Sanitary hoses

jssailem · Saturday at 10:03 AM

Query #1. I would invest in Saniflex. The additional cost is more than made up for by the 10-year guarantee. No other hose manufacturer makes that guarantee that I know of. Additionally, the Saniflex hose is easier to install as it is bendable.

Query #2. I bought what I thought was enough hose, and cut and installed it as I went. Very little was wasted or left over hose. You can get a more accurate value if you remove your hoses and then measure.

Check out @Peggie Hall HeadMistress 's book The New Get Rid of Boat Odors . When I contacted Peggie, she reminded me that most builders have a poor idea of boat plumbing. That was the case in my boat. The hose from the head to the holding tank ran level for 6.5 feet, then up 2 feet before spilling into the holding tank. That left effluent sitting in the hose after each flush. I modified the design according to Peggie's recommendation. Now the hose rises 3ft, then flows downward to the tank. The pump easily pushes the flush up and over the top, then gravity finishes the job.

Query #3 No.
You need a reinforced hose on all through-hulls. The clear plastic is not designed to protect your boat from a potential failure. Lake water may or may not be good, depending on the quality of the lake water. With each flush, you may get bugs and algae into the holding tank. When they die, they can produce an awful smell. Look for the Peggie design to use fresh water from the sink drain as flush water in your head.

Tally Ho · Saturday at 10:13 AM

Saniflex is expensive, but it has 2 very good qualities:
1) Odor resistance
2) Flexibility

I used another quality hose (Shields) and it was a pain to work around any curves, be do, etc. I have not used Saniflex, but I am told it is much more flexible. So unless you have mostly straight runs (in which case you could use rigid PVC), Saniflex will be much easier to work with.

I snaked a tape measure along the route of my sanitation hose and got a pretty close estimate of the length I needed. I added a foot to make sure….too short is a killer!

On the intake hose, as John mentioned above (he types faster than me), you should have reinforced hose for that supply connection.
I wouldn't think that is the source of your odors (at least not the only source), particularly on the Great Lakes. I do rinse my head and discharge hose with fresh water at the of the day because there is “some” marine life in our water that can die and smell (but not as bad as the oceans).

Greg

dlochner · Saturday at 2:14 PM

Having wrestled with Shields hose (the cheap and expensive), Trident hose, and Saniflex, I much prefer Saniflex. I can actually wrestle into position without resorting salty language.

Check Defender. The 1.5" is only $11.60 a foot.

As others have said, I'd rather throw out $30 of hose than $130 of hose. Measure the best you can and add some extra.

Hardware store clear vinyl hose is definitely the wrong kind of hose for a several reasons. Without reinforcement any hose on the suction side of a pump will be prone to collapsing. Second, the hose is not rated for below waterline use and is easily damaged. Finally, vinyl hoses are prone to odor permeation, where odors are absorbed and then released. Trident 147 or the cheap white Shields hoses will work for intake lines.

I've found the Saniflex hose is easy to slid onto fittings in addition to being very flexible. For the other hoses I've been using hot water to soften the hose before installing. It works well because the hot water heats the hose from both the inside and the outside and limits the temperature, while heat guns only heat the outside of the hose and extended heating to heat through the hose can over heat and damage the hose, making it stiffer when it is cool.

dlochner · Saturday at 2:51 PM

john6206 said:
Sounds like Saniflex is getting high marks - should I use that for both lake water and blackwater?

Probably not. It only comes in 2 sizes, 1" and 1.5".

rgranger · Saturday at 4:23 PM

You said you suspect a particular run of hose. Before you rip all the hose out… take a moist rag… rub down the hose with the rag and sniff the rag. If the smell in your boat is a permeated hose, The hose will fail the sniff test. :poop:

You might only need to replace some hose…..

also… it is very unlikely that the problem is your fresh water pickup line since that hose only has fresh water in it.

dlochner · Saturday at 6:49 PM

john6206 said:
@rgranger
I’ll try it with a damp rag.

People keep telling me “scratch and sniff” and I get nothing.

I don’t mind spending hundreds of dollars and spending an unpleasant day, but I’m hoping the situation is improved in the end.

The rag test works best with warm water on the rag and leave it on the hose for a few minutes.

There are lots of things on a boat that can absorb and reemit odors long after the original source has been removed. Wire insulation, vinyl trim and hoses, and a really big on is the foam in the cushions. Once the odor source has been removed, these things will continue to emit odors for a while. Foam cushions are a different matter. I didn't realize how badly the cushions smelled until I brought them home and put them in the garage. Whoa! I couldn't wait for the trash to come and take the foam away. Think about it, for years people have been sitting, sleeping, sweating, and farting on the cushions. Dampness promotes mold and mildew and who knows what else that can grow in the foam. There is no cure. Trash the foam and if the covers are still good get them cleaned and then new foam.

Ralph Johnstone · Saturday at 9:26 PM

dlochner said:
for years people have been sitting, sleeping, sweating, and farting on the cushions.

I think a more genteel selection of guests on your boat would do away with that problem.

rgranger · Saturday at 9:26 PM

And a $50 ozone generator left on the boat for a few days will help a lot.

colemj · Sunday at 5:01 AM

Don't use the Shields hose. It is a cheap version of the Trident hose, but thinner and with fewer layers. I've had a lot of experience for many years with both the Trident and Saniflex. There is no difference in odor permeability or lifespan (both are excellent), but the Saniflex is much easier to install and bend. If you are price sensitive and one is cheaper than the other, then just let the installation details wrt bending needs decide for you.

Anywhere you can use PVC pipe, you will be better off than hose. If you have straight runs, make it PVC. You can get PVC pipe to hose barbs for transitions. Don't use 90* elbows, but if you can make turns with 30-45* elbows, or a couple of them in series, then use those. If you have runs that you can't get pipe into, then use couplers on shorter sections.

PVC pipe will never permeate, resist scaling better than hose, is almost free compared to hose, and can be replaced if needed everywhere in the world no matter how remote.

Mark

BigEasy · Sunday at 10:05 AM

john6206 said:
@dlochner
yes.

The cockpit cushions on The new boat are made of magic foam. MAN do they smell.

When I bought my boat, I requested that PO owner / boatyard that was prepping to ship, pumpout the holding tank. Of course, they did not. By the time the boat was shipped, it was sitting closed up with ambient temps in mid 90s for a month. The odor was unbearable & had permeated the cushions. I removed the covers & soaked the foam in a ”kiddie” pool with a cleaning solution, vacuumed as much water as possible with a shop vac, & allowed them to dry /air out for several days in direct sunlight. Did the same with fabric covers & reinstalled the wet covers on the dry foam & allowed them to dry in sunlight. Also used fans to ensure they were completely dry. There was no residual odor remaining & I was able to salvage the cushions. Drained holding tank, cleaned, & flushed tank & hoses multiple times. cleaned & wiped all interior surfaces. Nasty job, but odors gone. Boat was 5 years old at that time.

Sanitary hoses

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SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John

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