3288 shower taps, leaks, access, replacement?-gctid804402

[Hamnavoe]

The boat we just bought had been laid up ashore for some years, and water system drained down. A mix of age, corrosion, freezing and drying out has taken its toll. I have replaced the galley tap, managed to service the aft cabin one, the heads tap drips a little, and will be replaced when I get several new articulations fitted to my arms, but the current problem is a leak from the shower taps. Made sure it is not the connection of shower hose to tap unit, so now need to get the tap unit off for overhaul or replacement.

But .... how do you get it off? No screw fittings or whatever on the fwd side of the bulkhead, and access to the rear side is behind the woodwork below the helm console. The photos show the taps, and the woodwork under the helm, with 2 screws I can remove. However this only slightly releases the port (inboard) side of the unit, and peering behind it is hard to see how the unit is otherwise attached. I can see 2 large plastic nuts on the back of the tap unit, but cannot get to them, far less disconnect and reconnect pipework.

Has anyone been into this? Thanks!

[SouthernCross]

Those are cheapo RV plastic type faucets. I have replaced mine twice. Be extra carefull with the little anti-siphon thing on the top where the hose attaches, threads are fragile.

You can access it as you say under the woodwork behind the helm. I don't think i had to remove any teak but that's easy if needed

As I recall there are 2 large diameter nuts (maybe plastic) that you loosen, then pull unit out from in the shower to disconnect hoses.. I think I did it by feel.

If you buy a replacement first you will see what I mean, e.g. https://www.amazon.com/Dura-Faucet-D...ucet+rv+shower

[Hamnavoe]

I cannot get a hand anywhere near it without dismantling some of the woodwork, and that unit seems to be attached to the fore and aft plywood panel running forward from the main electrical panel.

[Mr._Darcy]

Remove the slanted panel on the starboard side below the throttle handles. You may need to keep the wooden shim blocks depending on what you get as a replacement. Like southerncross said they are cheap plastic units (got replacement off ebay NIB for $13). The shower in our boat has a strap around the hose about six inches above the faucet to prevent sideways strain on the threaded fitting on top where the hose screws on.

Greg

[green650]

You don't have an access panel right above the shower handles?

Mine came with a small one, can't remember the size, but I cut it out and made it much bigger. It's now a couple feet wide and a foot tall. It made it very easy to rewire everything and change out fuse panels, replace shift cables, run power wires etc.

[joe440]

]

I have a access panel on the wall of the shower that allows me to get at the wires and fuses of the helm. I was able to feel around and undo the shower faucet. I replaced with a single handle faucet, I installed it upside down so the shower hose was pointing down so the hose didn't kink like the old one.

My stepfathers 3218 also has the access panel.

[attachment=35469]IMG_4456.JPG[/attachment

[Hamnavoe]

Access panel is high up to the right as you look aft in the heads, and the wiring looms prevent even a slim arm getting to the back of the taps.

The joinery removal is not straightforward, with only 2 accessible screws, and something holding it to the outboard side wooden panel.

[Guest]

My 3270 developed this problem not long ago and even after removing as much cabinetry as I could, there was no way to access the plumbing fittings. Sure I could have cut it all out and replaced and rerouted the lines but in the case of this shower fixture (original I think) the washers in the valve were replaceable. Removing the hot and cold handles the valve stem could be removed and new flat washers installed. The cheap faucet I had purchased as a replacement did not have replaceable washers. You might luck out as I did.

[Hamnavoe]

Thanks but I do not think the handles come off. No grub screws or anything. Unless they screw off from the fully open position?

[diveguy]

I plan on going to the boat today and I'll take a look as well. I would think by taking off the slanted panel under the helm would give you access. I found I was removing that panel often when re-wiring etc. so it's now held on with velcro.

[Guest]

All of the faucet handles in my boat, minus the galley one, can be removed by prying off the "H" and "C" emblem from the top of the handle and removing the screw underneath. My shower faucet had a metal valve stems that could be removed exposing the worn out washer. Honestly, I don't know if it was original but it looked like the one in your picture. Good luck.

[Hamnavoe]

Thinking about it more, and digging some, I was hoping that the centres might be removable. Now the boat is on her home mooring it is not just walk aboard, but walk 200m, launch the dinghy, row about 200m, depending on state of the tide, so on the job list for tomorrow, and many thanks.

Around St Malo we have up to 14m tidal rise and fall on big springs, but we are above the tidal power station dam, so the electricity company determine our tides rather than God.... Tomorrow is about 5m.

[Hamnavoe]

Thanks again for everyone's help and advice.

Searching for replacement tap units in France had prices like 150Ôé¼ + for imported from USA, then I found sensible prices in UK.

But first, went ahead with trying to dismantle the taps, as suggested above, with success, so will replace the various washers and cross fingers. Magic early evening sunshine on our mooring, a small aperitif or two .....










Attached files

[green650]

For easier access, bigger hole. I can stick my head in there now. Made changing shift cables easier too.


Attached files

[Hamnavoe]

In the end, I think that a bigger access panel is the only answer. For now, thanks to advice above, I managed to dismantle and service the taps, replace the rubber washers, and stop the drip!

One job done, 324 to go .....