Hose cuffs: question for H31 ownwers.

[IH82BL8]

The cockpit drains, galley sink drain, head sink drain and anchor locker drain all use hose cuffs with spiral wire hose on my boat. Are these fittings original? Does your H31 use them? The guy at West Marine said the use of hose cuffs is to be discouraged because they aren't marine grade fittings and because if my boat sank as a result of one of them failing, insurance might not pay.

It didn't occur to me until later that these are all above the water line fittings with the exception of the galley. In fact the starboard cockpit drain hasn't had a hose on it for some time because I'm re-doing that area.

The problem with not using them is that I'd have to use spiral hose on hose barbs which isn't a very good seal. Also the lower end of the cockpit drains are molded into the hull and I'm definitely not going to modify those.

Please let me know. Thanks.

 

[HMT2]

I have an '83 H31 and the only places I have cuffs is the port and starboard cockpit drains which do indeed go to a near but above waterline fitting. My galley sink and head sink all drain via a double clamped thru hull fitting. For what it's worth a few years ago, the hose on my port cockpit drain broke near the exit and when heeled to port water poured into my boat.

 

[SFS]

@IH82BL8 - Do you have pictures of what you are talking about? I guess I'm not sure what you mean by "hose cuff" and "Spiral wire".

 

[Don Crowther]

Yes both my H31 & H34 had/have the cuffed hoses. They were all above the water line. Both the water tanks and the sepic tanks I believe are original hoses.

 

[Allan12210]

Those were the original hoses. I have replaced all of mine as that type of hose got very brittle over time. I have the original bilge pump hose like that still that I repurposed to a manual pump after I put a new outlet and hose to a different through hull. Probably best to get rid of them in place of smooth bore hose. They also provide a breeding ground for crud in the fresh water tank fill and vent hoses.

 

[kloudie1]

SFS, the hoses look like this.. a soft collar on a spiral wound hose.. cuff seals on the hose barb..(kinda center of picture) If ya don't have them, you are good ! They can be replaced with the correct size, smooth bore, "sanitary hose" from Depot/Lowes.. Allan is right on !

 

[SFS]

Ah, spiral equals "ribbed' or corrugated. Unfortunately, I have those, but they will be replaced soon. And I will go to Depot, and buy what they sell as "spa hose". Pricey, but not as much as sanitation hose at West Marine.

 

[FastOlson]

Suggest you reinstall smooth wall interior vinyl hose, with the hard plastic spiral ribbing. It will clamp to your barb fittings and will allow unimpeded flow.

As you have been told, hose cuffs are 'bout gone from the market. Too many separations from the hose they were supposed to be attached to.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Hose cuffs and corrugated hose went out with poodle skirts and saddle shoes. Worse yet, the average working life of ANY hose--water, fuel exhaust, waste--is only about 10 years because rubber and vinyl dry out and become hard, brittle and prone to cracking. So if you have cuffed hoses, replacing 'em needs to be moved to the top of your to-do list.

Don't even THINK of using spa hose in a sanitation system...it'll start stinking in weeks because while it may LOOk like the same hose that WM sells, it's WATER hose...it isn't rated to carry sewage, nor for connection to any below-waterline thru-hull. The cheapest hose that WM sells----Shields or Trident #148 flex PVC--isn't much better. This is one place you don't want to skimp if you only want to do this job once. You can get away with Shields or Trident #148 for toilet intake and vent lines but not for hoses that carry sewage. The two best sanitation hoses on the market are Trident 101/102 (same hose except for color--101 is black, 102 is white) Trident #101 Sanitation Hose Trident #101 Sanitation Hose ...it's a double walled rubber hose that's been on the market more than 20 years without a single reported odor permeation failure. If you shop, you should be able to find it for $7-8/ft. It has one drawback, though...it's as stiff as an ironing board, which makes it a PITA to install in systems where there are a lot of bends in the hose. Raritan SaniFlex hose costs twice as much, but it's been on the market for nearly 10 years without a single reported odor permeation failure and is so flexible it can bend like a hair pin without kinking. Raritan SaniFlex hose (And btw, NEVER heat a hose to make it bend tighter than it wants to bend willingly. That will cause the "skin" on the outside of the radius to tear and weaken the inside of the radius, which will result in a kink.
Yes...both these hoses are a lot more expensive than spa hose...but when it comes to sanitation hose, not only do you only want to buy it once, you only want to go through what it takes to replace it once!

 

[SFS]

Peggie, I'm going to use spa hose for the cockpit drains, not anything related to the head. I think that is the only place I have hose cuffs and the "spiral" hose. Anything related to the head on my boat is strictly by-your-book.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Peggie, I'm going to use spa hose for the cockpit drains, not anything related to the head. I think that is the only place I have hose cuffs and the "spiral" hose. Anything related to the head on my boat is strictly by-your-book.

That's good to know...but the best thing about forums is, a lot of people read the posts...in fact, I try to remember that I'm talking to everyone, not just the person I'm replying to. Someone else prob'ly needs info about sanitation hoses.

I wouldn't even use spa hose for cockpit drains if they connect to below waterline thru-hulls. When it fails on a hot tub, it won't sink owner's house or even the hot tub...you don't want to use it anywhere it could sink your boat. But you don't have to use sanitation hose either...water hose that's rated for below-waterline use is a LOT less expensive...check the sbo.com online store for it.

 

[Dfisher]

Did you end up replacing the hose? If so what did you go with? I just replaced my head sink discharge with 1 1/4" PVC. It was a little loose on the thru hull but i double clamped it and it seemed secure. After a long day of heeling today my bilge was full of water and thats where it was coming from. Any suggestions on what you used would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

I suspect you prob'ly should have used 1" pipe instead of 1.25". In fact, I question whether that's a good place to use hard PVC...for one thing, you can't clamp hard pipe.
It makes sense to use it some sanitation systems, but sink drain lines rarely if ever permeate with odor, so you can use any that's rated for below waterline connection...Shields or Trident #148 is inexpensive and should work just fine.

 

[IH82BL8]

I used 1 1/2" sanitary hose. It sounds expensive but I had a surplus on hand that I bought cheap on Amazon.

 

[Dfisher]

Sorry...I should have been more clear. I used PVC hose. 1" would have been too small. I may just have to pull the thru hull and inspect to see if it is the source of the leak. Did you have nay trouble being the sanitary hose in the light arch between the thru hull and the sink? The PVC was pretty stiff.

 

[IH82BL8]

Haven't done the sink yet just the cockpit drains.