While the water bottle worked, I found it to be a less than elegant solution than I was happy with. I decided to use a Taco model 400 Hy-Vent® instead. These are available at most any plumbing supply house.


Please don’t ask for a Taco, as in the Mexican food, the company is pronounced it Tay-Co. The Hy-Vent® I use is a 1/8″ male NPT version and it’s then connected to a hose adapter. I’ve had these in use now for over 12 years, with zero issues. I initially thought I may need to rinse it of salt yearly but that has not been necessary. They have not leaked on me and not trapped any air either. Being that these should be installed well above the static & heeled waterline, and they are empty of salt water 99.98% of the time, they don’t need to be a “marine bronze”. If it were to corrode simply dig into the pocket for about $9.00 and its fixed.


The Taco Hy-Vent® uses a plastic float connected to a Schrader type vale inside the brass body. When the vent is full of water the float closes the Schrader type valve making the system water tight. A reverse burp causes the float to shut the valve. If there is no water present the Schrader valve opens to allow air to vent out of the system. These are simple devices and not very expensive, about $9.00 at a plumbing supply house.


The PSS Shaft Seal is a reliable time proven system that keeps your bilges dry. Every issue I have ever heard of involving a PSS seal involved installation or user error. Follow the instructions, replace the bellows per PYI’s time schedule and the PSS is a reliable work horse.





Good luck and happy boating!