Will seawater dishwashing corrode the sink?

[Cheechako]

No , seawater for washing wont corrode your sink. Assuming you clean the bowl now and then. In fact, most boats using fresh water get sea water right up to the bottom sink fittings and maybe further when sailing. Fitting and faucets used for seawater pumping may suffer over time though. My first cruiser had a smallish tank for 2 people so we washed with seawater all the time. Had the big brass hand pump for the seawater.

[mawtty]

If it is marine grade 316 stainless steel you are ok.
If it caravan grade 304 you will get stains and pitting.
Tulku Tim

[mawtty]

OK . How can you tell the difference?
Test it with a magnet. 316 ss is not magnetic.
Tulku Tim

[Kokanee]

mawtty said:

"If it is marine grade 316 stainless steel you are ok.
If it caravan grade 304 you will get stains and pitting.

OK . How can you tell the difference?
Test it with a magnet. 316 ss is not magnetic.
Tulku Tim"

Agree 100% (the same as any stainless steel on the boat)

[Juho]

I have both fresh and salt water tap at the sink. No problems. Salt water tap is nice because you have an endless source of water. It is not heated though. I also wash anchors and decks with the salt water system.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by mawtty

OK . How can you tell the difference?
Test it with a magnet. 316 ss is not magnetic.
Tulku Tim

A common misunderstanding...

None of the 300 series stainless steels are magnetic. 304 is more susceptible to becoming slightly magnetic from mechanical deformation than is 316, and this means that often 304 fasteners, which are cold formed, will exhibit slight magnetic attraction, 316 less so.

But, lack of magnetic attraction does NOT reliably indicate that a bit is made from 316.

Jim

[barnakiel]

It does not seem to affect our sink at all. We have an old Plastimo sink.

b.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Thats meant to read: I used a spare SEACOCK. i.e. thru hull fitting.

Damn spell checkers

Ahhh, ok... yeah... I had a totally different visual on that one!

[sapient sue]

I use salt water to rinse but wash with fresh. We have a double sink and both the salt and fresh water are plumbed with foot pumps so that either tap reaches both sinks.

After 17 years onboard I asked for a pressurised system to be installed so that I could use hot water fromthe boat system rahter than boiling the kettle. So now my sinks have 3 taps one presurised and 2 foot pumps and are in use constantly. I have never had a problem with the sinks, but have noticed one of my stainless steel saucepans is begining to buckle at the base as I think salt has penetrated between the heavy copper base and steel pan.

I wouldn't be without my salt water tap.

Cheers Sue

[suzyque]

I have had sea water pump at my galley sink next to the fresh water one and the same in the heads wash basin for most of my sailing life couldn't live with out it it saves gallons of fresh water

[topmast]

The common bib on the bottom of the SS sink may be brass and you know how long that will last.Even if SS compatable parts are not available west of Singapore so have spares.