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Engine room blower hose

goodrotties

New Member
Newbie here. We just bought a 1976 32-2 that hadn't been sailed in several years. While bent double inside the starboard lazaret trying to get at the front of the Atomic 4, I kept bumping into a floppy 3-inch corrugated hose that droops inside the hull from the lower bilge area to the blower under the rear starboard deck. Is there any reason not to plumb it in 3-inch rigid Schedule 40 PVC plumbing pipe that could be fastened out of the way under the quarter berth and cross near the fuel tank? Thanks for opinions and suggestions.
 

Rocinante33

Contributing Partner
Extra weight that you don't need. Why don't you just use long tie wraps to pull it outta your way? It's pretty important. With your gas engine, you always want to run the blower and smell for gas fumes before you crank the engine. By running down towards the bilge it will evacuate (or at least bring up) fumes which could be explosive in the event of a gas leak. If you smell gas from the blower, don't crank the engine.
 

Emerald

Moderator
I'd also just add that in general, PVC doesn't belong on a boat, especially for plumbing. Asking for cracking over time (vibration and freeze issues).
 

Glyn Judson

Moderator
Moderator
PVC aboard.

All, PVC as a material to have on board aside, I want to share something with you regarding large on board. A number of years ago Marilyn and I flew to the west coast of Ireland to photograph and document E31 hull #46. Yes, crazy as it might seem, we really did fly there specifically to visit the owners and see their boat. Anyhow, a previous owner had used some sort of plastic pipe to route anchor chain past the anchor locker to the next one aft of it. The pipe is orange in color and the photo I took of it shows it to be maybe 6" in diameter. The obvious reason was to move weight out of the bow by some degree, I thought it a clever solution. Cheers, Glyn Judson, E31 hull #55, Marina del Rey, CA
 

Tom Metzger

Sustaining Partner
I'm a little less concerned than some with the air freezing and breaking rigid pipe, :) but you do have to be concerned with mounting PVC pipe to handle flexing and vibration. You would need flex sections at both ends and if there is a low point I would drill a small hole to drain water that will come in from the cowl vent.

Remember that the nominal size is the ID, not OD. 3" sked 40 PVC is 3 1/2" OD; 2 1/2" PVC is 2 7/8" OD.
 

Emerald

Moderator
Yep, I think Tom makes a good clarification. Air alone isn't the problem as much as when you get water in it and then freeze it. I remember replacing PVC on a prior boat, and the stuff about shattered when I went to remove the scupper lines from it. Someone had used PVC from the thru-hull up on scupper drains. Yikes! It was a tap away from sinking her.
 

goodrotties

New Member
blower hose

Thanks for all the good suggestions and advice. It looks like I'll have to rethink my choice of materials--maybe rigid aluminum dryer duct although I'm not sure how long it will stand up to a salt environment.
 

Randy Rutledge

Sustaining Member
Again why rigid???
The flex hose on my boat is 32 years old and is holding up well. The flex hose can be secured out of your way where the rigid will be difficult to route and get out of the way. You are adding cost and hassle with rigid.

Be sure the hose going to the blower pulls air from as low as possible in the engine compartment or bilge under the engine and is routed to a deck vent.
 

Loren Beach

O34 - Portland, OR
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
Again why rigid???
The flex hose on my boat is 32 years old and is holding up well. The flex hose can be secured out of your way where the rigid will be difficult to route and get out of the way. You are adding cost and hassle with rigid.

Be sure the hose going to the blower pulls air from as low as possible in the engine compartment or bilge under the engine and is routed to a deck vent.

If you are getting over 20 years out of that vinyl hose you are doing very well. That stuff gets brittle with age. (Our original hose was cracking and starting to show holes and tears at 15 years.)

As to where place the intake, remember that this depends on whether you have a gasoline or diesel engine.

Loren
 

Brass Dragon

Member II
PVC flexible tubing

So, I can understand not using rigid PVC pipe on plumbing systems, but I see the white flexible PVC tubing available use for marine sanitation systems. It has a spiral PVC reinforcement. Does anyone see a problem using that for cockpit drains? I currently have 35 year old mostly collapsed radiator-type hose Id like to replace.
 

Emerald

Moderator
So, I can understand not using rigid PVC pipe on plumbing systems, but I see the white flexible PVC tubing available use for marine sanitation systems. It has a spiral PVC reinforcement. Does anyone see a problem using that for cockpit drains? I currently have 35 year old mostly collapsed radiator-type hose Id like to replace.

It's probably OK, but I always like making a call to the manufacturer. I have used this stuff:

http://www.jamestowndistributors.co...=Shields+White+Sanitation+VAC+Heavy+Duty+Hose

for scupper lines, and I did call Shields and they said it was OK for that purpose.
 

Brass Dragon

Member II
sealant on barbed hose connection

thanks much for the link. It actually lists these applications in the item description too. I noticed they recommend using a sealant for below water connections. I can not remember ever putting sealant on barbed hose connections. Is that something new? I dont expect that hose is coming off without a hacksaw.
 
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