Anyone have any experience removing one of these?

[rwaldrop13]

I am in the process of installing a new standalone HVAC in the master stateroom, and will be running supply/discharge hoses to the port engine room to use currently unused thru-hulls for supply and discharge. The challenge is I have this gem sitting on my intake thru-hull from when we removed the saltwater toilet midships. Has anyone had any experience removing it, or should I just leave it in place? It seems to have good water flow or did when the toilet was pulling from it, and PO apparently never touched them. I'd prefer to remove it but don't want to risk breaking off the fitting on the thru-hull. I will be putting another more accessible strainer in place before the AC pump. I thought about just pulling the basket out of this one making it essentially just a pass-thru. This one is almost completely impossible to reach unless I am standing on my head in the port engine room. Just an added note, in the past my engines were removed and replaced and they now sit 12 inches further forward than originally designed, rendering this strainer almost unreachable. Advice welcome...

 

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

View attachment 48410

I am in the process of installing a new standalone HVAC in the master stateroom, and will be running supply/discharge hoses to the port engine room to use currently unused thru-hulls for supply and discharge. The challenge is I have this gem sitting on my intake thru-hull from when we removed the saltwater toilet midships. Has anyone had any experience removing it, or should I just leave it in place? It seems to have good water flow or did when the toilet was pulling from it, and PO apparently never touched them. I'd prefer to remove it but don't want to risk breaking off the fitting on the thru-hull. I will be putting another more accessible strainer in place before the AC pump. I thought about just pulling the basket out of this one making it essentially just a pass-thru. This one is almost completely impossible to reach unless I am standing on my head in the port engine room. Just an added note, in the past my engines were removed and replaced and they now sit 12 inches further forward than originally designed, rendering this strainer almost unreachable. Advice welcome...

Tugged on a couple of mine. Decided discretion is the better part of strainer removal. Wait for next haul out.

 

[GCSI]

I’ve done a few, only problems encountered were with nipple connecting the two assemblies. In the most recent instance, nipple was almost completely wasted. Handled easily enough with bungs and proper replacement parts lying next to me. However, it’s still “exciting” and I had plenty of room to access.
Wait for next yard period.

 

[oscarvan]

Do you feel lucky? I'm an "on the hard type kinda guy".... Murphy knows me and is always ready to have some fun....

 

[SEVEN]

Better to be safe than sorry. Do it when you haul out.

 

[Pascal]

I wouldn’t risk it in water. Question is whether they used a bronze or brass nipple... if brass, I wouldn’t open that seacock. I ve had a strainer fall off once ..

 

[jim rosenthal]

Murphy knows your address. Deal with it on the next haulout. Don't do it in the water. Even if you get away with it, it's still a bad idea.

 

[Captain Ralph]

Schedule it on da hill.
You tug on it now and it fails, you have an emergency that will cost many fold more.

CYA

 

[oscarvan]

At least make sure you can reach you cell phone when you're down there with your hand over the hole......

 

[scottinsydney]

At our haul out last month we removed five of these Perko strainers. An angle grinder was used to cut off the outside flange.

We installed only two new through hulls with easy access under the mid toilet hatch, one with a Tee, and a further though hull fitting under the shaft coupling for the aft toilet.

I am glad we did as the bronze arm for one of caps had perished and fell apart in my hands. They were impossible to service. We have used a water side rose strainer to do just about the same job.

There are now only two Perko strainers for the aircon pumps. I have serviced these, but now wish I had removed them altogether.

Even if you turn off the valve, I don't think you will get the purchase or room to unscrew them.

 

[rwaldrop13]

Interestingly enough 2 of my marina neighbors, one of whom is a former saturation diver/underwater welder, and the other on his 4th boat, both said "Wait for haulout". PO was using valve regularly with midships head... When head was replaced in November vendor had no problem with valve. More I think about it I think I will recheck generator room for unused thru hull I can tap for aft stateroom AC. Will make running hoses and wiring more complicated in short term, less stressful in long term.

Many thanks to all who chimed in, and a shared concern is a reduced concern.

Pau Hana out!

 

[Bob Bradley]

When faced with a decision like that, I ask my self two questions:

"What is the best possible result that can occur here?"

and

"What is the worst possible result that can occur here?"

The answer usually makes the decision much easier.

 

[rwaldrop13]

And following all the comments, and a second closer look at the original thru-hull, I rethought my installation plan. I am now running the supply line to the generator room, along with the new wiring for both the unit and pump. Yes, this means I ran new 12ga 3-wire all the way from the aft stateroom closet to the generator room, but it means I have the wiring set up the way I want. The supply water line will be coming off a pump in the generator room, using an existing thru-hull adjacent to the existing AC intakes/strainers/pumps. Darn. It means that checking my strainers for all the AC units will be in the same compartment, instead of 2 different ones, and I am not trusting a really nasty-looking thru-hull valve. Granted, that one was in service with midships toilet for prev owner and us for about 2 months but the pros of running to the gen room far outweigh that. And the discharge line will still go to an existing overboard discharge in the port engine room. Done. Should have AC in the aft stateroom by the end of Thursday.

And if I didn't say it elsewhere, thanks for the advice/feedback.