Swing check valve in the 228 update

[luckydude]

Some of you might remember that I was unimpressed with the little rubber flappers that are supposed to prevent water from coming in the scuppers.
So I put in swing check valves (pic below) but lately the starboard side one was not working, we'd be standing in water back there.

So I undid the hose clamps, put my right angle impact on the cap at the top, got that off, then undid the bolt that holds the pin in, turned the valve so that gravity wanted the pin out, banged on the valve until the pin dropped out and removed the flapper.

I undid the bolt holding the flapper on and flipped the gasket to get a good seal. Then I cleaned the mating surface and ran my finger all over the inside of the valve looking for salt.

And found the actual culprit: an 1/8 inch thick twig. I just got lucky and stuck my finger in the hose and there it was. That's what was
keeping the valve open.

Just updating you guys in case you do the same upgrade, other than the branch in there, there is nothing, no salt, no corrosion. That's about a year since I installed it. I average about 3 trips/month so the boat gets used and that valve sees salt.

So far, way more happy with that solution than the rubber flaps.

 

[DennisG01]

Glad to hear you're happy with it, Lucky.

Personally, it sounds like a lot to do to clear a clog - especially if you're out on the water and the boat is bouncing. But all that matters in this case is what YOU like/dislilke

Just a couple precautions... for "best practice", don't align the worm gears. It's better to align them 180* to each other to get a better seal. Also... grab some bronze pipe to barb adapters and scrap those PVC adapters. PVC is no bueno for applications like this.

That said... thank you for the update!

 

[luckydude]

Personally, it sounds like a lot to do to clear a clog - especially if you're out on the water and the boat is bouncing. But all that matters in this case is what YOU like/dislilke

Just a couple precautions... for "best practice", don't align the worm gears. It's better to align them 180* to each other to get a better seal. Also... grab some bronze pipe to barb adapters and scrap those PVC adapters. PVC is no bueno for applications like this.

It was a lot but the system wasn't working. And truth be told, it was not as much as it sounds like. I'm kind of disabled, I have a screwed up body, so big projects are not fun. This one was easy, I didn't do it out on the ocean, I did it in my driveway, had to go to the shop a couple of times to get stuff but it all worked and went pretty fast. Maybe 40 minutes.

By worm gears you mean the hose clamps? I did them exactly like Grady did them and I did them that way so I can get at them. If I spun the 2nd one around like you are saying it would be next to impossible to work it.

What's your beef with PVC? I used PVC because the barbs were really too long and I turned them shorter on my metal lathe. I could see you not liking PVC if it were a high stress situation, but this is at the back of the boat, that's where it pounds the least. So why no PVC?

And just for the record, I'm not, I hope, disrespecting your advice, I'm an engineer, I like to understand the why. That's all.

 

[Hookup1]

Mine is in a terrible place. Port side is difficult and inaccessible on Starboard side. And I have two on each side. Not a big enough problem for me!
Not sure what you don't setup a sump system with a pump!

 

[DennisG01]

It was a lot but the system wasn't working. And truth be told, it was not as much as it sounds like. I'm kind of disabled, I have a screwed up body, so big projects are not fun. This one was easy, I didn't do it out on the ocean, I did it in my driveway, had to go to the shop a couple of times to get stuff but it all worked and went pretty fast. Maybe 40 minutes.

By worm gears you mean the hose clamps? I did them exactly like Grady did them and I did them that way so I can get at them. If I spun the 2nd one around like you are saying it would be next to impossible to work it.

What's your beef with PVC? I used PVC because the barbs were really too long and I turned them shorter on my metal lathe. I could see you not liking PVC if it were a high stress situation, but this is at the back of the boat, that's where it pounds the least. So why no PVC?

And just for the record, I'm not, I hope, disrespecting your advice, I'm an engineer, I like to understand the why. That's all.

No, absolutely not - I don't take offense to anything you're saying. I can appreciate where you're coming from and simply asking "why".

Yes, the clamps. So, the way you did it isn't "bad" - it's just there's a better way. Just because Grady did it that way, doesn't make it right, either The reason behind this is that the area directly under the worm gear is sort of a dead spot where it doesn't "constrict" like the rest of the clamp. You can still orient them so you can get to it - take one off, flip it around, and you will still have the screw facing teh same direction. It's not a "huge" deal - but as I mentioned above, it's a "best practice" thing.

Technically PVC isn't approved for below the waterline and this usage classifies as that. PVC will get brittle and break. The bend of the reinforced will exacerbate it. If you were using a female PVC onto a male pipe, it would be worse (generally speaking, one never screws a plastic female onto a metal male. This isn't something you need to rush out and do, though.

Apollo (Conbraco) is a good manufacturer for bronze stuff at more reasonable prices than Groco.

Oh... and would you please snip off that zip tie tail... it's bugging me