Mine are also 3/4" with no issues on a 30 year old boat heavily used/ often lived on years at a time 46' sailboat. Replaced through-hulls once 15 years ago with same.). So I wouldn't worry about clogging/ drain speed... never had an issue. Just some things I considered that led to my decision to stay with 3:4":
- a lot less water would come into the boat if a 3/4" line failed than 1.5"
- if you/ new owner ever find themselves up north and have to winterize in-water, it's a lot easier dealing with 3/4" hose. And if you ever had a full 1.5" hose failure from freezing/ hose clamp failure, not sure
bilge pump could keep up if owner not on boat
- while we should all exercise all our
hull valves once a month/ ever several months, most of us/ future owners end up having regrettable lapses in this important practice. Getting a 3/4" stuck valve working again is significantly easier than a 1.5
- in rough water with pitching boat the momentum of column of water in a 3/4" hose vs 1.5" hose is significant and the 1.5 may support
salt water back flow back up into the sink/ splash out. Many of us have a fwd head sink that we have to close hull valve to keep this from happening. I have forgotten a few times and soaked all the fwd carpet. I'd hate to think of the extra soaking I'd have with 1.5!
All of these, while admittedly very
remote, out weighed any benefit I could really could point to of increasing to 1.5"... so I stayed with the boats original 3/4". Never regretted the decision.
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