Hoses

 

A hose of some type is undoubtedly on board somewhere unless it’s a rowboat or a little sailing dingy. Beginning from a simple fuel hose on a runabout, onboard plumbing morphs into a spiderweb of piping as the vessel increases in size or of the complexity of the onboard systems. It is astounding the amount of hoses and the lengths thereof that are found on a vessel. The unfortunate consequence of this is that these hoses do not last forever and are often times hidden under floor boards or behind cabinetry so maintaining them is difficult and is often than not, forgotten completely. This difficulty leads to a habitual panic when the hose fails. There is a large variety of hoses available with many hoses manufactured for a specific purpose. Hoses are also not always made of one type of material and are comprised of various materials layered during the construction process to produce the desired performance characteristics.

 

 

Potable Water Hose

 

Using hoses rated for potable water is essential. These hoses are manufactured from all virgin material, contain little to no phthalates (a product use in plastic manufacturing that is linked to human reproductive decline), can tolerate small amounts of disinfectants with odor and taste leeching kept to a minimal. Water often contains traces of Chlorine used as a treatment against bacterial growth and this can eventually affect the performance of the hose as is sits for long periods inside the plumbing. Go2Marine stocks top quality water hoses for potable service from manufactures such as Shields and Trident Marine Another important hose is the portable fill hose such as the 15mm Water Tubing / Water Hose by Whale Water Systems. It is important to keep this hose from getting contaminated from within. Therefore, it is good practice draining the hose after each use and screwing the ends together prior to stowage.

 

Sanitary Hose

 

If the vessel is equipped with an installed head then sanitary hose replacement is on the horizon. This hose is manufactured specifically for this purpose and is more dense than regular hose in order to prevent gasses to pass through the walls, not an easy task is one considering gases with singular molecule sizes. These types of hoses are constantly being bombarded by acids from bodily fluids, toilet cleaners and natural chlorines from the salt water. The combination of this also caused a crusty layer to form on the inside reducing the efficiency and eventual failure of the hose. Periodic inspection of the condition of the sanitary hoses, fittings, valves and clamps will go a long way in catching the wary sailor with their pants down. Find superioir sanitary hoses from manufactures such as Shields, SeaLand, and Trident Marine.

 

Exhaust Hose

 

Common exhaust installations on vessels with inboard engines are considered wet exhausts. Here, water is injected thru a spray ring into the exhaust. This cools the hot exhaust gasses and enables the use of rubber hose further on downstream. Rubber exhaust hose is commonly manufactured with and internal wire wound like a spring to prevent the hose from collapsing when bent. This wire eventually begins corroding, or the inner part of the hose will separate from the wire and collapse causing restrictions in the exhaust. Go2Marine stocks quality replacement wet exhaust hose from manufacturers such as Shields Marine and Trident Marine.

 

Bilge Hose

 

Bilge hose vary in cost from $ to $$$ but the important thing to understand is that most bilge pump installations are a low-pressure high-volume system. The most common bilge hose is a thin single wall ribbed bilge hose that perform extremely well considering the relatively low cost. This hose bends fairly well without kinking and does not crush at a blink of an eye. These are all good characteristics for a bilge hose. The more sophisticated bilge hoses are smooth lined, reinforced and chemical resistant.

 

Fuel Hose

 

Fuel hose is not only used for fuel, but for lubrication oils, hydraulic oils and other combustible liquids as well. Conveyance of combustible fluids is not a new subject; it is well documented and often regulated by classification societies and regulatory bodies. Whether the hose is installed on a pleasure vessel, a vessel for hire or a commercial vessel it is important to consult the hose manufactures documentation to verify if the considered hose is correct for the intended application. Hose used for conveyance of combustible liquids, ‘AKA Fuel hose’ from top suppliers such as Shields Marine, Parker Hannifin, SeaStar Solutions and Trident Marine is readily available from Go2Marine and is available in per foot increments or by the roll.

 

Clamps

 

Hoses are commonly attached to fittings with hose clamps. The hose clamps even if they are manufactured from 316 stainless steel will corrode over time and fail. It is considered poor practice to reuse hose clamps and if possible, replace all hose clamps with new good quality stainless steel hose clamps from Shelids,Scandvik or Trident Marine whenever possible.