Stretching toilet hose

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KenMcCulloch

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I have a rather old-fashioned bronze plug-type toilet outlet seacock. The hose tail section has an external diameter of about 40mm which makes it very difficult to fit a standard 38mm ID hose. I have some reinforced plastic sanitary hose but lubricating the connection and softening the end in hot water have not done the trick. I can readily visualise a simple tool that would enable me to stretch the end sufficiently but I don't have the tools to make the tool.

In the meantime I have re-used the old hose which is still in fair condition and more flexible than the newer stuff, but I think it should really be replaced. Advice would be welcome.
 
Can be difficult. You could try hot oil because it will not boil off at 100C. Last time I did one I used a deWalt heat gun and that worked ok.
 
Warming the hose is obvious, less obvious perhaps is the need to warm the fitting as well. As soon as your nice flexible soft hose touches the cool bronze it will cease to be nice and soft. You can use an appropriately sized glass bottle neck with warm water to stretch the hose.
 
I had a similar problem last year with toilet outlet hose. No amount of hot water, wooden plugs or bottle tops got me close but a hot air gun did. The tube suddenly went extra flexible and I was able to get it over the fitting easily.
On the downside I think I altered the structure of the plastic as it is quite hard (possible brittle?) where it was heated. It is perfectly watertight but I never leave the seacock open except when the toilet is actually in use as I'm worried the pipe could fracture
 
I was proud to achieve this feat a few weeks ago. After one day's failed effort, the following week I prevailed. I used boiling water in conjunction with a tapered wooden bung (lubricated with washing up liquid) that I hammered into the pipe. That and a lot of cursing seemed to work.
I have since heard that a hot air gun is preferred by the professionals.

Derek
 
A hot air gun, with a little practice, makes this job oh so easy. Done it many times, just be careful not to over do it. As someone mentioned, a bit of warmth on the fitting helps too but be careful not to melt any sealant on the hull valve pad.
Hope this elps.
 
If you don't want to be as harsh as a hot air gun then you could do it with a hair dryer - the fitting needs to be hot as well ... we did it last year with boiling water for the fitting and hair dryer (not SWMBO's best one ...!) for the pipe ...
 
I vote for the hot air gun, especially to warm the seacock, also a wine bottle, one of those with with a tapering neck filled with hot water is a good way to try and stretch the hose, in conjunction with the hot air gun. That, and swearing and scraping all the skin off your knuckles seems to do the job.
 
The following is a post I made last year, I was so please with this pipe have now fitted larger outlet pipe, again it just pushed on, expensive but worth every penny.
Having re-installed my toilet for the season I was none to pleased to find a small hole in the inlet pipe.
I was not looking forward to warming the pipe, inserting cones to stretch the ends and all the swearing that would follow my attempts to get the new pipe over the ends of the fittings.
I ordered new 19mm ID sanitation pipe from ASAP Services, this proved more expensive than the normal sanitation pipe.
Took it to the boat to measure length required and having nothing more to do, thought I would offer the ends up to the fittings, to estimate how much I would have to make the pipe stretch to go over the fittings, some liquid soap on the fittings and inside pipe and offered them up, was I happy when the ends just pushed onto the fittings, two clips on each end and the job was done in minutes, no swearing, but a big cheer.
The pipe was H.T. SAINIPOMP/EXTRA ODOUR SHIELD 5 YEAR WARRANTTY BUTYL WP & Bar (100psi) ISO 8099 2000-7 and was worth every penny.
 
Yes, I found exactly the same thing with the 38 mm stuff. This was made from butyl rubber with wire reinforcing. Not cheap but guranteed smell free for 10 years. The more common spiral PVC hose will smell as it weeps very slightly through the spiral windings. The butyl hose easily fitted the outlet from the toilet, in fact it is slightly loose and tightening hose clips onto it has been problematical. I would think it would fit 40 mm fairly well.
 
Daft question alert:

Why does one need 'sanitation grade' hose on the water inlet (I presume that's what the 19mm hose is)? This isn't the first time I've heard of it, but I don't understand why - surely all the nasty smelly stuff goes through the big hose?

Andy
 
Your problem is posted every year. It's a very common problem fitting the hose over a blakes type sea cock. Take care how much effort you use. I managed to create small splits in the outlet hose that were smelly and difficult to track down.
I ended up using the correct size standard water hose at the sea cock end, toilet hose at the pump and a made up conversion fitting to connect the two.
It's been working well for two seasons.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Why does one need 'sanitation grade' hose on the water inlet (I presume that's what the 19mm hose is)? This isn't the first time I've heard of it, but I don't understand why - surely all the nasty smelly stuff goes through the big hose?


[/ QUOTE ]
You can flush through the outlet hose with fresh water put into the toilet pan. This keeps it relatively fresh inside even when the seacock is shut. However the inlet hose is full of seawater and once the seacock is shut all the little organisms die and start to decompose. The result is a most unpleasant smell which you really need to keep inside the pipe!
 
Indeed so. With transparent 19 mm inlet hose we can generate sufficient bacteria overnight that the first flush in the morning fills the boat with H2S smell. Nothing to do with holding tank or outlet pipework, simply the water entering the bowl. Using the proper stuff fixes it.
 
If hot water doesn't soften the pipe, boil it in oil, like the medieval snake it is (honestly, it gets V.hot and soft!)
As for the inlet water smell, I used to put clingfilm over the bowl and flush vigorously if we'd been away for a while. Now we have a boat with a lavac....
 
Thanks for all the helpful replies. Special thanks to Hardley and to Vyv. Being a tight Scotsman I had looked at the very expensive hose from ASAP and thought och hoots mon I'm nae peyin near fifteen poound a metre fir lavvy hose. I'll jist get the economy stuff ye ken and look whar it's got me.
 
Found another solution from another thread - as you push the hose onto the fitting, twist in the opposite direction to the reinforcement spiral in the hose. This opens up the hose and helps it slip on. Also use a hairdryer to soften up the hose which helped. I didn't heat the fitting (wouldn't it also expand?), just the hose.
 
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