What would you do with this?

If you look at the nut at the bottom of these two sea strainers, you can see one looks great and the other looks not so great. Being a new owner, what would I do about something like this?

I don't see an active leak, so not sure if this is from something that had leaked in the past. Or maybe it's leaking but very slowly.

Would you just keep an eye on it? Or wire brush it and spray it with something like T9 or a CorrosionX.



Thanks!
Mike

It could be an old leak. If the strainer is below the waterline, it could have come from the hose. Water could also have come from the lid gasket, run down the side and wicked under. Looks like typical brass/bronze and salt water corrosion. The fitting should be easy to take out and polish if you want. I'd watch it for leaks when running.

Hi Mike,


notice the different clamps, whether there has ever been opened and the seal failed? leakage may also have been the hose up!




I can see in another is a dark spot which is the beginning of oxidation of the metal. Can it be possible that a worse-sighted would have been more cool water, which caused the water condenses inside the boat because of the warm nut. also a hint of the leak is possible. I think you can brush nylon / brass flour off and wrapped him in a cell rubber and adhesive tape around the closed, sometimes open and looking at whether the oxidation does not come to a halt if you access and use sealant or if the rubber gasket change it.

You're taking the piss right?

As NBS mentioned, the two different clamps suggest a previous issue. I'd be inclined to clean it and monitor it until the next haulout, then a complete disassembly cleaning and resealing.

Am I looking at hose-barbs with tapered threads screwed into the bottom of plastic sea-strainers? The plastic threads on one of them may have been stripped and repaired with pipe tape to stop leakage. Leaving aside the possibly stripped threads, I would be concerned that the forces produced by the pipe thread might split the plastic as time passes. If it were on my boat, I feel much more comfortable with bronze Perko-type strainers in this situation - expecially below the water line.

Edit: on examining the second photo more carefully, the "pipe tape" looks more like paper towel! I wold suggest you turn of the appropriate seacock and investigate ASAP.

Shoalwaters said:

If it were on my boat, I feel much more comfortable with bronze Perko-type strainers in this situation, expecially below the water line.

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Me too.

what_barnacles said:

Me too.

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Me 3. Builder cutting corners if below WL.

It liiks like thre is was a leak. Nothing more. See if its leaking still and fix it if it is.

Plastic sea strainers are not a problem. I have Raritan plastic strainers for the watermaker and the generator. They are a mature product with a long track record of reliability.

I do not know for sure, but those look like Vetus strainers to me. Vetus is not cheap stuff.

I like the various plastic...not really plastic, strainers.... Forespar, Raritan and Vetus all make nice, robust ones.

They are not the issue.

If the strainer is fine but someone screwed in a non compatable hose barb and it leaks or broke, then fix that.

If it's not leaking, I would do nothing, and just keep an eye on it like everything else in your boat.

but.......

I wonder if that hose nipple is brass. It probably is.

And it's usually not a good practice to use a metal male on female plastic/abs. Too much risk of fracturing the female. The other way around is fine.

So in an ideal world, I would want to see nylon hose barbs in those strainers, or a bronze strainer and bronze hose barb.

Shoalwaters said:

Edit: on examining the second photo more carefully, the "pipe tape" looks more like paper towel! I wold suggest you turn of the appropriate seacock and investigate ASAP.

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I don't see any pipe tape. Not sure what you're referring to.

This

That's just white residue.

MichaelB1969 said:

That's just white residue.

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Salty crystals? If so it is a weeping leak that you can not see as it dries fast.

sdowney717 said:

Salty crystals? If so it is a weeping leak that you can not see as it dries fast.

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Could be. Next time I am out I will go down and take a look while underway.

Thanks everyone for your comments.

BTW, I don't think they are under the water line.

If that white stuff is crystals or some other deposit from water intended to be contained within the pipe and or strainer, the strainer needs to come off to see why it is happening because, it`s not supposed to do that. Sure it`s not some kind of sealing product? If it needs that to seal, same procedure, in my opinion.