Barbed hose fittings

Aug 24, 2020
25
Hunter 28.5 Portsmouth
I'm replacing all the gate valves in my 28.5 with ball valves and several of the barbed hose fittings are what I assume to be polypropylene. I'd like to know if I should stay with the poly fittings or switch to bronze? What have you done? Thanks.
 
Jan 22, 2008
1,654
Hunter 34 Alameda CA
Depends on the lines they service.

Potable water - only plastic

Engine water, both AF and sea water - bronze

Thru hulls - bronze.

Anybody got anything else ?
Engine intake if Thru Hull is Marelon, then use the same. Always good to keep the same type of material to avoid large coefficient of thermal expansion differences.
 

RoyS

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Jun 3, 2012
1,739
Hunter 33 Steamboat Wharf, Hull, MA
Every Spring while on the hard grab the hose on every fitting firmly and give it a good yank and twist. If the hose tears, moves, or pulls off, or the hose barb breaks, or the thruhull moves, then repair or replace. Operate every valve and thruhull back and forth until they move easy. If the hose, valve and thruhull survive this abuse, you do not have to worry about them failing while you are sleeping at anchor for the rest of the season.
 
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Likes: Parsons
Feb 14, 2014
7,400
Hunter 430 Waveland, MS
Also double hose clamp each side of barbed fitting.

The length of the fitting should right size, to accommodate the clamping.
Jim...
 
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Likes: RoyS
Jul 12, 2011
1,165
Leopard 40 Jupiter, Florida
Had Marelon factory installed through-out, and they still serve well after 20 years - good product. Like everything else, maintenance is crucial but weekly exercising and a dab of Mar-Lube annually is pretty light maintenance. Only throughhull issue I ever had was with a PO-installed air-con inlet which I had to replace as it was coming un-bedded. Epoxied a G10 bed to the hull and fitted a Graco bronze to it - no issues, but wouldn't want to try that in the water :).
 
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Likes: jssailem
Aug 24, 2020
25
Hunter 28.5 Portsmouth
Thanks for the replies, looks like I'll stick with the marelon fittings.