Marelon or bronze?

B

Blues Cat

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I am going to have the seacocks replaced on my 1979 Cal 31. The existing seacocks are green and I'm concerned that soon they'll just give way.
Do I choose Marelon or bronze?
With bronze I need a bonding circuit. I don't believe so with Marelon.
Marelon is about one half the price of bronze.
Both are okay by AYBC and Coast Guard.
Does anyone have some experience with this application?
To make it more interesting; the thru hulls are stubbed in using a pipe nipple glassed into place and the seacock is threaded on from there.
 
sounds like your seacocks are ball valves if so I would replace them with whats there now.
 
Both need maintenance, lube, turn on off, etc. Both are ABYC approved.

No electrolysis worries would be the tipper to marelon for me.
 
CAt,

The Green (Verdigris) is not necessarly a bad thing. It's the way that bronze corrodes. If it's a surface coating, then it is actually protecting itself from further corrosion.

See how thick the metal is as bronze can least a long time.

If you need to replace, I would replace with Bronze, but I'm also an old Navy guy.
 
I prefer Bronze for all below the water fitting and valves. They can be bonded giving you and your vessel extra protection in lightning. Above the waterline I prefer Marelon fittings. I had all my fittings replaced and resealed when I did the repower about 4 seasons ago.
Bill
 
Our 28' cruiser came with Marelon seacocks which I would open and close several times each boating season. Every fall I would lubricate them with white lithium grease and then winterize. The following season I had stuck seacocks. I replaced both with Marelon and had failures the next season. The seacocks would seize during the off season. Handles would twist off. They were very delicate. I replaced both with bronze four years ago, lubricate with white lithium grease each fall and have no more probems.
 
quote:
Originally posted by Blues Cat

I am going to have the seacocks replaced on my 1979 Cal 31. The existing seacocks are green and I'm concerned that soon they'll just give way.
Do I choose Marelon or bronze?
With bronze I need a bonding circuit. I don't believe so with Marelon. ........
Click to expand...


Don't you already have a bonding circuit?

Somebody mentioned that just bcause they are turning green doesn't mean they will fail soon.

It's usually easiest to replace parts with identical parts rather than something different.
 
you'll never see a top quality ship/yacht with plastic below the water line, its always naval bronze. if you keep the boat out of the water it may not be as big an issue for you.
 
Sign me up for the bronze bandwagon. But the only uniform I have ever worn said "Boy Scouts of America". I served proudly.
 
If the green color is really bothering you, you should be able to clean them us with toilet bowl cleaner and a wire brush.

Erich
 
FWIW, I had Marlon seacocks on a 70' Viking (considered by most to be a quality brand of boat) that I ran for a number of years. Never had any problem with them.

A number of other boat brands use them as well. Many of which would be considered quality boats.
 
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