Bilge Hose

[xavpil]

Hi friends.
what is so special about bilge hoses that they cost so much (1 1/2” $5 / foot) since they just carry dirty water?

Can’t i uses spa hoses or drain hoses?
thx all!

 

[dlochner]

The hoses need to be strong enough to with stand oils and chemicals that end up in the bilge.

The hoses need to be smooth bore so water flows easily through the hose to maximize the pumps efficiency.

The hose needs to be strong enough to resist collapsing and kinking.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

cost so much (1 1/2” $5 / foot)

Because you're looking at 1-1/2" dia. The max. would be 1" dia.

Follow @dlochner 's advice above and match your hose dia. to your bilge pump outlet dia. Usually 3/4" dia.

 

[Benny17441]

Bilge hoses are measured by inside diameter. A 3/4 " hose would be more than adequate for bilge discharge. There are reduction fittings available to adapt different pumps. Don't fall into the huge pump large hose syndrome, the only thing that it would be discharging is $$$ for a false sense of security. Even a 500GPH rated pump with a 1/2" hose would be adequate to discharge incidental water that accumulates in the bilge" Safety is not a design parameter in bilge pumps for small boats, their main function is just the convenience to remove small amounts of water so you do not have to manually scoop it up. I do believe in doing jobs only once or as little as I can so using a good quality hose would help with serving that purpose. It also helps not having the worry of having to work around a cheap hose failing during a boat outing.