Marine Plumbing Done Right

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Marine Plumbing Done Right"

Annabella Barrett
6 years ago
Views:

1 Marine Plumbing Done Right Presenter: Devon Norris Marine Mechanical Technician Vancouver International Boat Show January

2 We ll Cover: Standards and Codes Excellent reference material Hose selection Fittings Hose clamps Tanks Vented loops aka The Anti-Siphon Valve Thru-hulls Q & A 2

3 Yes, there are boat building codes 3

4 This is why we do it the way we do: Transport Canada TP1332e (Federal law, therefore compulsory) American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC, requires paid membership, Certified Technicians) Most of Transport Canada s code is based on ABYC Most US Coast Guard codes are law in the US and have been paralleled in Canada. They mainly address vessel stability, fuel tanks and systems. Pollution & Sanitation Regulations are covered in the Canada Shipping Act SOR/ Vessel Pollution and Dangerous Chemicals Regulations 4

5 TP1332e Pretty broad and vague, but includes exhaust systems, fuel systems, bilge pump requirements, waste, and more. ABYC These are our go to Marine Standards with a searchable online database. Considered to be industry best practices. Technicians can take courses with ABYC and must now re-certify every 5 year Generally each system on a vessel has its own code, but for example plumbing is too broad and is broken down into hull penetrations, bilge pumps, water systems, etc. 5

6 REFERENCE MATERIAL 6

7 Recommended Books Nigel Calder: Boat Owner s Mechanical and Electrical Manual Nigel Calder: Marine Diesel Engines (includes DIY Engine Survey) David Gerr: Boat Mechanical Systems Handbook Ed Sherman: Fundamentals of Marine Service Technology Roger Pretzer: Marine Metals Manual Practical Sailor Magazine 7

8 Recommended Web Resources Compass Marine: (old site) Steve D Antonio Marine Consulting: Tony Athens: David Pascoe (retired Surveyor): Seastar Solutions - Shields hose: Trident Marine Systems: 8

9 HOSE SELECTION 9

10 Marine Hose Use hose for its intended purpose as per the manufacturer. This information can be found online, in catalogues and printed on the box or hose itself. Use the correct size (inner diameter) for the application. Quality hose will often last years in acceptable conditions, so spend the money once. Manufacturers and suppliers will list hoses by application and its use above or below the waterline. Variables include construction, flexibility and resistance to kinking, pressure, heat and chemicals. 10

11 Marine Hose 11 Image: SeaStar Solutions/Shields

12 Fuel hose All fuel hose should be for the specific fuel type. Hose must meet USCG regulations. Every fuel hose should be clamped with 2 hose clamps and secured every 18 along its length to meet code. Must also comply with SAE J1527. A1 Commonly used in pressurized fuel systems. Low permeation and high heat resistance. Fuel can sit in the hose for long periods of time. A2 Cannot be used in an A1 application. Commonly used for fuel vents and fuel fillers (not designed to have fuel sitting in them). 12

13 Fresh (Potable) Water Materials used in the hose should not affecting the water, i.e. no odour, smell or colour. Rigid pipe (ABS, Copper, etc.) not allowed on boats due to vibration Reinforced PVC Hose Commonly used. Many sizes. Fittings common. Can kink, compress or develop leaks due to chafe. Requires hose clamps PEX Very durable. Simple installation. Easy to route. No hose clamps Manufacturer specific fittings Will not kink or compress. 13

14 Sanitation Hose Keeping the odour in the hose is key! Keep low spots out of runs to prevent stagnation Reinforced PVC Hose Reinforced for resistance to kinking under vacuum Not flexible and difficult to install. Worsens with age If used, avoid aggressive barbed hose fittings Reinforced Rubber Sani Hose Reinforced for resistance to kinking under vacuum Flexible Works well with all hose fittings Works better with the odour. Costs more 14

15 Raw Water The hose from the thru-hull or sea cock to raw water pump must be reinforced (hardwall) so it wont collapse from pump vacuum. Pressure side of the raw water pump can use soft or hard wall hose. Use hardwall if there are tight bends to prevent kinks Heater hose or potable water hose not acceptable! Wet Exhaust Must be SAE J2006 or UL1129 compliant High resistance to heat and gas permeation Softwall is easier to work with, if feasible, for runs with no hard bends (kinks) Even better, costlier but highly flexible and long lasting is silicone hose 15

16 Bilge Hose No standards as per what hose to use Use diameter of bilge pump outlet Keep runs as short as possible, no dips Corrugated Polyethylene hose is cheap and easy, but clogs easily Not particularly durable and low resistance to fuel and oil Trident XHD Bilge & Livewell is best we ve used Smooth inside (no clogs) and out (easy clamping) Durable and flexible 16

17 Fittings 17

18 Brass v. Bronze Brass with a high zinc content (over 16%) is subject to a type of corrosion known as dezincification. Because of this type of corrosion, brass with high zinc content is not recommended for fasteners, through-hull fittings, or any structural application on pleasure boats, especially if the boat is used in saltwater. Even some of the manufacturers of boating equipment are unaware of this fact, and produce equipment with brass parts that could easily deteriorate in a saltwater environment. 18

19 Brass that is called Bronze Commercial Bronze (90% copper and 10% zinc) Naval Brass AKA Naval Bronze (60% copper, 39.25% zinc, 0.75% tin) Manganese Bronze (58.5% copper, 39.2% zinc, 1.0% tin, 0.3% manganese) Tobin Bronze (+/-40% zinc, ~1% tin) Previously used for prop shafting 19

20 Proper Bronze Real Bronze for use in a saltwater environment has ~90% copper and is alloyed with tin, lead, aluminum or silicon using little to no Zinc Major thru-hull and fitting manufacturers such as Groco uses proper bronze such as Phosphor Bronze Silicone Bronze Aluminum-silicon Bronze Aluminum Bronze 20

21 Thru-hull on a popular late 2000 s production sailboat Considerable dezincification of brass fitting 21

Stainless Steel It s not the miracle material it has been made out to be Two major flaws low tensile strength of lesser grades common to crevice corrosion which can be avoided by not

22 Stainless Steel It s not the miracle material it has been made out to be Two major flaws low tensile strength of lesser grades common to crevice corrosion which can be avoided by not installing stainless steel in applications where it is regularly exposed to stagnant or still water for extended periods Threads gall very easily It s very hard to tell the true grade of stainless 22

Brass Fittings Excellent and readily available for all plumbing needs EXCEPT: Saltwater use Where galvanically incompatible Aluminum and brass/bronze fittings are not

23 Brass Fittings Excellent and readily available for all plumbing needs EXCEPT: Saltwater use Where galvanically incompatible Aluminum and brass/bronze fittings are not galvanically compatible. Don t mix them. E.g. brass fittings into aluminum fuel tanks - use a barrier material like a stainless steel bushing or, order aluminum fittings 23

plumbing & hardware stores They work fine in vessel plumbing systems (again, not for use below the

24 Nylon Fittings are excellent for freshwater applications They do not corrode, but are not very strong Readily available Cannot be used below the waterline Poly Common grey plastic fittings from local plumbing & hardware stores They work fine in vessel plumbing systems (again, not for use below the waterline) Have barbs which are larger than their nominal markings, making hose installation unnecessarily difficult 24

caused by vibration or environmental conditions.

25 PVC Fittings are excellent for freshwater and sanitation applications. They do not corrode but are not very strong Can become brittle over time, normally caused by vibration or environmental conditions. No use below the waterline ABS Sometimes used for sanitation but is very porous (lets odour escape) The material is too brittle for use on boats 25

26 Marelon Is a fibre reinforced plastic fitting which is one of two plastic fittings strong enough and rated for below the waterline use Require sealant or teflon tape. No corrosion Ideal for use with Marelon thru-hulls and ball valves Available at most marine retailers 26

Marelon, ensure dissimilar thread types not used together Ideal usage is with their thru-hull

27 Trudesign Glass fibre reinforced nylon composite Uses National Pipe Straight (NPS) threads in North America, British Standard Pipe (BSP) in Europe (double check when purchasing) As with Marelon, ensure dissimilar thread types not used together Ideal usage is with their thru-hull and ball valve line Also have range of diverter Y-valves and related fittings Competitively priced 27

28 HOSE CLAMPS 28

Hose Clamps We choose to use only AWAB or ABA all 316 stainless steel

waterline (recommended) Unless fitting too short and damage to hose

29 Hose Clamps We choose to use only AWAB or ABA all 316 stainless steel clamps. These two brands use indented (smooth inside) bands as opposed to perforated - less likely to damage hose Use 2 at all fittings below waterline (recommended) Unless fitting too short and damage to hose will occur Take a magnet with you when hose clamp shopping T-bolt clamps have specific applications, usually high temp exhaust and silicone hose 29

30 Tanks 30

31 Potable Water Commonly polyethylene or aluminum Poly available to order in many shapes/sizes. Aluminum or stainless can be ordered premanufactured or fabricated custom fit Flexible tanks available in variety of shapes and sizes. Preferred manufacturers are Vetus or Plastimo with triple or double wall construction Installation: Ensure no contamination possible Tank must be vented Must be disinfected after installation Mounted above bilge water 31

Holding Tanks Highly recommend tanks with all

fittings at bottom of tank, install Service Valves

need to drain tank/handle waste water if hoses need

32 Holding Tanks Highly recommend tanks with all fittings on the TOP of the tank Installation: If fittings at bottom of tank, install Service Valves to make your life (or technicians life) easier No need to drain tank/handle waste water if hoses need changing or modification Image: Dometic Sealand, 28Gal Holding Tank 32

33 Vented Loops 33

34 Vented Loops, Siphon Breaks Required at any hull penetration at or below the waterline at all angles of heel (as high as practicable). Prevents siphoning of sea water into tanks/bilge Holding tank/macerator discharge Bilge pump discharge Raw water systems. Required between engine raw water outlet and injection point of wet exhaust - prevents siphoning of seawater into engine/generator Install on marine heads between pump and bowl, not between thru-hull and pump Require regular service - cleaning or replacement of duckbill valve 34

35 THRU-HULLS 35

36 ABYC Diagram Thru-hulls required to withstand 500lbs of force applied perpendicular to longest point of installation for 30 seconds minimum 36

37 Excellent solution by Groco Each component is bronze Pre-manufactured backing blocks Attachment point for bonding wire Can install grease nipple 37

Proper Bronze Thru- Hull Installation Pre-manufactured fibreglass backing block epoxied to hull Flange bolted to block with 316 stainless bolts and lock washers Thru-hull (straight pipe

38 Proper Bronze Thru- Hull Installation Pre-manufactured fibreglass backing block epoxied to hull Flange bolted to block with 316 stainless bolts and lock washers Thru-hull (straight pipe thread) installed from exterior into flange and sealed with 3M 4200 or equivalent Flange has Tapered Pipe Thread (NPT) to accept ball valve Metal thru-hull requires installation of bonding wire 38

Marelon Thru-Hull Installation Standard seacock available, flanged seacock recommended to meet ABYC and ISO Standards Requires bolting to backing block or

39 Marelon Thru-Hull Installation Standard seacock available, flanged seacock recommended to meet ABYC and ISO Standards Requires bolting to backing block or hull No corrosion No bonding May be more economical than bronze Boatbuilders (OEM only) have the option of installing remote operated electronic seacocks 39

lubrication required Can be locked in the closed position Ball valves available with electronic

40 Trudesign Thru-Hull Installation Thru-hull, ball valve and hose barbs all available separately To meet ABYC standards additional Load Bearing Collar required Teflon ball on teflon rings - no lubrication required Can be locked in the closed position Ball valves available with electronic monitoring sensor and indicator panel Also no corrosion Also no bonding More economical than bronze 40

41 Common Thru-hull Problems Incompatible materials or poor material choice Thru-hull has been spun, breaking the sealant bond Incompatible threads. Thru-hulls are NPS (straight thread) to allow cutting, ball valves can be NPT (tapered) or NPS depending on manufacturer or model Backing blocks do not sit flush on hull Ball valves fail sooner than the thru-hull, but usually can t be replaced without damaging the rest of the installation Rotten plywood backing blocks Dezincification of metal components Pitting of ball valve Not exercised or serviced regularly 41

42 Ball valve trickles even when closed Crevice corrosion (i.e. pitting) on stainless ball valves allows small amounts of water through Corrosion or debris will not allow valve to fully close 42

Gate Valves are NOT ALLOWED ABYC H-27, 27.4.4 Seacock - A type of valve used to control intake or discharge of water through the hull.

43 Gate Valves are NOT ALLOWED ABYC H-27, Seacock - A type of valve used to control intake or discharge of water through the hull. It is operated by a lever type handle usually operating through a 90 arc, giving a clear indication of whether it is open or shut... Gate valves do not allow for this. They cannot be closed quickly in an emergency 43

44 GENERAL PLUMBING 44

Thread Sealants Avoid teflon tape if you

45 Thread Sealants Avoid teflon tape if you can A liquid sealant like Loctite 565 or 567 is much easier to work with Use 3M 4200 or Sikaflex 291 for hull penetrations We avoid 3M 5200 or equivalent as it is pretty much permanent! Available in black or white 45

46 Common Problems Hot water heaters require 75psi pressure relief valves (they come with 150psi) ABYC H Maximum pressure relief shall be set at not more than 175% of the working pressure. Freshwater systems operate at approx psi - 175% is 87.5psi Double hose clamps are only required on fuel fill pipes and exhaust connections, but recommended where possible Hoses need to be protected from chafe and supported securely (about every 18 ) 46

47 Any questions? Please stop by booth 54 to 56 on the Upper Concourse Level 47

Selecting Marine Hoses

Selecting Marine Hoses Selecting Marine s https://www.westmarine.com/westadvisor/selecting-marine-s By Tom Burden, Last updated: 5/8/2018 Mind the hose! Consider what can happen when a hose goes bust. If you are lucky, it could