Sanitation Hose to fit Blake’s 3/4’ Seacock.

[Wandering Star]

Hi All,

I thought I was in for an easy day today replacing the toilet hoses on my Blake’s seacocks. Popped into Force 4 and purchased 3 metres each of 3/4” & 1 1/2” sanitation hose and although the 1 1/2” hose fits fine, the 3/4” hose just won’t fit. I tried dipping the end in a kettle of boiling water to soften it but the internal diameter is just too small. It’s really impossible. So off I went to two different branches of Force 4 to see if they had a slightly larger internal diameter hose but next size up is 1” which is too large.

So, what to do? Has anyone replaced their Blake’s seacock hoses recently? Where did you buy the hose from? Or has anyone any brilliant ideas which I might not have tried already for getting this supposedly correctly sized hose onto the tail of the seacock?

 

[Refueler]

I hate piping ...

its either like yours near impossible to fit ...

or its metric and hose is imperial or other way round ...

Sorry I cannot suggest any remedy - all I can do is show sympathy ...

Actually ... what about dropping into a caravan shop and asking them .. maybe they have a metric pipe that is slightly larger ID ?

 

[jane444blue]

I had this misery and wished I hadn't started. It was a few years ago but think I persevered with a lot of boiling water for a long time and sorted it eventually that way

 

[NormanS]

If you've got power, a hair dryer is much more effective than hot water. With that you can heat the hose, and crucially, the hose tail, while pushing the hose on.

 

[Wandering Star]

If you've got power, a hair dryer is much more effective than hot water. With that you can heat the hose, and crucially, the hose tail, while pushing the hose on.

Good idea - I’ll try that on Monday if my wife allows me the use of her hair dryer which isn’t a given!

 

[wrr]

The last time that I did this using 3/4" white sanitation grade tubing, the following worked:
1. Clean the male metal to remove any corrosion and lubricate with a smear of silicon grease.
2. Soften the tubing by immersion in boiling water until the section to go on the seacock is really soft.
3. Expand the end slightly with a softwood conical plug and pour more boiling water over the tubing.
4. Wearing a glove, as it should be really hot, push on the tubing.
5. Allow to cool before double clipping.

Good luck!

 

[aqua_sax]

There's sanitation hose, and then there is sanitation hose, first the intermediate grade white stuff with plastic spiral reinforcement, and the the top grade zero odour rubber hose with a fabric outer (eg Vetus sanitation hose). The latter is usually easier to fit (did mine 18 months ago, inlet and outlet, both Blakes seacocks). Gentle heat for long enough on both hose and hosetail plus pre-expansion as suggested above will get you there.

 

[RunAgroundHard]

There's sanitation hose, and then there is sanitation hose, ...

 

[vic008]

Use a bit of lubricant on the fitting
Heat is not really good for the hose but what can you do.
I found Vetus hose slid on far too easily.
Will they give you samples an inch or so long for you to try
Have pot of water boiling away on stove and put hose in that instead of pouring boiling water over, worked better, or was that my imagination.

 

[rogerthebodger]

I use a hear gun to heat the hose to a soft consistency then it will go over the sea cock fitting

This is how I fix swmbo garden irrigation system

 

[LittleSister]

There's sanitation hose, and then there is sanitation hose, first the intermediate grade white stuff with plastic spiral reinforcement, and the the top grade zero odour rubber hose with a fabric outer (eg Vetus sanitation hose). The latter is usually easier to fit . . .

Definitely. The rubber foam-ish sanitation hose stuff (Vetus and other brands) is much easier to fit. Doesn't even require heating.

It's significantly more expensive per metre, but often worth it for the ease of fitting (and perhaps pong-free life). I've even used it for non-sanitation purposes, e.g. 1 1/2" cockpit drains where restricted access would have made it very difficult to apply the necessary force to get the standard hose onto the fitttings' hose barbs.

Note, though, its external diameter is greater than the budget stuff, and this prevented me using it once where I had to use an existing hole in a bulkhead.

 

[dansaskip]

There's sanitation hose, and then there is sanitation hose,

There is also Butyl sanitation hose - again more expensive but worth it. More flexible and easier to fit . After years of struggling with the cheaper stuff I replaced mine and very glad I did.
I don't know if this is quite the same as the Vetus stuff which is of sbs rubber - styrene-butadiene rubber perhaps someone more knowledgeable will say they are the same just named differently

 

[LittleSister]

There is also Butyl sanitation hose - again more expensive but worth it. More flexible and easier to fit . After years of struggling with the cheaper stuff I replaced mine and very glad I did.
I don't know if this is quite the same as the Vetus stuff which is of sbs rubber - styrene-butadiene rubber perhaps someone more knowledgeable will say they are the same just named differently

That's my understanding. (Though I am not claiming to be particularly knowledgeable.)

e.g. (other suppliers & manufacturers available)
Seaflow Marine Butyl Rubber Sanitation Hose (19mm ID)

 

[vyv_cox]

I use a heat gun to heat the hose to a soft consistency then it will go over the sea cock fitting

This is how I fix swmbo garden irrigation system

I agree, a heat gun is the No.1 tool for the job. If I don't have one available I heat hoses carefully with a small gas fuelled blowlamp, boiling water is insufficiently hot to thoroughly soften most hoses. The flame does not need to touch the plastic: its hot air exhaust is sufficient, especially on the inside of the hose.