Whale Diverter Valve -- How to Interpret Handle Position

[Christian Williams]

For years I have been confused by the standard Whale diverter valve used in marine head installations.

What does the handle position mean? The handle has a long side. The short side is shaped like an arrowhead. The valve body has no indication of direction of flow, no arrows, no legend, no sticker, no hint. Neither does the on-line literature. "Testing" isn't reliable, since the head discharge is usually underwater.

Well, after an email exchange with Attwood (Whale Pumps) I can supply the official answer.

The long end of the handle points to direction of flow. In this photo, that is overboard ("waste"). My contact agreed to alert the "engineering team" to the lack of information on the valve.

 

[Tom Metzger]

I'm happy to see that you fused your Y-valve test switch. Always good practice.

 

[Loren Beach]

I installed a couple of the "sea-lect" valves when I rebuilt our boat's head & holding tank plumbing system.
I like the way the flow is indicated by the valve handles -- i.e. they point in the direction of the flow, as set.

 

[Christian Williams]

Couldn't agree more. Most of mine are that style, no ambiguity.

Metzger, know ye that my electrical system will track you down wherever you may hide from now on.

 

[Bolo]

A topic that us Chesapeake Bay sailors never have to worry about. Unless you're dumping illegally, of course. :eek:
All the head plumbing leading to the existing thru-hulls are gone and the valve themselves closed and blocked off.

 

[Gaviate]

It's true for us Great Lakes sailors as well, overboard discharge is prohibited. Holding tanks and pump-outs are the norm.

 

[Tom Metzger]

On Lk Champlain there must be a visible break between the seacock and the head hoses. The VT state police and the NY sheriff departments used to board boats to check. I haven't heard of it happening in years, though.

Almost 20 years ago the admiral and I went from the lake down to Bradenton FL on a trawler with a friend. The friend had the marina reinstall the Y-valve and a maserator pump just before we left. All went well until we tried to use it the first time. After lots of time crawling in the bilge in a heavy Atlantic chop I found that the handle of the valve was installed backwards. Several unkind words were uttered.

I should probably look in my basement to see if my old Y-valve is there and add it to my list of cargo to be shifted. After all of the sh*t I've given to Christian, Loren & Rick one of them might want to hang it in their family room as a remembrance. I'd be happy to sign it.

 

[fool]

If memory serves the short end of the lever should be in line with the hose you want to close. Counter intuitive as the long branch of the lever points off into space between the two open "circuits". Been a while since I've checked the fuse as zip-ties keep the lever from shorting to the overboard connection...

 

[Christian Williams]

That must be a different model or manufacturer, Max.

The issue with Whale, I think, is that they use the same handle for on/off valves. In that case the handle is at 90 degrees, and obvious. But on the Whale diverter it is confusing. The long end points to the hose selected.

 

[Christian Williams]

Note: I recently posted a blog entry about replacement of macerator and accumulator.

E381 - Macerator and Accumulator Replacement

Ericson 38 sailboat head plumbing macerator replacement Christian Williams Thelonious II

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