bilge hose won't co-operate

[Preferred]

replacing my forward bilge hose, due to cracking at the pump. the hose goes through stringers under the forward head.It is being stubborn, thinking of using a smaller hose and feeding it through the existing hose, and installing couplers at the end to fit the pump and through hull? has any one solved this issue?

[mjk1040]

U can do that but, realize u have just lowered the capacity of the bilge pump to pump water out. Pump, hose and thru haul sizes are all correlated to meet the pump capacity of gallons per hour! U could cut the pump capacity in half.

[km1125]

You can't tape the new hose to the old hose and just pull it through?

[bud37]

Source of the post replacing my forward bilge hose, due to cracking at the pump. the hose goes through stringers under the forward head.It is being stubborn, thinking of using a smaller hose and feeding it through the existing hose, and installing couplers at the end to fit the pump and through hull? has any one solved this issue?

You may be able to get back to the same original flow if when or if you change the hose size , by going to a larger bilge pump....check the various flow rates of the pumps with various hose sizes. Remember even if you only change the hose to smaller for 1 inch that means the pump sees that size for the entire length of the hose and change the flow rate accordingly......hope this helps.

edit ... to add I will say that the best solution would be to remove and replace the hose properly as has been suggested .

[Preferred]

Hi All
the hose 12-15 ft ???goes through 3 stringers that are rough cut fiberglass all are 90 degree turns. not a very well thought out design. under the forward head, and under the generator. A magician couldn't hide it better.

thanks for the reply's
Don

[Preferred]

Hi all
I forgot to mention I have a muskrat story to share, with pictures. On inspecting the only way this hose could have been compromised is by a muskrat chewing on the hose. It was in the fall and wasn't in the engine room long enough to do other damage that I can find. The insurance company was notified immediately just in case there is damage not yet discovered. I have installed muskrat preventers on the exhausts. I will take pictures and share the story next week.
thanks
Don

[mjk1040]

Bud; I'm afraid your suggestion is asking for trouble, if in fact that vessel started taking on water and the full capacity of the bilge pump was in need, I think your looking at a sinking ship. I'm only guessing, but that size boat must have 1500>2000 gph bilge pumps onboard with 1-1/8" hose and thru haul. Down sizing that hose is down sizing the capacity of the bilge system's capacity to do its rated job. It may effect the insurance coverage if one was to do this and a boat went down?

[bud37]

Mike with all due respect, nowhere did I suggest to go smaller on the hose, Don did....what I said was that if he was to do that, he might get the capacity back by going to a larger bilge pump ( more pressure than stock) and to check specs/ flows with different size hose.....all fluid dynamics.....of course it would depend on what is there now , but that is why you check first.....from what Don is saying with a run like that and that many bends it may have trouble anyway.......

[km1125]

Source of the post
the hose 12-15 ft ???goes through 3 stringers that are rough cut fiberglass all are 90 degree turns.

Not very ideal indeed!!! Is this corrugated hose? Every foot you run through on that add resistance and lowers pump capacity. Add turns and it drops again. Would be interesting to actually put water in the bilge and see what the actual pumping capacity is.

Is there any way to re-route to make it shorter and put in another through-hull that would be closer to the pump?

[tomschauer]

Hopefully you have solved this by now, maybe by cutting the hose north of the cracking and adding a coupling and some new hose? If not, even if you would ignore the flow capacity reduction of a smaller diameter hose, I believe you would quickly become frustrated and discouraged trying to pull plastic hose through plastic hose. Friction makes it nearly impossible, unless the diameter is significantly smaller.