Hose dream

I have a dream that somewhere there is a garden hose available that doesn't kink, stays flexible in the cold, doesn't turn sticky/ gummy in the sun, doesn't leave marks and is drinking water safe. Price not really an issue since I spend money frequently replacing the hoses for all the above reasons. Currently have Camco hoses on the way out - again.

I read a thread yesterday that drifted into good hoses. A lot of people recommend the Zero G hose and it appears it checks many of those boxes. I have never had one, but based on the positive reviews, I ordered one on line.

Regarding the typical garden hoses. I run acetone over them once a year to get rid of the stickies, and then 303. They last longer, but still eventually succumb to the elements.

Zero G- have 2 now, one 3 years old no issues even laying out all year on a liveaboard...the other is relatively new.



Recent reports of failures, but for as many that have them, I can't say they are problem hoses.


Love them over just about any other hose.

I went for a Zero G based on the raves here. It's pretty good but it does have a tendency to fold like a kink. I also have and have had for many years a genuine RUBBER Gates hose. My previous Gates hose lasted 25 years. This rubber hose does not kink easily as do vinyl hoses AND it remains flexible in cold temps. To coil it up requires that it be pretty much laid out to its length. Doing so allows fairly easy coiling. I will never own a vinyl hose again. The Gates hose is more expensive but given how many years it will last it really isn't expensive.

Good rubber hoses are definitely very nice, although I don't know that they're typically drinking water safe.

For the crappy white drinking water safe hoses, I've taken to fully draining the hose, coiling it and putting it aboard after every use. Keeping it empty seems to avoid stuff growing in it. And having it out of direct sunlight (even if it still gets hot) makes a massive difference in lifespan.

I like the Zero G because the stow so small. So far mine have been great.

The pocket hoses, like the zero G hose are nice but have major weaknesses. If you leave them pressurized for long, they will pop. If the jacket comes unravelled, they will pop. The only thing keeping them from exploding is the woven jacket. It is basically neoprene hose with a woven jacket to keep the pressure from letting it expand past the breaking point.

But, I love them, and under pressure, they seldom kink and store very small and dry. and they are light weight.

Maybe try something like this

https://www.new-line.com/hose/food-...-potable-water-rubber-discharge-with-fda-tube

Or this

https://www.new-line.com/hose/food-...ress-300-potable-water-washdown-with-fda-tube

You can put any fitting you want.

L

We only use our hose on the boat for a water tank fillup or a quick wash down. It never has pressure on it for any amount of time.

rslifkin said:

Good rubber hoses are definitely very nice, although I don't know that they're typically drinking water safe.

For the crappy white drinking water safe hoses, I've taken to fully draining the hose, coiling it and putting it aboard after every use. Keeping it empty seems to avoid stuff growing in it. And having it out of direct sunlight (even if it still gets hot) makes a massive difference in lifespan.

Click to expand...

Our black rubber garden hoses at home (~400-500' of the stuff, I think) are in the neighborhood of 25 years old, all still fine except for a few end fittings that have gotten squashed and subsequently replaced over the years... usually when somebody(er... maybe me) drove over a joint or something. Heavy, and best coiled with a reel... or at least laid out full-length first...

But for drinking water onboard, we too do the drain, dry, and stow deal with our white potable water hoses. We don't often connect to shore water, so the hoses (and twin filters) are out periodically to fill our tanks... After that, I can hang our hoses from the flybridge for a couple days, so they really do pretty much drain completely. I think our current pair are in the 10-12 year old neighborhood...

Our main home-slip 50' washdown hose is green rubber garden hose, also something like 10-12 years old now, is usually hanging from a pile on our finger pier... and we have a shorter 25' "traveling" version of the same. No sign of deterioration on either...

-Chris

My freshwater washdown hose is the typical white Camco style and it stays coiled under the anchor pulpit. I usually get 3-4 years out of one. What I like about it is I can drag it against any part of the boat and it doesn't leave any marks (until it starts to get sticky - then I replace it) The hose I use for filling the tanks gets drained, the ends screwed together and put away between uses.



Ken

The Flexzilla hose has been working for me.

Rebel112r said:

The Flexzilla hose has been working for me.

Click to expand...

I was looking at a short one of those to use for a washdown hose when I put in an anchor washdown this winter. Any issues with it getting moldy or anything? A few review mentioned that as a problem.

I have a green rubber hose that is at least 45 years old and still going strong. It came with a home I bought in the early 70's. It has outlasted everything. It usually lives outside at least 6 months each year. No idea where to find such a beast anymore.

Being a masonry and concrete contractor I have a lot of water hoses. Around 1000' all together. Add figuring in hoses at three rural-country houses, as well as at dock where we berth boat and 2000' + of hose ownership is not out of the question.

I'm 67 and [still] in great, healthy condition. That said... for all my life I've had no qualms of drinking out of any hose after tap water has been running through it for some time. I believe it's dormant water in a hose that needs to be well flushed and then the tap water coming out is clean enough for occasional consumption. Caveat: As long as the hose has been used only with tap water running through it. Some hoses are used to syphon some nasty crap... those will never be clean enough to drink from again!

Always found that it's best to purchase the most robust hose available at time of buying. Some hoses I've had for 30 yrs.; they're still working well. A few did not stand up to the gaff and had to go!

Regarding specific drinking water hose... Well, I don't play with that light weight constructed product. We don't drink out of our boat or motorhome water tanks. We always bring ample good water aboard in sanitary jug containers; refill at a drinking water tap as required.

I've tried nearly every type of hose, still looking for perfection. The better quality expanding hoses coil the easiest and take the least space. The Zero G coils pretty well but takes more space. A big disadvantage of both is the slick woven cover. This makes it slip overboard or off the dock into the water at every opportunity. Neither is very large diameter, so the flow rate though them is modest compared even to a standard 5/8 hose.

Also tried various collapsible firefighting hoses, flat hose, flattening hose, still looking for perfect. Right now I think the Zero G gets closest to the mark. The expanding hose not far behind but it has a life of its own when pressurizing or depressurizing. Also if your dock pressure isn't very good it will start to contract when you open the nozzle.

ranger42c said:

Our main home-slip 50' washdown hose is green rubber garden hose, also something like 10-12 years old now, is usually hanging from a pile on our finger pier... and we have a shorter 25' "traveling" version of the same. No sign of deterioration on either...

Click to expand...

I may have that wrong; might be vinyl hose... can't quite tell, doesn't look exactly like rubber... has more of a hard outer surface...

-Chris

No problems with the flexzilla so far. FWIW, I had one of those collapsing hoses, and thought it was pretty handy. Was using it during a haul-out, and some fresh bottom paint dripped on it, the outer core seemed like it melted and the inner core blew out. It only took a couple of seconds.