Plumbing Troubles

[BECKS]

GREETINGS ALL. GOT MY LIVEBAIT TANK, GOT MY PUMP,(JABSCO 3). ITS A DECKWASH PUMP. I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE HANDY TO MAKE IT DUAL PURPOSE AND NEED A 2 WAY DIRVERTER VALVE. ALL THE MARINE ONES ARE MASSIVE AND 3/4 INCH. I NEED 1/2 INCH. CAN YOU USE DOMESTIC COPPER PIPE + A COUPLE OF WASHING MACHINE VALVES ON THE BRINEY? SORRY TO BANG ON ABOUT THIS SUBJECT BUT I WANT IT TO BE RIGHT FIRST TIME AND NOT HAVE TO RIP IT ALL OUT HALFWAY THROUGH THE BASS SEASON. COME ON YOU PLUMBERS OUT THERE, PROVE YOU"R WORTH £30 ph TIGHT LINES BECKS

[fishy Finger]

Hi Becks,
I have a fitted a setup about the same as you are fitting. I got a 3 outlet- 1 inlet valve from a pond place nearbye. It has 3/4 fittings with taps on the outlets, and all plastic. I then bought hose pipe adaptors from B&Q warehouse to reduce it to 1/2 and also I can use quick release fittings in the garden hose ranges (trigger hand spray-jet ) you can blank off the outlets you dont use with taps. I wouldnt use copper fittings on the live bait tank, copper salts very quickly kills marine life, Most Antifouls have some form of copper added.

Hope it's of some Help Steve

[blueskip]

Nothing stopping you using domestic copper pipe at all, although stainless would be better! connections can be either soldered, or preferably compression (movement of the soldered piping on board could crack the solder).
I wouldn't use washing machine valves they are a bit prone to corrosion, use brass gate valves (£1.39 ea from Screwfix), or even better stop cocks (£2.29ea from Screwfix). At that price you can afford to replace the lot annually if it all goes tits up!
I'm not even a plumber just a DIYer but at £30 an hour perhaps I have just found my retirement hobby!
blueskip

[ChrisP]

Does this mean that I am on £30 an hour for this advice?

I have a livebait tank on my boat and it is plumbed with compression type 316 stainless fittings and pipework, done this way you can fit it and forget, it will outlast the boat. But it is really expensive, about £10-£20 per fitting, and sourcing them is not easy.

If the water intake is a permanent fitting below the waterline then all the fitings used should be in the same material, to avoid electrolytic corrosion. The hull fitting should have a sea cock isolator before any of the internal pipework. Also it may need electrically bonding if other hull and engine fittings are bonded. You can mix metal and plastic fittings.

Houshold brass plumbing fittings will become dezincified and collapse over time and copper fittings can corrode and cause electrolysis. Also as previousy mentioned copper salts, the result of corrosion, kills marine organisms.

If you can give me a bit more info on your intended setup I maybe able to advise you a bit better. ie Thro hull inlet, tube over the side? inboard or outboard engine? any other seacocks fitted and their material?

Worth £30 an hour or wot?