stuffed a rag in the hole and drove it tight with a screw driver and hammer. I have been carrying the wood plug bag on 6 boats but not this one. Trip to the store for wood plugs. Monday we hauled. Electrolysis destroyed the thru hull. For some reason not connected to the bonding system. New thru hull, sea cock and bonding wire installed. All is good. Glad that unit did not let go while I was offshore heading south this year. I also realized my high water alarm is hooked up to the engine room and bow bilge pumps but not the stern where the gen set and intake are located. Yikes.
Click to expand...

Scary stuff indeed. Although I would not say it never happens I have never seen a true bronze throughull or seacock suffer from electrolytic corrosion.
Do you know what make it was ?
 
You can see the red at the break
 
lost the pic
 

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Are you replacing a thru hull and ball valve with the same as opposed to a true seacock? Or is the pic just to show what was there?

I have had fittings on air conditioning circuits break easily and upon inspection they were very thing...I am guessing erosion as opposed to corrosion. Did the genset have a lot of hours on that thru hull?
 
Electrolysis can certainly destroy bronze. That's why we put zinc or aluminum anodes on our boats.


Brass is subject to electrolysis and another type of corrosion called de-zincification.


I urge you to install a real flanged seacock or a Groco Flanged adapter and connect it to your bonding system.


Look at the pictures in post 39. Angus did a very nice job of installing Groco flanged adapters. He later installed good marine quality ball valves on the Flanged Adapters.
 
Your new stuff looks like Groco which is 85-5-5-5 Bronze, excellent.
Now add a Flanged Adapter and a backing pad and you have a first class installation.

If you decide not to use the flanged adapter, at least cut the thru-hull fitting so that there is only about a half inch of thread exposed between the top of the thru-hull nut and the bottom of the ball valve.
 
Greetings,
"Brass is subject to electrolysis and another type of corrosion called de-zincification." Bronze is subject to de-stanification.
 
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