# Vinyl sanitation hose: How to get it over tight fittings



## brucemoody (Jul 2, 2011)

We are having a grand time installing new vinyl sanitation hose. It's 1 1/2 ID, and never goes gently over the barbed fittings. I bought a heat gun the soften up the hose, but I'm not sure how much heat to apply, what's enough, what's too much, or if there's a better approach. Any suggestions?

This is part of our saga of finding a leak on one of the hoses, then another, then learning that the wrong hose was used by the previous... All the hoses from toilet to tank to pump out are being replaced, along with the fittings. I can't complain. We're learning lots about out boat and its systems.


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## Bradhamlet (Nov 8, 2002)

When I redid mine I used hot water in a bucket, just cool enough to not burn me buy hot enough to make the hose plyable. Then you get some dish soap and it should go well from there.
Brad
Lancer 36


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## jrd22 (Nov 14, 2000)

Don't get the heat gun too close so you burn the hose. Heat it until it's pliable and slips onto the fittings. After a couple of times you'll get the hang of it, it's easy.


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## bvander66 (Sep 30, 2007)

Leave the hose in the sun for a while, helps bending it around corners.
Heat the end, can use a hair dryer, but as mentioned above a bucket of hot water is better.
Just before easing it over the barbs wipe it with dishwashing detergent, do not use any petroleum based lubricant, can damage the odor shield liner.


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## CalebD (Jan 11, 2008)

Second the use of boiling or hot water and dish soap.


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## sww914 (Oct 25, 2008)

Boiling water worked for me, too. It didn't make it easy, it just made it possible.


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## Lake Superior Sailor (Aug 23, 2011)

Hot water is good , But gojo hand cleaner really works!..Dale


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## PaulinVictoria (Aug 23, 2009)

Hot water and KY jelly. Then you can use it on the pipe fittings afterwards too.


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## Jgbrown (Mar 26, 2012)

heat gun to warm it a bit, light squirt of silicone lube or a smear of 4200 if it really needs to stay stuck after.


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## MedSailor (Mar 30, 2008)

Yup boiling water. No soap as you want to still be able to grip it. I failed the first time I used hot water, but that was just because I didn't let it sit in the hot water long enough. 
Very hot (nearly boiling) and several minutes of soakage and you should be fine. Wea gloves though so you can grip the hot hose. 

By the way, you DID buy the $10+/foot odorsafe(TM) sanitation hose right???? NOT the $3/foot white "sanitation hose". The cheap stuff does NOT contain odor and it will quickly make your boat have head-funk. Spend the coin on the good hose, trust me on this one.

MedSailor


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## SimonV (Jul 6, 2006)

Heat gun works every time and you don't scold your self, remember most boat plumbing is done whilst standing on your head with your knee in your ear.


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## brucemoody (Jul 2, 2011)

Thanks for the advice. This started because that funky smell that would greet me when opening up the boat. I agree that we wouldn't put up with this at home, so why accept it as a part of sailing? After scaling the learning curve, we've replaced the toilet, and now we're replacing all the hose. We will certainly use the ten-dollar per foot odersafe sanitation hose. No need to be cheap here. We'll double up on the hose clamps and soften the ends in hot water or a heat gun. On a different note, I stopped going to physical therapy for a frozen shoulder. Working the bilges of my boat is so much more effective.


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