plugged thru hull

[Jaxfishgyd]

While docked downtown at The Landing a week ago, the genset stopped at 3AM (why is it ALWAYS at 3 AM ?)
Today I finally had time to check things out and found the thru hull is plugged. Had zero water coming in...
It's the original Hatteras plumbing, the thru hull going to a brass tube(1" long?), to a 90 degree fitting, to another tube (1" long?) then into the strainer.
I was able to push a wire coat hanger in to the bend and was able to "free" it somewhat. I can feel what might be plastic.
So the obvious thing is to remove the fittings and clean it out.... But as we are talking about a thru hull....... and the boat is in the water....
You see where this is going..... One "oops" and I could be in deep water....
Tomorow I will try to back flush it. Have several clorine tablets in the strainer for the night...
ARE THERE ANY OTHER TRICKS I CAN TRY????
Know I have to replace the impeller but have 3 extras onboard just for this reason....
Now this is also a "good reason" to go ahead and just buy batteries for one of the two battery boxes I still have nothing in and install an inverter.. We really don't need heat when anchored out this time of year.
All we really need is the ability to run the refrig, icemaker and maybe a fan while away from the dock...

 

[Pascal]

there should be something on the thru hull, not a scoop obviously, but a shower head type screen to prevent things from being sucked in.

it happened at 3am but at least that was in winter, not summer...

if those fittings are brass, you may as well pull them out and replace them, they should be bronze. it's only a matter of time till the brass fittings fall apart. couple of years ago, I opened my Air Con strainer, also mounted as you describe and it fell off! one of the brass fittings crumbled to pieces...

 

[Sonny]

Not a good idea putting the chlorine tablets in there. Chlorine is a very efficient oxidizer and can do a fair amount of damage to metal fittings.

 

[Jaxfishgyd]

Oops,
I said brass.... They are bronze..."my bad".

 

[bobk]

Have you ever seen one of those 'bladders' that Home Depo sells for pushing a blockage out of a drain line? Might be worth a try on your through hull.

Bob

PS, it's awful down here in South Florida. About 77 degrees today, gentle winds. Wish we had a blizzard (not).

 

[SKYCHENEY]

PS, it's awful down here in South Florida. About 77 degrees today, gentle winds. Wish we had a blizzard (not).

I didn't need to hear that.
Low of 13 tonight, high of 13 tomorrow with wind chill of -10.

 

[Brian Degulis]

I've had good luck cleaning out screens and thru hulls using the discharge side of a shop vac to blow air thru it. An air hose doen't work very well but the shop vac has lots of volume. Just hook it up turn it on and open the valve let it run for a while it won't clear a hard blockage but if you can get some air to go thru it works well.

Brian

 

[yachtsmanbill]

I didn't need to hear that.
Low of 13 tonight, high of 13 tomorrow with wind chill of -10.

Thats a cake walk SKY !! ws

 

[Nonchalant1]

I didn't need to hear that.
Low of 13 tonight, high of 13 tomorrow with wind chill of -10.

I don'r need to hear that! Currently -2 degrees at 11 Am and high this afternoon is supposed to be +5.

Re: plugged thru-hull - have you gone under to look at the intake side? Sometimes fishing line, etc. can get sucked into the exterior intake grate.

Doug

 

[Jaxfishgyd]

I can feel "stuff" like plastic with my finger at the strainer intake.. Not sure I can use my wetvac due to space constraints but not a bad idea.

Was going to work on the problem today, but it's 78 right now, have the N.E. Pats game on and see a lot of white stuff on the ground...

We actually used our A/C unit last night..

 

[rrrestorer]

You know, I have never heard a Floridian talk about weather in July or August, What's it like down there at that time?

 

[Brian Degulis]

Sunny light winds 72 degrees 50% humidity



Brian

 

[rrrestorer]

Hey! That's exactly what it's like up here in Chicago right now!

 

[yachtsmanbill]

Yeh,man, it was so balmy that my chrome door knobs were frosted white with ice this afternoon; INSIDE that is! That 40mph breeze at 20 feet kept it temperate too ! Thank gosh for ol' Tyrone... he kept us good company today!
The bosun' and I managed a few two-steps in between her sanding for #15 varnish coats and my fitting the window trim. Damn toes got cold! ws

 

[bobk]

You know, I have never heard a Floridian talk about weather in July or August, What's it like down there at that time?

Depends on where you are located. Florida is really a big state. Here in the south east, it gets hot and stays that way for a couple of months. BUT, I've never seen it get as hot as it did in Baltimore. Here we almost always have a sea breeze if you are within a couple of miles of the ocean. The west coast is more humid IMHO and less comfortable.

Bob

 

[Pascal]

In south florida we almost always have a nice breeze, at least here on the bay, so it's never really hot. We spend a lot of time on the hook but thanks to the breeze and wonderful ventilation of the 53 (doors and side windows that open), we usually dont' run the AC during the day. Teh aft deck is always cool thanks to the wing doors, even in august. obviously, in the marina, AC is needed due to obstructions around the boat disrupting the air flow...

at night, obviously, we need the AC.

no complaints about So Fl summers from me!

 

[Trojan]

We also had a nice breeze yesterday in south east Michigan. Temps were a cool -2 deg. and a wind chill of -18 below. Today it's going to be a high of 16 deg. I just hate this global warming. And to think I chose not to come to Florida until bike week. What was I thinking?

BILL

 

[TedZ]

Back to the thru hull.

Every genny intake i have ever seen has a seacock to allow servicing the strainer etc. Am i missing something?

We have had good luck with a Handy Hand...a belden wire with a spring loaded claw at the end which opens when pushed on the other end. These will tear away at plastic, bags, seaweed etc. when the problem is in the seacock which may be what you have. So i open the seacock after unscrewing the strainer etc. (now i have a tee with a cap on it) and fish the HH down with the water coming in. No big deal. Then i take the HH out and close the seacock. On my Hat the genny intake is the only one i ever need to service.

Ted

 

[MicroKap]

Another way at going about cleaning out the opening is:
1) Close seacock
2) Remove hoses/bronze connections from top of seacock
3) Attach hose to fitting on top of seacock that is long enough to get above waterline with a straight shot.
4) Open seacock.
5) Use coat hanger/handy hand (as mentioned in previous post), or something else that can be used to grab/break up whatever is clogging the thru hull.
6) Close seacock.
7) Use wetvac to clear out hose.
8) Take hose off
9) Reattach all fittings and see if you're getting waterflow.

 

[divert00]

I sometimes have this problem with "sea squirts" growing in the clamshell strainer on my AC (always between 1-4am). They are hard to remove, as they are soft and easily depressed away from the intake opening when you insert a hanger or handy hand. I have used the trick mentioned above of removing the strainer and attaching a length of hose that extends above waterline. I have used a short, manual toilet roto-rooter (8 bucks at hardware store) with the corkscrew on the end to snag and collect the blocking material.