Fantasie 19
Well-Known Member
Stupid question - may be not - what kind of hose should I be using for my new cockpit drains when I install them?? I'm getting the fittings from ASAP so is their "bilge pump hose" suitable???
Hose for cockpit drains
- Thread starter Fantasie 19
- Start date
rob2
Well-Known Member
I guess it depends on the design and layout of the drains. To explain, ny drains have hoses from the cockpit fittings which cross beneath the sole and connect to glassed-in stand pipes, which are above the waterline. Whilst sailing well heeled, the hoses contribute to the integrity of the hull, but static, on the mooring, the boat will not sink if they are removed. Other types have hoses running from the cockpit fittings down to a skin fitting (hopefully with a seacock) and will always need to be leak free or the boat will sink - after all, if you close the seacocks the cockpit is no linger self draining.
My own preference is a rubber hose with spiral wire reinforcement to prevent them kinking and reducing flow. If the hose has to go through a tight bend then the reinforcement may limit the radius you can achieve, forcing you to either use lighter hose or fit an angled joint, with the added risk of more joints which may eventually fail.
So long as the hose has a fairly easy path without risk of abrasion on adjacent bits and pieces then careful fitting should prevent kinking anyway. In Southampton I go to the local rubber factor who offers various grades of hose, some special purpose, such as exhaust hose, and they will advise on suitable applications for each whilst you can get a feel for how they will flex to the path required.
Rob.
My own preference is a rubber hose with spiral wire reinforcement to prevent them kinking and reducing flow. If the hose has to go through a tight bend then the reinforcement may limit the radius you can achieve, forcing you to either use lighter hose or fit an angled joint, with the added risk of more joints which may eventually fail.
So long as the hose has a fairly easy path without risk of abrasion on adjacent bits and pieces then careful fitting should prevent kinking anyway. In Southampton I go to the local rubber factor who offers various grades of hose, some special purpose, such as exhaust hose, and they will advise on suitable applications for each whilst you can get a feel for how they will flex to the path required.
Rob.
prv
Well-Known Member
No need for a special kind of hose, but because it's all that's keeping the sea out it does need to be robust.
I bought some bilge pump hose from ASAP (black, with quite a wide spiral and thin wall in between) for Kindred Spirit's cockpit drains, but when it arrived I decided it wasn't sturdy enough. I used it for the bilge pump, as the name suggests, but I wouldn't have been happy with it for drains. I re-ordered some tougher stuff, green, also with a plastic spiral, but with the wall thickness about equal to the depth of the spiral (as in, no major ridges and valleys around the outside). Same kind of thing you see on the suction side of builders' and farmers' water pumps.
Pete
I bought some bilge pump hose from ASAP (black, with quite a wide spiral and thin wall in between) for Kindred Spirit's cockpit drains, but when it arrived I decided it wasn't sturdy enough. I used it for the bilge pump, as the name suggests, but I wouldn't have been happy with it for drains. I re-ordered some tougher stuff, green, also with a plastic spiral, but with the wall thickness about equal to the depth of the spiral (as in, no major ridges and valleys around the outside). Same kind of thing you see on the suction side of builders' and farmers' water pumps.
Pete
VicS
Well-Known Member
The hose supplied with my boat was ordinary thin walled plastic ( polythene ?) tubing
Was not happy with that esp as the cockpit drains and the sink drain outlet are below the water line and all without seacocks.
Therefore after a year or two replaced them with some reinforced PVC stuff ..... like this
![clear-pvc-braided-reinforced-hose-30mtr-13mm-x-19mm-683-p[ekm]247x300[ekm].jpg](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fblackburn-house-koi-online-shop.co.uk%2Fekmps%2Fshops%2Fbhkoi%2Fimages%2Fclear-pvc-braided-reinforced-hose-30mtr-13mm-x-19mm-683-p%5Bekm%5D247x300%5Bekm%5D.jpg&hash=d795defc75e63d34536c4918a14c90a8)
I reckon thats as strong as the hull and will see me out OK
Was not happy with that esp as the cockpit drains and the sink drain outlet are below the water line and all without seacocks.
Therefore after a year or two replaced them with some reinforced PVC stuff ..... like this
I reckon thats as strong as the hull and will see me out OK
ganter
Well-Known Member
I'm replacing my aged green hoses with the black thick walled from ASAP. I've gone for the fuel resistant as well because diesel leaks from filling the tank and other solvent nastys in the cockpit will find their way down them.
It's not so much about reinforcement as the hoses are always under positive pressure but not raised pressure. It's more about them being flexible with strong walls and resistance against kinks and abrasions.
It's not so much about reinforcement as the hoses are always under positive pressure but not raised pressure. It's more about them being flexible with strong walls and resistance against kinks and abrasions.
Wooden Boat Fittings
Well-Known Member
Without commenting on the hose material at all, this point from Rob is most important. If the hull outlet (which can be above water, as Rob says) isn't on the opposite side of the hull to the cockpit inlet, the hose will be allowing water into the cockpit when heeled on either tack instead of draining it out when heeled on the opposite one.
Mike
Avocet
Well-Known Member
The hose supplied with my boat was ordinary thin walled plastic ( polythene ?) tubing
Was not happy with that esp as the cockpit drains and the sink drain outlet are below the water line and all without seacocks.
Therefore after a year or two replaced them with some reinforced PVC stuff ..... like this
I reckon thats as strong as the hull and will see me out OK
That's the stuff I use. Mine are only about 10" long though, and because they're so short, they're relatively stiff. I had to soak the ends in boiling water to soften them enough to fit them.
VicS
Well-Known Member
Mine dont cross, and they only a few inches long but water does not come up into the cockpit when heeled.
Fantasie 19
Well-Known Member
Yes, apologies, should perhaps have explained more.. this is a Hurley 20, the cockpit drain (above waterline) doesn't cross, goes direct to skin fitting (below waterline).. will be about a foot, foot and a half... currently got green hose on ..
PRV - thanks for the review - noted...
Seajet
...
Fantasie 19,
congratulations on your nut cluster !
Why so many ?
PM sent.
congratulations on your nut cluster !
Why so many ?
PM sent.
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DanTribe
Well-Known Member
Agree with earlier replies about ASAP bilge pump hose.
I thought this would be good for cockpit drains but was surprised how flimsy it seemed.
Have since bought some of their black flexihose [part nr 412438] Much more substantial and as they say it's the nearest replacement for the discontinued green hose.
I thought this would be good for cockpit drains but was surprised how flimsy it seemed.
Have since bought some of their black flexihose [part nr 412438] Much more substantial and as they say it's the nearest replacement for the discontinued green hose.
Danbury
Well-Known Member
Isn't that a seacock on there ?
VicS
Well-Known Member
Looks to me like a skin fitting, a gate valve, a nipple and a female threaded hose tail.
The nipple is perhaps unnecessary because a male threaded hose tail could have been screwed directly into the valve.
Boo2
Well-Known Member
The hose supplied with my boat was ordinary thin walled plastic ( polythene ?) tubing
Was not happy with that esp as the cockpit drains and the sink drain outlet are below the water line and all without seacocks.
Therefore after a year or two replaced them with some reinforced PVC stuff ..... like this
I reckon thats as strong as the hull and will see me out OK
The surveyor who inspected my boat said that the use of "braided" hose was not ideal and it should preferably be replaced with the spiral reinforced stuff which I am about to do.
Boo2
Danbury
Well-Known Member
Mines spiral reinforced stuff... and about 2" diameter...
VicS
Well-Known Member
It what way is the spiral reinforced hose better ?
More resistant to UV degradation perhaps
Fantasie 19
Well-Known Member
Scotty_Tradewind
Well-Known Member
The hose supplied with my boat was ordinary thin walled plastic ( polythene ?) tubing
Was not happy with that esp as the cockpit drains and the sink drain outlet are below the water line and all without seacocks.
Therefore after a year or two replaced them with some reinforced PVC stuff ..... like this
I reckon thats as strong as the hull and will see me out OK
This type of pipe is imho not strong enough.
Not worth penny pinching on such a short length.
In some boats things are shoved below alongside cockpit drain, too risky to damage imho
S.
VicS
Well-Known Member
Perhaps I got hold of some good quality stuff then. It seems strong enough for me. Will easily withstand a few inches of water pressure. Good for many, many feet of head pressure I would think. **
Located where nothing is likely to damage them externally.
** 80 psi working pressure for the size hose I have
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rob2
Well-Known Member
The discussion and disagreements so far just show that there is no single answer to the original question. If the hose is above the waterline and/or well protected then a lesser spec is required than a pair of crossed hoses running across an open void, doubly so if they are exposed to things being thrown into a locker! I am amzed to see people lobbing heavy gear into a locker that I know have hoses, wiring, etc in them. I feel fortunate that (through none of my doing) there are no exposed things in my lockers other than what I've thrown in there.
Rob.
Rob.
