Sticking Y Valve

[captden]

This is the second time I've had this problem, we have been offshore for a while and been discharging overboard, now we are heading back to the states and when I went to switch the y valve back to pump into the holding tank the y valve is stuck and I can't move it to the onboard tank. I tried to pour some vinigar down the head and let it sit for a while to see if that would free it up with no luck. Ended up breaking the handel off the y valve so now I have to repair it when I get back. Does anybody else have this problem and what did you do to stop this from happining as this is the second time it has happened.
Thanks
captden

[boasun]

Disassemble the valve, clean & lube then re-assemble... Should work fine from that moment on.

Oh! Use plumber's grease for the lube

[senormechanico]

Even when offshore (or in port) excercise the valve every few days to keep it from getting stuck.
That happened to me with a through hull seacock. Heat from a hairdryer eventually freed it up enough for me to move it.

[Vyndance]

Is it a Jabsco? I hear Peggy coming down the hall.

[MarkJ]

I hadded this problemo and solved it by removing the friggin thing and chucking it. I 'hard wired' it to the outfall and capped the holding tank.

When I go to the US (god forbid) I will swap it over.

Either that or you will find a Y Valve aint all that expenive ($80). Cleaning one out ain't possable cos the calcium buildup is inside the thingy thing and you can't get nuttin up there. Anyways, that a job for someone else, not me. Pheeeeew!!!!!

[Mark Johnson]

Originally Posted by senormechanico

Even when offshore (or in port) excercise the valve every few days to keep it from getting stuck.
That happened to me with a through hull seacock. Heat from a hairdryer eventually freed it up enough for me to move it.

I agree! I have found that it is good to "work" ALL of the boat's valves regularly to keep them operational. If one gets stiff, I work it back & forth at length... 1/16", then 1/8", etc... until I can operate it freely.

M.

[Cheechako]

Plastic Y valve no doubt. Maybe someday someone will come up with a good bronze one. A bronze 1.5" 3 way is quite expensive and is more of a T valve unfortunatley... If there is a seacock on the overboard outlet, can you just put a gate or ball valve on the tank, eliminating gthe Y valve entirely?

[donradcliffe]

Open it up, soak in vinegar, and reassemble with silicon grease.

[Intentional Drifter]

I had one once that was too calcified for the vinegar to touch (well, maybe leaving it in for a week would do it, but I didn't have that long). A 50/50 dilution of muriatic acid did the trick in about 15 minutes, followed by cleaning and plumber's grease when putting it back together.

ID

[captden]

Just one more thing to check up on, and they say cruising is a lot of free time. Since moving aboard I have found out that cruising IS fixing your boat in exotic places. Still beats doing it up north, Hee Hee. Of course I did snap the handle off even being careful this time but. Thanks for all the replys, how often do you open up and regrease or will just exersizeing once a month take care of it
captden