Replacing 25 year old sanitation hoses

[Jammer]

Despite a concerted effort on my part over the past 11 months involving repeated calls to the boatyard, it has become clear that this isn't going to be the year that the yard is going to replace the sanitation hoses on my boat. I have offered money and gin but apparently not in sufficient amounts to get them started, even though I've reached the top of "the list" more than once.



The hoses are original to the boat, 25 years old, and odoriferous even in cool weather, well beyond the point where something has to be done.


I have spent 3/4 of a boat buck on 38' of Raritan sani-flex hose, together with 10' of 5/8" vent line, three boxes of the good clamps, an activated charcoal respirator, and a tube of K-Y jelly.


The tank is under the port laz. I've already pulled the air conditioner out of the laz. I stlll have to pull the water heater out of the laz (no longer difficult since I installed quick connect plumbing and electrical connections, and easily removable fasteners, last time). Then I have to pull the sole out of the laz, which may have to be cut apart to come out. The holding tank is under the laz.



Then the job everyone wants to hire someone else for. I'm bringing a heat gun, a right-angle pick, a hacksaw, slip-joint pliers, and a utility knife with a box of new blades to get everything apart. I have a compact impact driver with sockets to fit the hose clamps. And lights and a fan since this is all taking place inside the laz.


Wish me luck.

[JPA Cate]

OH, yes, yes, yes! I wish you a very smooth going project, for sure. You might also take some lanolin to lubricate and moisture proof the screws for the hose clamps.

And maybe, even cautiously congratulate yourself. You may not have to do it AGAIN, for a looong time.

Ann

[ChrisJHC]

Gloves!
Don’t forget the gloves!
You may be the one in a hundred that can do this without getting stuff on your hands but why take the chance?

[Tin Tin]

Cut the clamps with a dremel. Cut the hose along the barb with a box cutter and wire snips if needed, it will come off easy. Sand the barb clean, apply dish soap, stick the new hose end in a pot of just boiled water for 20 seconds and the new one will slide on easy. Wear safety googles. Make sure the pot of boiled water can't spill on your lap.

[NYSail]

Before you start run vinegar through the system if possible. Flushing the hoses will help.. don’t try to finess the hoses off, just quickly cut them off and yank it all out, then clean thoroughly. Make sure you draw a diagram of the hoses so reassembly is easy. Good luck!

Greg

[peghall]

If you'll send me a PM that includes your email address (no way to attach anything to a PM), I'll send you a piece that will be a chapter in the 3rd edition of my book called "Replacing Hoses In An Existiing System" that should make it a lot easier and will also keep it from being a nasty job.


-Peggie

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

OH, yes, yes, yes! I wish you a very smooth going project, for sure. You might also take some lanolin to lubricate and moisture proof the screws for the hose clamps.

And maybe, even cautiously congratulate yourself. You may not have to do it AGAIN, for a looong time.

Ann

And use that Lanolin to lubricate/push your new hose on because many fittings are very tight! I still have tendonitis today after 20 years for trying to push on wire wound hose too many times!

One of my boats had thick non wire wound hose and it was a pleasure to get off etc. compared with wire wound.

[peghall]

That will depend on the quality of the hose you buy. Raritan SaniFlex RaritanSaniFlex hose is the top rated hose...expensive, but worth it because it has a 10 yr warranty against odor permeation and has the added advantage of being so flexible it can be bent almost as tight as a hairpin without kinking, which makes most re-hosing jobs a LOT easier. Defender usually has it for the best price.


10 years is the average maximum working life of any hose because rubber and plastics dry out over time becoming hard, brittle and prone to cracking and splittting. BOAT/US magazine once published article in which they cited old hoses connected to open thru-hulls when no one is aboard as the most common cause of boats sinking in their slips.


--Peggie

[zachduckworth]

This sounds masochistic.
Can’t you return that stuff and just get a composting head? They are so much better. I just did the conversion myself, used a reciprocating saw to cut out the hoses. It was nasty but I’ll never have to do it again.

[Jammer]

Thanks for the replies.

Originally Posted by Cheechako

And use that Lanolin to lubricate/push your new hose on because many fittings are very tight! I still have tendonitis today after 20 years for trying to push on wire wound hose too many times!

Some sources indicate that lanolin and other oil-based lubricants will cause the rubber to deteriorate. I'm using K-Y jelly, as it is glycerin based and has good compatibility with rubber, and is readily available and inexpensive.

[Bowdrie]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

And use that Lanolin to lubricate/push your new hose on because many fittings are very tight! I still have tendonitis today after 20 years for trying to push on wire wound hose too many times!

One of my boats had thick non wire wound hose and it was a pleasure to get off etc. compared with wire wound.

^This.
Wire-wound is the Devils plaything.
I've found that in most instances the necessity of using wire-wound hose is due to poor layout/selection of components.
It works against you in at least four ways:
1, Hard to install if fitting is the tiniest bit too large.
2, Hard to remove, easy to damage fittings.
3, The wire helix resists the clamping effect of the hose clamps.
4, You're always dealing with the cut ends of the wire.
As the poster I quoted, oh how I hate that stuff with a passion.
Beyond the ability to take a smaller bend radius it has zero redeeming qualities.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by zachduckworth

This sounds masochistic.
Can’t you return that stuff and just get a composting head? They are so much better.

What I have in place works for me (well, aside from the fact that the hoses are shot). Looking to fix what I have rather than change technologies. CH would be a poor choice for my boat given the occasional larger numbers of crew I have aboard and the, how shall we say, wide variation in diet and intestinal performance among them.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by Bowdrie

^This.
Wire-wound is the Devils plaything.
I've found that in most instances the necessity of using wire-wound hose is due to poor layout/selection of components.
It works against you in at least four ways:
1, Hard to install if fitting is the tiniest bit too large.
2, Hard to remove, easy to damage fittings.
3, The wire helix resists the clamping effect of the hose clamps.
4, You're always dealing with the cut ends of the wire.
As the poster I quoted, oh how I hate that stuff with a passion.
Beyond the ability to take a smaller bend radius it has zero redeeming qualities.

Well, there aren't any sanitation hoses with a butyl rubber layer that aren't wire wound, and I'm sold on the importance of the butyl rubber layer for reducing gas permeation, so that's that.

Usual practice for a fitting that is slightly over or under size is to strip some wire from the end of the hose.

Aside from bend radius, the wire ensures that the hose can withstand vacuum without collapsing, which is important for pumpout.

[Iron E]

Just sayin...

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Jammer

The hoses are original to the boat, 25 years old, and odoriferous even in cool weather, well beyond the point where something has to be done.
.

wow, 25 year old had hose