Permeated hoses

[Doug Washburn]

1. i spent this weekend removing both sanitation hoses plus the vent hose. the evacuation hose is back in with the rest to go in next week. my question concerns the evac hose. it seems to me you would not want any section of that hose to be lower that the evac fitting in the tank. however, the way the hunter is designed, it appears to to do so as it makes its way to the deck fitting. am i just paranoid or should i do whatever it takes to keep the entire run higher than the tank fitting?2. i am using the sealand odorsafe hose for the main hoses. does it make a difference what hose i use for the vent?

 

[Peggie Hall/Head Mistress]

Use only sanitation hose, not clear plastic

The OdorSafe hose is only available in 1.5", so use either Shields from WM or Trident from B/US.As for the dip in the tank discharge hose, just backflush it with a good shot of fresh water after every pumpout--and (for those of you in coastal waters) USE the pumpout fairly often...don't always dump at sea, 'cuz you NEED to rinse out the system after at least every 4th or 5th time you empty the tank, if not more often.

 

[Barrie McDonald]

Sanitation Hoses

The only really good high quality sanitation hoses to use arethe "premium" brand of hoses used on high end yachts like "Swans". The rest are a waste of time and money.barrie

 

[Tim Leighton]

CHANGING MINE ALSO

Doug: I recently decided to change my hoses as well, but found I was simply unable to remove the lines from the head area (all three) leading to the area under the forward V-berth. Finally gave up trying and decided to cut the hoses just as they enter the area under the V-berth and then connect good sanitation hose for the rest of the run. Also, I changed the way the system is plumbed to force waste to the holding tank and then via a "Y" valve to the pumpout or overboard discharge.  Did you have the "old" plumbing (ability to pump directly overboard) or the more environmentially correct system? Finally, please let me know either here or by e-mail how you replaced the hoses where they lead between the pan and hull on the stbd side. Thanks. Smooth (and odor free!) sailing! Tim Leighton S/V "TIDE" TIDETIM@AOL.COM

 

[Peggie Hall/Head Mistress]

Tim, if you'd read the article "Replacing Hoses in

Your Sanitation System" in the Head Mistress forum Reference Library before you tried to change yours, you'd have seen:" It's much easier to pull new hose through inaccessible places if you connect it to the old hose and pull the new through as you pull the old out. Use a male-to male connector...cement both hose ends onto it. Do not use hose clamps or anything that can get hung up as you pull the hose through, and be sure to buttthe ends of the hose tightly together to create the smoothest uninterrupted surface possible. After you've pulled it through, cut the new hose cleanly behind the connector." Of course, it only works if the old hose hasn't been "tacked" to bulkheads along the way...or there aren't any elbows or other fittings in the hose that can get hung up. But that's rare. And if you can get the old hose out that way, I strongly urge you to try...because you'll always have odor as long as any permeated hose remains.And btw...there are a lot of other good tips in that article that make the job easier too.

 

[Tim Leighton]

I DID...I REALLY DID!!!

Peggy: Thanks, but I really did both read your article AND try (valiantly I might add) to run the "connected" hoses from the head to the holding tank area. Just couldn't get the darn things to budge. I could have made a few cuts into the fiberglass liner (admittedly under the sink and unseen) to make the "run" a bit straighter, but just don't want to cut any bigger holes! You are absolutely right however, I know there is a chance that my repairs will not totally eliminate all odors, but thanks to your sage advice, I've been using the proper cleaning methods and holding tank products...the system has never been so clean. The good news is that if this doesn't work to my satisfaction, I can still make those cuts and run new hose (I got a great deal on a roll of Trident hose!). Keeping my fingers crossed.Tim L. (S/V "TIDE")