Freshwater Y-valve needs replacing. Where to find?

[Jennys Dad]

Our 1987 Mk I needs many things (not a surprise), but now she also needs a new valve to switch between freshwater tanks.  I can't find any online that specify they are for drinking water.   I'd like to mount the new valve where the original is -- below the galley sink, and a simple bolt-on job -- so having the original valve would be nice.
Anybody have any ideas?

(Of course, the job won't be only the valve, but also a new water heater, and supply lines to the head, and....)

Thanks!

JD

[Stu Jackson]

Couple of choices:

1.  If you still have the old valve, take it apart, and buy new O rings at ACE Hardware.

2.  If not, buy a simple 1/2" gate or globe valve at ACE Hardware, get two barb fittings to screw into the ends of the valve, and you're done.  This could be a plastic or metal valve.

"Drinking water safe" is not a commonly used phrase in valves.  You keep the water clean, the water cleans the valve.

[Ron Hill]

JD : Stu is correct about drinking water safe almost any valve will work.

If I were you I'd remove both valves and get two new plastic/PVC ball valves.  Ball valves are easier to operate and easy to see when a valve is open or closed!!

A thought

[Jennys Dad]

Thanks to you both Stu and Ron. I had not thought about doing the valve; I have not taken it out yet.   I'll try that this weekend. 

[britinusa]

Our water supply selector plumbing is carp, so I'm going to update it to something like this



But the valve set will still be mounted in the area below the galley counter.

Paul

[Mark Sutherland]

Hey JD, here's the valve I just bought to use on my boat.  http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=83679&catid=438
Only cost $20.  The 4 mounting holes you see don't go all the way through, but I just drilled them out, which was easy.  Good luck

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/images/products/Valves/400/22363grp.jpg

[Noah]

Not sure how your system is set up but you might consider separate on/off valves between each tank and the pump, instead of a single Y-valve -- unless you already have shut-offs at each tank. I had just a single Y-valve and no tank shut offs, making it a bit inconvenient when I had to work on the pressure water pump.

[Ron Hill]

Paul : Look in the old Mainsheet Tech notes - mid 1990s. 
There is an article by Dave Ewing on redoing his fresh water valves on his 1986/87 C34.

A thought