Thru-hull ball valve stuck. will it break?

[Aquah0lic]

I've been crawling around in my new boat and found 2 valves on thru hulls that won't close. 1 of them moves a little and the other is frozen when applying reasonable pressure. So, how much torque can I put on the valve without very bad things happening? The boat is in the water. I'm sure the best thing would be to haul out and replace them, but it's not possible right now. I'll be motoring down the ICW in a couple of weeks so would it be better to not mess with them until I'm able to haul? The valves look bronze and have a yellow handle that says Apollo.

Thanks for your help.

[AnchorageGuy]

I think I would spray them down with PB Blaster then something like Corrosion Block. But if they are fouled on the inside nothing is going to work short of a haul out. So if they are open get a couple of tapered wood plugs and tie them to the valves with light sewing string and keep a hammer handy. Next time you are in warm weather, go over the side and see if you can clean them up on the inside.

[Ex-Calif]

Are the valves separate from the though hull fittings or integrated?

Hard to say what to do at this point except don't force them because you definitely can break something.

Do you know when or if they were last replaced?

I didn't on my boat and one was frozen. I replaced them all along with the through hulls when we changed the toilet and did the first bottom paint.

Cheap insurance in my book and now I know how old they are.

If it were me I would keep some bungs handy, head home and change them all at haul out.

If these are really metal ball valves with metal handles, attached to metal thru-hulls, I am going to politely disagree with Ex-Calif, and tell you that you really can't break them by appling torque with just hand pressure. Push on them as hard as you want--BY HAND. If you put a wrench on them, then all bets are off.

Did you have your boat surveyed before you bought it? Did the surveyor have a comment about the through hulls? This should have been SOP for a survey to actuate all seacocks to make sure they worked. If you had no survey, shame on you! If the surveyor skippped this most basic of steps, shame on him--and ask for your money back! If his survey said the seacocks all worked ok, then you might want to call and confirm that he actually actuated them. It he confirms, it will give you a warm and fuzzy feeling about pushing harder.

BUT--keep those bungs handy!

[Ex-Calif]

I am not worried about breaking the ball valve. I am worried about cracking the hull. I lubed, poked and spit on our valves and pushed hard enough to flex the hull surrounding the valve.

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

I am not worried about breaking the ball valve. I am worried about cracking the hull. I lubed, poked and spit on our valves and pushed hard enough to flex the hull surrounding the valve.

I guess I have the advantage of working on old hulls that are way thicker than they "needed" to be.

If your hull is flexing by hand pressure on a thru-hull, STOP! Forget about changing the thru-hull, and change boats!

[Amgine]

This thread got me looking... and I found an interesting site: Seacock and thru-hull primer.

I still don't know what your Apollo looks like. But hopefully you can get some ideas from that site. My seacocks can be completely taken apart, but this isn't true of all ball designs.

[HorizonMarine]

You don't need to haul a boat to change a thru hull valve. We change them all the time for customers in the water. Have your new one ready to go, liquid teflon in the threads. (can't use tape because its the female thread). Unscrew the old one and put your hand over the hole. slid your hand out and screw the new one in. It works best if you have the new valve in the closed position. Sometimes the handle is in the way and you can remove it or leave it open and put a plug in it.

Of course if there are any problems you can easily stick a wood plug in the old hole and regroup.

FYI, You can even add a thru hull withouy hauling, including drilling etc, but it requires a divers help for 1/ hour.

[Stillraining]

Originally Posted by HorizonMarine

You don't need to haul a boat to change a thru hull valve. We change them all the time for customers in the water. Have your new one ready to go, liquid teflon in the threads. (can't use tape because its the female thread). Unscrew the old one and put your hand over the hole. slid your hand out and screw the new one in. It works best if you have the new valve in the closed position. Sometimes the handle is in the way and you can remove it or leave it open and put a plug in it.

Of course if there are any problems you can easily stick a wood plug in the old hole and regroup.

FYI, You can even add a thru hull withouy hauling, including drilling etc, but it requires a divers help for 1/ hour.

Cool!!!

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by HorizonMarine

You don't need to haul a boat to change a thru hull valve. We change them all the time for customers in the water.

That's why I asked if the ball was integrated with the thru hull.

The change-out in the water is a lot less tramatic if you stick a wooden plug in from the outside to keep the fountain of water at bay. I always find it hard to think clearly and work efficiently while there is a OCEAN of water coming into my boat! It is truely surprising how much/how fast water comes in through such a small hole!

horizionmarine is exactly right it can be done. And I'd be 100% comfortable doing it on somebody else's boat! I'd still DO it on my boat, but comfortable? Not likely! :P

[Stillraining]

Some one on another forum posted the volume that a 1 1/2 hole will let in with 3' of head ..I spent 2 hours searching math formulas and pipe tables and could not calculate it...does someone know where to find this ?

It would be nice to have a chart of vearing holes sizes at vearing depths of head translated to inflowes..

I'm sure we have a few engineers here capibal of calculating this.

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by Stillraining

It would be nice to have a chart of vearing holes sizes at vearing depths of head translated to inflowes..

Better yet - seal the cabin, pressurize to about 14.7 PSI and do all the hull maintenance you want -

[James S]

I replaced one while in the water...it was about 6" below the waterline...I used the boom and a line to the dock to pull the boat over (heel)...It was amazing how little it took to get the thru-hull well out of the water.

[Stillraining]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

Better yet - seal the cabin, pressurize to about 14.7 PSI and do all the hull maintenance you want -

That would be a nasty explosion and blow your mind what kind of destruction that would do...

One thing I did learn during my search is that 3' of water column head is only 1 1/2 psi or .5 psi per ft...

When we test sewer lines we use air and are only required to presurize to 4.5 psi...which translates to around 127 lbs of force on a 6" cap IIRC.. It will blow a 6" gasketed sewer cap 20' in the air if you forget to duct tape one...