Ball valve with grease fitting

[landonshaw]

I am on the hard and just had a ball valve replaced. The new valve has not a grease fitting. The yard plumber gave me the fitting and said when I want to grease the valve put the nipple in. I suggested he do it now and he objected and only put the nipple in when you are going to apply grease.

Why not put it it now and leave it in? The ball valve is below the waterline.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by landonshaw

I am on the hard and just had a ball valve replaced. The new valve has not a grease fitting. The yard plumber gave me the fitting and said when I want to grease the valve put the nipple in. I suggested he do it now and he objected and only put the nipple in when you are going to apply grease.

Why not put it it now and leave it in? The ball valve is below the waterline.

You have a plug in there now, right? The plug is safe below waterline, a grease zerk is not.

[landonshaw]

Ok, so water can seep a around the ball to where the grease plug is and drip out. Yes I have a plug in there now. Thanks

[landonshaw]

First time with a grease fitting on the ball valve.

When you put in the Nile to add grease, does it matter if the valve is in the open or closed position when you take out the plug and put in the nipple?

[landonshaw]

One more question. How often to grease the valve.

I open and close all of the valves 7 to 10 times at the same time every month to keep them from freezing closed or open.

[s/v Jedi]

I am not sure about the position but think the valve must be open or it doesn’t matter. I would remove the plug with the valve open to see if water comes out... then close it and see what happens. Maybe during closing/opening water comes out but not in either fully open/closed positions.

I only exercise them before passages and while cleaning seastrainers.

[wingless]

When I contacted the manufacturer of the Seacock valves on my boat about this topic, Apollo Conbraco instructed me to NOT use a grease Zerk on the drain plug and to NOT force grease into that fitting because of the risk that high pressure grease injected will damage the soft PTFE spherical seal.

Assuming the objective is for ensuring the valve will have acceptable action during opening and closing, my solution was to remove the handle, remove the stem nut w/ the two nylon washer seals, all while on the hard. Those parts were all carefully cleaned, lubricated w/ marine grease, then reassembled. The nut was tightened enough to prevent water intrusion, but not so tight that rotation was restricted.

It is possible to tighten that nut so much that rotation is impossible or difficult.

My seacock lever motion changed from very difficult to easy, with the action of flipping a light switch from this service and has remained in this condition for over a decade. Prior to this service zero improvement was attained by lubrication and by periodic seacock actuation.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by wingless

When I contacted the manufacturer of the Seacock valves on my boat about this topic, Apollo Conbraco instructed me to NOT use a grease Zerk on the drain plug and to NOT force grease into that fitting because of the risk that high pressure grease injected will damage the soft PTFE spherical seal.

Assuming the objective is for ensuring the valve will have acceptable action during opening and closing, my solution was to remove the handle, remove the stem nut w/ the two nylon washer seals, all while on the hard. Those parts were all carefully cleaned, lubricated w/ marine grease, then reassembled. The nut was tightened enough to prevent water intrusion, but not so tight that rotation was restricted.

It is possible to tighten that nut so much that rotation is impossible or difficult.

My seacock lever motion changed from very difficult to easy, with the action of flipping a light switch from this service and has remained in this condition for over a decade. Prior to this service zero improvement was attained by lubrication and by periodic seacock actuation.

Agree, I never use a grease zerk either. But if the yard does that and only a small dab is used it should be okay... risky though. I use the non-pointy end of a cocktail stick to apply the grease. Also, I use a synthetic grease which doesn’t harden (superlube)

[CdS2 Roland]

Hello,
If you see any "white plastic" inside the ball valve case, it is auto-lubricate by water. NO GREASE or plastic material will expand an blocking the valve.