My office is next to an equipment room, and this weekend we had a hose clamp fail on a water line.

The machine is a printing plate processor. It has a flexible hose run up to a copper pipe in the ceiling for a water supply. The hose hangs down from the pipe. It was single clamped on and somehow worked its way free.

There is a floor drain on the opposite side of the room so the water did eventually drain. All the electronics and mechanicals are raised off the floor so everything expensive is OK, but there were several boxes of paper and misc on the floor that got ruined.

Apparently my office is just slightly uphill from that room so I was spared, but my boss was not so lucky. Everything on the floor of her office got soaked.

I came in Sunday to survey the damage. There was space on the fitting, so I had the maintenance guy add a second clamp. On Monday I took another look at the machine and found two more pressurized vertical drops with single hose clamps.

In my office it was just a mess. If it had been a boat, it would have sunk.

Double clamp your hoses!

Some hose failures can sink your boat. Pay careful attention to those. Hoses connected to your water tanks/and faucets could empty your water into your bilge. A mess for sure but you won't sink. But even this depends on where the hose fails. My water system is pressurized and the pump comes on when pressure is needed and then stops when pressure is reached. If my pump is repeatedly coming on and now faucet is opened it tells me there is a breach, a loose or cracked hose where air leaks in and water can leak out. Pump is off when we're away so it's unlikely to empty the tank when we're not there.

 

So, was it a barbed hose fitting or the usual T'ed 1/2" copper and a 5/8"hose just slipped on. and single clamp.? So common

 

My office is next to an equipment room, and this weekend we had a hose clamp fail on a water line.

The machine is a printing plate processor. It has a flexible hose run up to a copper pipe in the ceiling for a water supply. The hose hangs down from the pipe. It was single clamped on and somehow worked its way free.

There is a floor drain on the opposite side of the room so the water did eventually drain. All the electronics and mechanicals are raised off the floor so everything expensive is OK, but there were several boxes of paper and misc on the floor that got ruined.

Apparently my office is just slightly uphill from that room so I was spared, but my boss was not so lucky. Everything on the floor of her office got soaked.

I came in Sunday to survey the damage. There was space on the fitting, so I had the maintenance guy add a second clamp. On Monday I took another look at the machine and found two more pressurized vertical drops with single hose clamps.

In my office it was just a mess. If it had been a boat, it would have sunk.

Double clamp your hoses!

Careful, (except for fuel and exhaust hoses), ABYC does not specify all hoses be double clamped for good reason. Sometimes, there is insufficient barb to support a second clamp and attempting to apply one will actually contribute to the hose coming off.

But I agree, for any hose that will support, double-clamp in opposing directions is good practice, especially for any thruhull below the heeled waterline.

 

Sometimes, there is insufficient barb to support a second clamp and attempting to apply one will actually contribute to the hose coming off.

Yes, this led to one of the stranger things I've ever said in the workplace:

"The nipple is long enough, so I had maintenance add a second clamp."

 

Double clamp all hoses either above or below waterline. Hoses are soft enough to drop below the waterline if the clamp fails.

 

Speaking of hoses... Mine are sized such that they do not slip on cold without a lot of effort, lube and or heat. Getting them off is a ***** as well and required heat or they have to be cut. They become so tightly joined that the clamp is almost secondary. Of course I still use them. I would think that a hose that slides on or off easily is the wrong size ( too large ID).

 

I'll throw in the idea that all clamps should be inspected routinely. I'd say at least twice per year. I've found many broken clamps over the years. Some were even single clamps, above the water line, where the hose stayed on, due to compression forming that SO mentions. One was the second clamp on the main engine sea water thru hull. Very glad that was doubled initially, but it was really only singled, until I found the failure. If clamps look old, corroded, tired, buggered, etc, one should really go out and buy quality smooth strapped ss clamps and replace them all. It's not hard work. Open a beer, turn on the radio and make your way around the boat one afternoon.

 

Well sure... but I routinely eyeball all plumbing and clamps during routine repairs and so on. I don't do a close inspection of clamps. I don't think I would do a specific all boat hose clamp survey unless I am heading offshore.

 

I also have found a number of broken clamps over the years. Regular inspections are as important as double clamping.

 

I splash next week. I will never miss a clamp inspection at that time. I go around with a felxible shaft nut driver and turn every one to check for tightness, not just failure. Takes maybe 15 minutes. Why wouldn’t one do that?

 

I splash next week. I will never miss a clamp inspection at that time. I go around with a felxible shaft nut driver and turn every one to check for tightness, not just failure. Takes maybe 15 minutes. Why wouldn't one do that?

I don't wish to comment why one wouldn't, but I agree with the practice 100%. Just beware not to over-tighten and potentially bugger up a properly holding clamp or damage the hose. Some sanitation hose is notoriously soft.

 

Agreed, it’s not a matter of crushing them all down, just checking they haven’t loosened or broken. I always find one or two that have loosened slightly. Occasionally, I find one that won’t tighten at all, because it’s broken. Worth mentioning, that’s the most common failure I’ve found. The grooves or screw have corroded or chafed beyond the ability to hold load. Can’t visually inspect that. I have also found the occasionally, albeit uncommon, clamp that as just fallen off upon touching it.

 

I'm curious - how many people DON'T close every through-hull before leaving the boat at the end of the day?

 

I'm told and I believe the answer is, most.

I close all that I can, but leave the air conditioning intakes and drains open to dehumidify the boat. It's a risk, but so is mold. I admit to leaving the wash down pump intake open as well, because it's buried underneath a bunk and very difficult to access. Bad design, I know. All others are closed.

The reason I believe it's most is because I've had the marina say so. Ironically, it was during a situation where I lost an impeller right as I cleared the breakwater. It was a brand new impeller from weeks earlier. The yard had come aboard to change my fuel filters in the interim and I suspected (still do) that they failed to open the raw water intake, when they bled the lines and tested. Their idiotic reply was that "since no one else closes their intakes, we would know to open yours". Yes, that's a quote. It exactly argues they would forget, not remember.

 

My office is next to an equipment room, and this weekend we had a hose clamp fail on a water line.

The machine is a printing plate processor. It has a flexible hose run up to a copper pipe in the ceiling for a water supply. The hose hangs down from the pipe. It was single clamped on and somehow worked its way free.

There is a floor drain on the opposite side of the room so the water did eventually drain. All the electronics and mechanicals are raised off the floor so everything expensive is OK, but there were several boxes of paper and misc on the floor that got ruined.

Apparently my office is just slightly uphill from that room so I was spared, but my boss was not so lucky. Everything on the floor of her office got soaked.

I came in Sunday to survey the damage. There was space on the fitting, so I had the maintenance guy add a second clamp. On Monday I took another look at the machine and found two more pressurized vertical drops with single hose clamps.

In my office it was just a mess. If it had been a boat, it would have sunk.

Double clamp your hoses!

If it was the correct size hose fitted on the correct size barbed fitting this likely would not have happened even with a single hose clamp. If it was simply hose slipped over copper pipe then it is possible it would slip off even with double clamps. Hose on smooth pipe will work fine for a drain that has no pressure on it, but it should NEVER be used as a pressure connection. Whoever made those connections should be held liable for the damage! Next time, hire someone qualified to do your plumbing!

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If it was the correct size hose fitted on the correct size barbed fitting this likely would not have happened even with a single hose clamp. If it was simply hose slipped over copper pipe then it is possible it would slip off even with double clamps. Hose on smooth pipe will work fine for a drain that has no pressure on it, but it should NEVER be used as a pressure connection. Whoever made those connections should be held liable for the damage! Next time, hire someone qualified to do your plumbing!

It was the correct size hose on the correct size barb, and no it should not have happened. But it did.

And as 'Waska said, sometimes they come loose or fail, that's why he checks.

The hose was installed by employees of Fujifilm when they installed the processor. I am going to send a note to our rep suggesting that they might want to double up the clamps on future installs...

 

I know every bareboat I've ever been aboard, leaves them open perpetually.

While I close them, when away for days, I'm not as diligent, when actively cruising. If I'm just going to shore for an hour or two, I often do not close them. I really should.

 

I talked an american guy living in the bahamas who had a 40 something pearson he kept anchored within view of his bluff top home for 12 years.
One morning it wasnt there.
Yep...hose came loose. Sunk
His comnent to me: everything had been fine before then....

 

On my old boat we kept the head through hulls closed when the boat was not in use, but we left the engine water intake open mainly because access was a real pain...it required emptying a locker and climbing down inside and contorting oneself in unnatural positions! I did visual inspections regularly, and satisfied myself that the hose was not going to fall off.

I honestly don't know how even a single clamped hose can just "fall off" a barbed fitting. Every time I WANT to remove such a hose it is a fight to get it off, and often times I end up having to slit the hose to get it off.

Whenever I hear about a boat sinking because a hose came off a thru-hull, I am suspicious; either the hose was completely the wrong size for the fitting, or it had some "help" falling off for insurance purposes. To me the most likely legit failure would be that the hose was old and cracked and it broke off leaving the clamped piece attached to the fitting.

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It depends on the hose material. Not all materials form onto the barb under compression. Of course, it would still take some pressure or vibration to get the hose off, but both occur beneath the water line on a boat.

 

Speaking of hoses...

Almost all my water hoses are reinforced clear plastic... They DO become brittle with age. All of my engine hoses including raw water, fuel are reinforced Sheilds which don't seem to get as hard as PVC. The Shields seem to be higher quality.

What hoses does your boat have for the water system?

 

If you mean the fresh water system, my boat has what looks like PEX pipe, (high density polyurethane), and all the connections are some kind of plastic Sharkbite-like fittings and quick couplers. There is nothing to corrode, and PEX is very tolerant of high and low temperatures. So far it all looks pretty nicely done.

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Most of our freshwater system is PEX as well. The translucent hoses are typically on raw water head intakes and the stuff the OEM used does form to the barbs. I've replaced a couple, with a hose that doesn't. It looks darker and the reinforcement looks like a solid plastic ribbon, rather than the string-like thread. I have no recollection of brand or exact model of the upgraded hose. The engines and air conditioners use reinforced black rubber hoses, which do not form to the barb. The waste lines are the worst, they clearly form to the barbs. All these hoses come off easily, if you heat them.

 

I am not sure I understand the benefits of PEX. It looks a neater and the risk of cutting your hands on hose clamps is removed and maybe rusting stuck hose clamps. If one services and maintains the clamps... and hose this should be no problem. I have assorted mfg hose clamps and that is a pain in the ass. Probably should buy a few scores of the main sizes and replace them all and inspect and replace hose as need be... need yards of hose too. Not a high priority project.

 

Well, PEX is very durable, easy to work with, corrosion resistant, and low cost (especially compared to "marine grade" hose and plumbing fittings, which don't provide any additional benefit. "Push-on" (e.g. Sharkbite brand of residential, or Whale brand of marine) fittings are very fast and removable / reusable and lower CV (resistance) but more expensive than "clamp on" fittings.

ABYC doesn't really specify "marine grade" pressure water pipe, tubing, or fittings.

I typically go with what the boat already has. If it doesn't matter, I generally recommend residential PEX.

 

I usually only use the basic clamps that are sold everywhere, but sometimes I buy special stainless steel toggle clamps that I once found at sandfieldengineering.com. These types of clamps are more durable, even for thicker cables. It works great, so you might want to take a look at it too. I am sure that these options will also prove to be effective and show decent results for a case like this. I am more than confident of that so take advantage of this opportunity.

 

Be careful of double clamps. I often find them pulling the hose off the fitting if the nipple is not long enough to support a second clamp.

 

There’s 2 versions of pipe clamps, the normal width you find in a hardware store (~3/8”) and a thinner version (~1/4”), I’ve only seen them on newer boats, don’t know where the factories get them.

 

Better to have a good proper fitting clamp which gets checked regularly. Hidden from view clamps are not a good idea.

 

When I leave the boat I tape the engine start key to the seacock handle.

We have 7 seacocks and all are reasonably easy to access. This year I changed the hose on all but 2. It was a big job.

I did not get to the sink hose, which bothers me.

People get used to dumping all kinds if “stuff” down the kitchen sink. I suspect the kitchen hose is the most abused and likely to fail of all hoses.

 

Fuel fill, not water, but yet….

A surveyor dinged me in my diesel fill hose. I forget the reason, I think he said that thoenof hose was no longer recommended. *****, moan, groan. I go to replace the hose.

I steel myself for the expected monumental task which requires super human strength.

I grasped the hose just above the fitting and gave it a wee tug to test it.

It broke off!!!

The surveyor earned his fee that day.

 

Fuel fill, not water, but yet….

A surveyor dinged me in my diesel fill hose. I forget the reason, I think he said that thoenof hose was no longer recommended. *, moan, groan. I go to replace the hose.

I steel myself for the expected monumental task which requires super human strength.

I grasped the hose just above the fitting and gave it a wee tug to test it.

It broke off!!!

The surveyor earned his fee that day.

Weird that... my fuel hose is a Shields with a spiral wire and hard as hell to get off...