[Public-List] Cockpit Drain Seacocks

[Rachel]

On Nov 25, 2009, at 9:36 AM, Don Campbell wrote:

> . I also know it is now extremely difficult to get a seacock that is  
> only one metal as most have gone to bronze bodies and stainless  
> valves.

As of two years ago, when I did the research, there were a few options  
for new bronze seacocks that did not use "trash" metals in the wetted  
components.  Here are the ones I found at that time:

1) Spartan seacocks (old-fashioned cone seacocks; not ball valves.   
All bronze. Cast handle)

2) Apollo, by Conbraco (US made bronze wetted components and made in  
the US; they use a chrome-plated bronze ball, and do have a non-bronze  
handle - but that is not a wetted component).

3) Perko (all US bronze with an acetal ball)  Cast handle.

4) Groco top of the line seacock (Bronze with cast handle; 316  
stainless ball)

Note: I would strongly recommend against the lower end Groco seacocks;  
they used to use a stainless ball, then those failed and were recalled  
(but they would only give you a new seacock that was worse, in my  
opinion, and no help with installation, etc.).  Now they use a *brass*  
ball; that is NO improvement, in my mind, and why I recommend against  
these.

I think that #2, the Apollo, is the best choice if cost is a concern  
(and a pretty good one regardless).  The handle is a stamped type  
metal, but the new ones are much beefier than the older ones, and they  
can be replaced very economically (they don't fail catastrophically  
and invisibly, but rather start to look a bit corroded).

Rachel
ex #221

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