Hose removal with dremel?

[tausap]

While spending some quality time with my boat by replacing the old gate valves with new Y valves for the heads , I encountered the age old problem of removing the old sanitation hoses. These hoses were the heavy rubber embedded with a spiral wire, much like exhaust hoses, making removal that much more difficult.

After reading the hose removal thread I noticed nobody mentioned using a dremel with a cutting head for cutting off old hose that will be replaced. Has anybody tried this and is there any reason not to?

[k1vsk]

First, there is no conceivable reason to use steel spine reinforced hose in this application. Regardless, using a dremel or any other cutting tool can easily also damage or destroy the barb. Just use a heat gun set on low and you will save yourself a lot of trouble.

[xort]

I use the dremel frequently just as you describe. I too have the old steel re-enforced hose. You do need to be very careful not to cut a notch in the hose barb. It will likely leak if you do. Plastic is especially easy to cut, bronze is fairly soft metal. Stainless steel would be hard to cut with the dremel.

[tausap]

Originally Posted by xort

I use the dremel frequently just as you describe. I too have the old steel re-enforced hose. You do need to be very careful not to cut a notch in the hose barb. It will likely leak if you do. Plastic is especially easy to cut, bronze is fairly soft metal. Stainless steel would be hard to cut with the dremel.

Most of the hose barbs I am replacing, so that should not be a problem.

[freddyray]

a pair of tin snips and just use them to split the hose and peel it off. Less chance of damage.

[39512]

Originally Posted by k1vsk

First, there is no conceivable reason to use steel spine reinforced hose in this application. Regardless, using a dremel or any other cutting tool can easily also damage or destroy the barb. Just use a heat gun set on low and you will save yourself a lot of trouble.

Plus you will probably need the heat gun to install the new hose.

[billangiep]

First, there is no conceivable reason to use steel spine reinforced hose in this application.

K1vsk, I would suspect if you had a tight turn this would help prevent kinking?
Bill,

[xort]

Originally Posted by tausap

Most of the hose barbs I am replacing, so that should not be a problem.

Probably bronze? Be careful; not nearly as easy to nick as plastic but still, you don't want to damage them.

I just went through replacing a lot of head hose. I found the trident 101 easier to put on to hose barbs than the sealand odorsafe. But the sealand is slightly more flexable.

[r.furborough]

Originally Posted by billangiep

K1vsk, I would suspect if you had a tight turn this would help prevent kinking?
Bill,

Plus some hoses are subject to a vacuum during pump-out, a reinforced hose will resist collapse.

[Deadeye]

FWIW, I usually slice through it 'on the flat' (like peeling a carrot) until I get through the reinforcing or in your case till the wire is exposed. Once the hose's reinforcing is defeated, a couple good twists usually pops it right off and you aren't presenting the knife's edge to the barb in a way that could nick it.