I'm losing it with this valve

[TomLewis]

I need some help. I thought I closed this valve in prep for hurricane matthew last year. So with all of the commotion, I thought I moved the valve back, the handle cracked, the valve is so tight, but I have nothing in the holding tank, I have had it sucked twice with nothing. No leaks, is this going overboard? I now can't tell what the valve is doing. How do I lube the to loosen the valve? Thanks for any help, it is really bugging me. i know it's simple, but I'm blank.

[TomLewis]

Originally Posted by TomLewis

I need some help. I thought I closed this valve in prep for hurricane matthew last year. So with all of the commotion, I thought I moved the valve back, the handle cracked, the valve is so tight, but I have nothing in the holding tank, I have had it sucked twice with nothing. No leaks, is this going overboard? I now can't tell what the valve is doing. How do I lube the to loosen the valve? Thanks for any help, it is really bugging me. i know it's simple, but I'm blank.

The tank hose is on the right. Thanks folks.

[DeepFrz]

You got your hazard suit ready?

[TomLewis]

I will say since I am unsure, only number 1 allowed.

[JerseyJoe]

Originally Posted by DeepFrz

You got your hazard suit ready?

Suit up! Time to get down and intimate with your 3-way valve. If cracked handle and or frozen in one position, time to take apart, inspect, repair and most likely replace. Looks nice and accessible compared to my head plumbing, should be easy job.

[TomLewis]

Thanks to both of you. If the valve is working properly, what position is it draining from the appearance of the handle?

[leboyd]

I don't know if you can get to the third screw because of the handle, but I would try to loosen or remove the screws to see if there's something clogging the valve. Possibly small vice grips could get the third one? Obviously, you can break the handle off, but that defeats the purpose. If you were going to do that, you'd just remove the whole valve - which may be what you'll need to do anyway.

[peghall]

If the valve is working properly, what position is it draining from the appearance of the handle?

On all y-valves, the handle aligns in the direction of the open side. That would make yours open to the hose one the right in your photo.

Peggie
"If you can't explain it to a six year old, you don't completely understand it yourself." --Albert Einstein

[Mirage35]

Originally Posted by peghall

If the valve is working properly, what position is it draining from the appearance of the handle?

On all y-valves, the handle aligns in the direction of the open side. That would make yours open to the hose one the right in your photo.

Peggie

Unless it has been changed, admittedly probably not the issue here since it's the OP's own boat.

But, just something to keep in mind - I was on a charter boat once where the handle had been removed to prevent use, and then replaced incorrectly. So we spent a week pumping overboard when we thought it was going into the tank, and vice versa ...

[michaelratinter]

I have this valve on my grey water tank/fwd bilge. The blunt end of the handle aligns with the BLOCKED hose. Backwards from the usual alignment.

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by peghall

If the valve is working properly, what position is it draining from the appearance of the handle?

On all y-valves, the handle aligns in the direction of the open side. That would make yours open to the hose one the right in your photo.

Peggie
"If you can't explain it to a six year old, you don't completely understand it yourself." --Albert Einstein

You have to wonder how consensus on this was reached. My diverter valve on my Lavac (holding tank vs. off the boat) works this way, but I wouldn't call it intuitive, as the other side of the handle is bluntly pointy and...well, I figured it out via the vibration of water in the hose.

It's obvious in seacocks. Right angle to hose barb (assuming it's straight!): off. Handle same direction as barb: flow happens.

[TrentePieds]

Had one of those. Cheap and nasty! Not worth repairing. Replace it with a REAL "Y"-valve.

The problem with this item is that the seal that also directs the flow within the valve is a type of plastic/artificial rubber that absorbs moisture and swells with age. If you then apply enuff force to the handle to shift the seal, the handle will break at the hub.

Just swallow hard and blow away the hunnertbux for a real, grown-up valve. I have a notion, tho being a furrenner I'm not entirely sure, that the US Coasties now want valves that have provision in the handle for sealing it (wire and lead seal perculiar to the Coasties) in the position for the colostomy bag.

"Oh Lord - my boat is so small and thy ocean so big..." Where do the Coasties think such a provision is gonna get them? Human wast is fish food. At least in the diminutive quantities a toy ship can provide :-)

Oh, on this inadequate piece of gear, it's the STUMPY end of the handle the indicates the active branch.

TP

[Peregrine1983]

Same thing just happened to me. I tried and tried to move it and cracked my handle right off. Bought this new valve on amazon and it is really nice quality: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Only problem is I eventually have to replace hoses as I'm having trouble getting a completely air tight seal where the holding tank hose joins the new valve.

[Shrew]

To me, that valve looks like it is installed incorrectly. It looks like it should be rotated 1/3 turn counter clockwise. The Long part of the handle would then align with the active discharge port. I'm going based on the poistion and location of the screws holding the valve body together.

[Shrew]

Incidentally, if you're directing the valve into the holding tank, why leave the discharge seacock open? In fact, if you close the seacock and flush, it would verify whether you are pointing to tank or overboard discharge. With the seacock closed, if you're able to easily flush repeatedly, then you can surmise that the valve is pointing to the holding tank.