Leaking valve...here it is!

[solar]

AFTER my 2008 boat went back to the water after A/F a week ago, I found that the head flushing intake valve is leaking via it's handle base more in open position and less when closed.

As said a 4 year old boat! Mine for 3.5 years.

What do you think/do?

Will Bavaria take responsibility over this problem or am I waisting my time with them?
I know that the EU standard for these parts is 5 years so...?

TIA

[Symphony]

It will be wear on the O ring where the shaft goes through the housing. Very minor thing - you can get a repair kit with all the seals and it is a 10 minute job to replace that one. Or you can buy a complete new pump for not a lot of money and repair the old one to keep as a spare.

[solar]

It will be wear on the O ring where the shaft goes through the housing. Very minor thing - you can get a repair kit with all the seals and it is a 10 minute job to replace that one. Or you can buy a complete new pump for not a lot of money and repair the old one to keep as a spare.

Must be my poor English...

The leaking valve is the one on the boat underwater line thru haul near the head,it lets water in for flushing the head...Not so easy to mess with when the boat is in the water.

[solar]

It will be wear on the O ring where the shaft goes through the housing. Very minor thing - you can get a repair kit with all the seals and it is a 10 minute job to replace that one. Or you can buy a complete new pump for not a lot of money and repair the old one to keep as a spare.

Must be my poor English...

The leaking valve is the one on the boat underwater line Thur haul near the head,it lets water in for flushing the head...Not so easy to mess with when the boat is in the water.

O.K I was contacting Bavaria today about the leaking valve and was told to contact their local NL dealer for help...I sent them the correspondence with Bavaria and will see...
NOT that I'm too optimistic about them taking responsibility over the repair but sometimes surprises do heppen
BTW did anyone ever went this route successfully with Bavaria? Please let me know if so.
Will report later.

[Symphony]

OK understand the problem now. Not an expensive item to replace - I happen to have a spare one sitting on my bench, they cost around £12 in UK for the proper DZR valves (which I think are better than the original Bavaria ones). However it is much easier to change it when the boat is out of the water, although it can be done in the water if you are prepared to put a bung in the skin fitting after you have undone the old valve and before you fit the new. Some water comes in, but not much. It can also be reduced if you heel the boat over to bring the intake above the waterline. Hope this helps.

[solar]

OK understand the problem now. Not an expensive item to replace - I happen to have a spare one sitting on my bench, they cost around £12 in UK for the proper DZR valves (which I think are better than the original Bavaria ones). However it is much easier to change it when the boat is out of the water, although it can be done in the water if you are prepared to put a bung in the skin fitting after you have undone the old valve and before you fit the new. Some water comes in, but not much. It can also be reduced if you heel the boat over to bring the intake above the waterline. Hope this helps.

Thanks,but I still think that it's way too early to happen on an only 4 years old boat!
Bavaria IMHO should pick up the repair bill for not using proper marine grade Bronze under water thru hauls & valves.

[solar]

Well ,after many mails I got BAV final answer today...How surprising...A big NO.
In other words,their PR and customer service is pure BS,we are alone with any problem we'll have.
Check you sea cocks and valves regularly they are NOT marine grade and will sooner or later let you down.
Me,on next out haul will change them all to proper Bronze.
 

[njsail]

On our Bavaria 40 Ocean there are several seacocks under the head sink which is enclosed.  many of the handles started rusting through and one wouldn't fully close. Under the sink is enclosed without ventilation.  The seacock handles appear to be painted steel.  I can't tell what the seacock mechanism itself is made of.   The seacocks under the galley sink are pristine and look like they came off the showroom floor after 11 yeas. Since I I was suspect the quality of seacocks due to the handles rusting through this year replaced every thru-hull/seacock on the boat even the ones that looked fine.  Still love the boat but Bavaria could have used better quality seacock. This is not a project I should have to undertake on an 11 year old boat.  It's a solid boat I would like to keep for some time and now I feel better with proper bronze seacocks. Our love affair with boats sometimes hurts in the wallet.   Good luck with your project.

[Symphony]

Well ,after many mails I got BAV final answer today...How surprising...A big NO.
In other words,their PR and customer service is pure BS,we are alone with any problem we'll have.
Check you sea cocks and valves regularly they are NOT marine grade and will sooner or later let you down.
Me,on next out haul will change them all to proper Bronze.
 

The subject of seacocks has been extensively covered in the yachting press recently, particularly Yachting Monthly, because of concern over the standard required to meet the RCD. This sets a minimum service life of 5 years which is easily achieved with unsuitable brass valves and fittings. There have been some failures with these fittings - more the tails and other fittings rather than the valves themselves, but despite pressure there is no  plan to upgrade the specification. If it is any consolation the same poor quality valves are fitted to most production boats, including the expensive Scandinavian boats, so it is not a Bavaria unique problem and other builders have also been subject to the same criticism.

One of the reasons why it does not become a bigger issue than it could be is that most valves are not permanently under water and are usually remote from any other metal fittings. The one that usually goes is the toilet outlet as it is well below the waterline, as is the inlet. The only one I have replaced on my 2001 boat is the toilet outlet, because it was seized rather than suffering from corrosion. Handles are always a problem with rust, but it is very difficult to source DZR valves with stainless handles.

So, not a very satisfactory state of affairs, but doubt given the background you would get any joy with the manufacturer, just as other people have had no luck with other builders. Given the literally 10's of 000's of these valves in use there has been no epidemic of boats sinking through failure. Better quality valves are not expensive in relation to the value of your boat, so best to just replace them if you are concerned about them.

[solar]

Yes,I know all that....BUT...
The BIG question is why WE the boaters are ready to except such poor products,no real warranty and BS answers form our boat builders and let them go away with that so easily?
Something we wouldn't dream to except from say our car maker or any other expensive product which we paid for in full with our good money...
Where is the law and the EU marine standards that should protect us the customers from these events?
And yes,I would expect from a huge company as Bav to mail me a new valve with a "we're sorry" note!
It still makes me angry,sorry.
 

[Symphony]

Well, I doubt you would get much luck with a 4 year old car that was out of warranty. You might get a goodwill payment, but that is not a legal obligation to pay.

I agree that it is not satisfactory, but you would have to show that there was a latent defect from new to force them to replace the valve. Difficult to do on such a cheap basic component where the cost and hassle of "proving" it far outweigh any replacement cost.