I rebuilt my entire sanitation system this past off season. I bought the 1 1/2 inch elbows for this at West Marine. I noticed that when I assembled the hoses that the elbows seemed a little undersized but after heating and struggling with the hose to get it onto my bronze thru hull I did not give it much though. I figured I could compress the Sealand hose enough to make a seal. Not so. When I pumped water thru my system, just about every elbow leaked even with double clamps. I even tightened the clamps to the breaking point and they still leaked. I went to my local WM and we measured various elbows, tees and other fittings and almost all measured 1/16th to 1/8th undersized. The ones that were a correct 1 1/2 were a slightly different color(maybe different maker). They are going to refund my money but of course all my labor is lost and I must pull the whole system apart and reconnect with fittings I bought at Hamiltons here in Portland. I suspect that the fittings might work if you heated the hose enough and clamp it while hot but I am not willing to take that chance. Tim R.
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Rebuilding Sanitation System
Tim, Thanks for the head-up about the fittings from West Marine. The sanitation system for our boat is on the list of things to do. I LOVE Hamilton Marine !! It's one of my favorite places to go. They have been very helpful with advice & they know what they are talking about. I just wish they hadn't downsized there selection of teak.
Tim, Thanks for the head-up about the fittings from West Marine. The sanitation system for our boat is on the list of things to do. I LOVE Hamilton Marine !! It's one of my favorite places to go. They have been very helpful with advice & they know what they are talking about. I just wish they hadn't downsized there selection of teak.
hose clamps
i had a leak one time that just would not quit. the problem ended up being the width of the hose clamp. where the screw mechanism is, there is a flat spot on the inside of the clamp. using a clamp that is narrower reduces this problem. it fixed the leak. the narrow hose clamps are hard to find sometimes, but may solve your problem.
i had a leak one time that just would not quit. the problem ended up being the width of the hose clamp. where the screw mechanism is, there is a flat spot on the inside of the clamp. using a clamp that is narrower reduces this problem. it fixed the leak. the narrow hose clamps are hard to find sometimes, but may solve your problem.
Ken, that's why all hose connections should be
clamped, with the screws on opposite sides of the hose. Tightening ANY clamp can cause the hose to "pucker" under the screw...the second clamp seals that pucker. It also is a fail-safe in case one clamp fails. ABYC standards require that all sanitation system hose connections and all hoses in any other system connected to below-waterline thru-hulls have two hose clamps. Btw, Tim...thanks for the heads up on WM fittngs. It sounds like they may have gotten a batch of 1.25" fittings mislabled 1.5"...or found a supplier whose prices are a little TOO low for any quality control.
clamped, with the screws on opposite sides of the hose. Tightening ANY clamp can cause the hose to "pucker" under the screw...the second clamp seals that pucker. It also is a fail-safe in case one clamp fails. ABYC standards require that all sanitation system hose connections and all hoses in any other system connected to below-waterline thru-hulls have two hose clamps. Btw, Tim...thanks for the heads up on WM fittngs. It sounds like they may have gotten a batch of 1.25" fittings mislabled 1.5"...or found a supplier whose prices are a little TOO low for any quality control.
And to add to that quality control issue,
when I installed my LectraSan last year, the West Marine elbows were too LARGE. It was impossible to get them into the hard walled sanitation hose, UNLESS, I looked to my right. There on the shelf were the same fittings, but made by Forespar. Marlone. Perfect fit.
when I installed my LectraSan last year, the West Marine elbows were too LARGE. It was impossible to get them into the hard walled sanitation hose, UNLESS, I looked to my right. There on the shelf were the same fittings, but made by Forespar. Marlone. Perfect fit.
SeaLand fittings
Using the SeaLand smooth fittings with your sanitation hoses will make putting your system together MUCH easier. They're smooth and easy to get the hose on to. A litle more expensive, but worth every penny. I hate to admit it, but I've also increased the size of some slightly undersized (probably metric, but that's another story) fittings by wrapping them with clear plastic hockey sock tape that's very stretchy. No leaks in 4 years. I think I've replaced the last of that now, though.
Using the SeaLand smooth fittings with your sanitation hoses will make putting your system together MUCH easier. They're smooth and easy to get the hose on to. A litle more expensive, but worth every penny. I hate to admit it, but I've also increased the size of some slightly undersized (probably metric, but that's another story) fittings by wrapping them with clear plastic hockey sock tape that's very stretchy. No leaks in 4 years. I think I've replaced the last of that now, though.
More on hose clamps - if you use the solid ones
and not the slotted ones, you run less risk of damaging the hose when tightening.
and not the slotted ones, you run less risk of damaging the hose when tightening.
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