Sewage Hose or PVC Pipe ?

[colemj]

Originally Posted by wingless

The other thing I do when using these pipes and fittings is to put a small 45° bevel using a file around 360° of the pipe exterior end, before jamming it into the fitting, to have the pipe shape match the fitting shape.

They make an inexpensive little tool shaped like a cone with cutters for doing that. One or two twists on the end and a perfect bevel is formed.

Mark

[wingless]

Originally Posted by colemj

They make an inexpensive little tool shaped like a cone with cutters for doing that. One or two twists on the end and a perfect bevel is formed.

That is what I use for copper pipe. The copper pipe tool does the inside and the outside.

I will look for one for schedule 40. Thank you.

[rtbates]

Originally Posted by wsmurdoch

When the electricians installed the PVC conduit in my house between the meter and the breaker box, they heated the PVC conduit to make a bastard angle compound bend that could not be made with stock fittings. They used an electically heated box to warm the conduit then bent it to the required shape. I did a quick Google search and found that there are several types of tools for heating and bending PVC pipe and conduit. It might be a useful technique in the confined, curvy, and odd shaped interior of a boat.

I use my bbq grill to heat and allow bending of pvc pipe. Or, when 'in the field', I use a portable propane torch. Seraph, our Cape Dory 25D uses pvc for the run from the head to the holding tank under the port settee. The only hose is at each end. The beauty of pvc is that for the 10' run it can be held up under the settee w/o fear of sags causing low spots. The only way to go, IMHO.

Good post..

[gulfstar37]

Had the smell starting last year. Little goes a long way. Boss wanted it gone.

Replaced the high end flex sanitation hose installed with new everything about 7 years ago with hard PVC pipe this spring. Had to heat several sections with heat gun to make custom bends to mirror the hull shape keeping fittings and joints to a minimum. Thought each fitting would cause places to catch stuff and chance for plugging up.

Just put boat to bed for the season no smell, no issues, no problem and boss happy. If this last longer, forever I hope, than the high end flex we will be happy. You only want to do this once.

After making the fit up there was some room for movement in the pipe if needed but really don't think there will be a problem stressing the pipe or fittings. Our holding tank is secured well and will not move, toilet hopefully will not move, and pump out fitting is screwed down to deck and will not move. Did use a short piece of hose at deck fitting and toilet to transition from PVC pipe to thread fitting milled down to fit inside of hose and clamped.

Happy so far.

[skipgundlach]

Be careful. If you don't either flush with fresh water, or flush, rinse, rinse, rinse, and then blow out (air will push the water out, and the anti-siphon will keep the pipe empty/dry), you'll end up constricting your pipe with scale.

On the other hand, if you DO that, you'll end up with squeaky clean pipes forever. We do, in salt water, and a prior post referenced a photo of the end of our pipe, right at the Y valve, opened up after 5 years, and completely clear inside.

[Cotemar]

I used one of these 1-1/2" standard pressure fittings for the schedule 40 PVC pipe to the toilet connection. It worked flawlessly for the six years that I owned the boat.

[wsmurdoch]

Originally Posted by Cotemar

I used one of these 1-1/2" standard pressure fittings for the schedule 40 PVC pipe to the toilet connection. It worked flawlessly for the six years that I owned the boat.

Is your joker valve inside the two bolt flange connection? How hard was it to replace the joker valve?

[Cotemar]

Originally Posted by wsmurdoch

Is your joker valve inside the two bolt flange connection? How hard was it to replace the joker valve?

Yes and the joker valve was a breeze to change

[IdoraKeeper]

Joker valves are, well a joke. Plastic ball valves..that's the ticket. Going on 5 years, all PVC system..one of the best things on the boat. No leaks, no cracks, no trouble. Hose? Why?

[osirissail]

Originally Posted by skipgundlach

Be careful. If you don't either flush with fresh water, or flush, rinse, rinse, rinse, and then blow out (air will push the water out, and the anti-siphon will keep the pipe empty/dry), you'll end up constricting your pipe with scale.

On the other hand, if you DO that, you'll end up with squeaky clean pipes forever. We do, in salt water, and a prior post referenced a photo of the end of our pipe, right at the Y valve, opened up after 5 years, and completely clear inside.

Quite agree! We have used PVC rigid pipe for 10+ years, but recently had to remove a large section which was located below the waterline such that seawater remained in the PVC pipe. The pipe after 5 years or so "scaled" up enough to severely restrict the flow.

So flushing to remove any seawater or routing the PVC pipe so that liquid does not remain in the pipe for long periods of time should, IMHO, prevent "scale" or other debris buildup.

We also made supports for the rigid PVC so that the pipe could move and flex as the boat's hull flexed while out in the ocean. Sailing up and down and crashing off the tops of big waves does significantly flex the hull and we didn't want to take the chance of breaking a PVC joint loose. The "flex" was merely 1/4" rubber foam wrapped around the pipe inside a plastic conduit hold-down strap screwed to the boat. Maybe, over-kill but we didn't want to risk opening up a PVC joint and creating a leak.

As to "Joker Valves" they are merely "one-way" flow valves to prevent waste water from returning back to the toilet bowl when pumping is complete. We use "fresh-water" flush in all our heads/toilets and the joker-valves remained very clean and clear of any scale.

Because marine heads/toilets are not set up for pressurized water supply, we built a "water closet" by taking a 5-gal bucket/pail (kitty litter container) and drilling two holes in the bottom. One for a thru-hull fitting attached to hose routed to each toilet, and in the other we mounted a "replacement" home toilet float water valve hooked up to the boat's potable water pressure system. The tank is bolted down to a shelf in the engine room which is above the level of the toilets so that "gravity" supply fresh water to the toilets.

As each toilet uses water from the "water closet" bucket the automatic float valve opens and refills the bucket. This has worked perfectly for almost 15 years. I carry a spare float/water valve and never have had to use it - so far.

[forsailbyowner]

Yep when I posted about using pvc years ago the naysayers hit me pretty hard. One saying pvc doesnt belong anywhere on a boat. Ive never had any plugs or leaks and its been many years. I often fill the lines and bowl up with white vinegar and leave it a day or two when Im in a place with a head. Keeps the bowl shiny white and im imagining it does similiarly in the pipes.

[skipgundlach]

Originally Posted by Cotemar

I used one of these 1-1/2" standard pressure fittings for the schedule 40 PVC pipe to the toilet connection. It worked flawlessly for the six years that I owned the boat.

Also about the question of durability, below...

We use a standard rubber sleeve (for waste pipe, as this isn't under pressure), with a carefully butted pipe-to-whatever (Y-valve, Thru-hull stem, toilet exit) joint. Slide the rubber up the PVC, and there's no binding on being able to move the other, if needed. While the compression fitting is attractive, it doesn't allow the same flexibility. I added a 3rd hose clamp over the butt joint. Any possible seepage would have to make it past that, and if so, would be contained by the ends' clamps, but our experience has been that there's no seepage, with the butt joint being touching and the rubber tight over it.

As the inside of sanitation hose isn't the same size as the inside of PVC, I used short sections of hose to build out the boat fittings to the size of the exterior of the PVC, so the clamp would have a flush surface to meet at the joint.

As to durability, our PVC withstood our wreck which, by calculation of the wave period and the time of the storm, withstood some 3-5000 impacts on solid limestone, despite being held in only the most rudimentary - and fixed - fashion.

PVC is tough stuff. If you don't believe it, stick a foot or so of 1.5" pipe into both ends of an ELL (properly prepped and glued), and get someone to stand on the ends (to prevent it from flying off on each impact) while you try to break it with a large hammer. I believe you'll wear out before it does...

[goboatingnow]

The main issue I would have thought , would be flexing of the couplings, Ive installed a lot of PVC with solvent joints, They do not withstand any sort of long term vibration without the joint starting to fail.

Dave

[skipgundlach]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

The main issue I would have thought , would be flexing of the couplings, Ive installed a lot of PVC with solvent joints, They do not withstand any sort of long term vibration without the joint starting to fail.

Dave

I must have done something wrong

Our aft head's plumbing runs into the ER for the vented loop, and over the propshaft, both areas of constant vibration during motoring (of which there's been more than 1KH), without leaking, much less failure...

Mind you, I was not being judged on neatness. I very aggressively cleaned, and then slathered goop everywhere, in and out, before making up the joint, and then went around the exterior, making a sort of fillet. Perhaps that's a factor - but I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

TOTM is that I expected, after reading all the horror stories (pre-2007), that our wreck would require that re-do. Nope. Not a drop.

[Ostara370]

Alternatively you can lag sanitation pipe with heavy duty self adhesive aluminium tape. It is not expensive and and any good DIY will stock it.