Glenn Ashmore inscribed in red ink for all to know:
But if you're on some small Caribbean island, you'll have better luck
finding a few hose clamps, some PVC fittings, and flexible hose at the
hardware store if you want to change or fix something. If you're not
straying far from home, it's a good idea.


True but as anyone who has ever attempted a home plumbing project knows you
always end up with 10-20' of extra hose or pipe and a box full of left over
fittings. :-)

However, one should be aware of Home Depot's first law of supply and demand
which states that the screw, bolt or plumbing fitting you need is always the
one you don't have and its exception which states that one should never
underestimate the power of "island engineering". :-)



When was the Quest stuff invented? My 1978 Downeast 45 is plumbed with
it...

bob

"RW Salnick" wrote

When was the Quest stuff invented? My 1978 Downeast 45 is plumbed with
it...


Modular plastic piping systems first came out in the mid '70s. It has had a
rather checkered past. We started using it in '79 in our apartments because
copper was so expensive it disappeared every time a unit went vacant. The
first installations caused a lot of problems. Part of the problem was
improper assembly by plumbers more familiar with sweat jointing copper.
Then there was the infamous problem with polybutylene tubing that was to
soft to hold the fitting clamps. The early Qest pipe was polybutylene and
there were a couple of class action lawsuits about it. As long as the
pressure doesn't get to high it is fine but I would not leave it connected
to shore water when you are off the boat. I think Qest uses cross linked
polyethylene tubing and polybutylene fittings now.

Polybutylene piping in the US has been replaced with PEX cross linked
polyethylene. It holds up much better and the fittings have gotten a lot
more reliable. There are 3 types of connectors: push-on, compression and
clamp rings. The clamp rings are cheaper and more permanent but the crimp
tools run about $150. Push-ons are easier to install than compression but I
suspect that the compression fittings are more reliable.

--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

Glenn Ashmore inscribed in red ink for all to know:
"RW Salnick" wrote

When was the Quest stuff invented? My 1978 Downeast 45 is plumbed with
it...



Modular plastic piping systems first came out in the mid '70s. It has had a
rather checkered past. We started using it in '79 in our apartments because
copper was so expensive it disappeared every time a unit went vacant. The
first installations caused a lot of problems. Part of the problem was
improper assembly by plumbers more familiar with sweat jointing copper.
Then there was the infamous problem with polybutylene tubing that was to
soft to hold the fitting clamps. The early Qest pipe was polybutylene and
there were a couple of class action lawsuits about it. As long as the
pressure doesn't get to high it is fine but I would not leave it connected
to shore water when you are off the boat. I think Qest uses cross linked
polyethylene tubing and polybutylene fittings now.

Polybutylene piping in the US has been replaced with PEX cross linked
polyethylene. It holds up much better and the fittings have gotten a lot
more reliable. There are 3 types of connectors: push-on, compression and
clamp rings. The clamp rings are cheaper and more permanent but the crimp
tools run about $150. Push-ons are easier to install than compression but I
suspect that the compression fittings are more reliable.


Thanks Glenn..

No, I absolutely refuse to have my boat connected to city water. There
have been 3 near misses on our dock alone in recent times, where a
fitting of some kind failed inside a boat, and the City of Seattle then
endeavored to sink the boat by pumping in gallons and gallons of water.
In the most recent case, the water level rose over the engine,
requiring an engine replacement, in addition to extensive interior
refurbishment. In this particular case, the owner was aware of the
risk, but promised himself that he would always turn off the city water
when leaving the boat. He forgot. I live off my tanks, thank you very
much.

Sorry, I guess that sounded like a rant.

I have had two failures (tiny splits) of my 28 year old polybutylene
Qest plumbing - both immediately above the water heater where the tubing
is subjected to continuous hot soak conditions. In both cases, I have
replaced the tubing runs with Pex. All the fittings are compression
fittings. They work very well.

bob
s/v Eolian
seattle

On Wed, 20 Sep 2006 11:19:09 -0700, RW Salnick
wrote:

Thanks Glenn..

No, I absolutely refuse to have my boat connected to city water. There
have been 3 near misses on our dock alone in recent times, where a
fitting of some kind failed inside a boat, and the City of Seattle then
endeavored to sink the boat by pumping in gallons and gallons of water.
In the most recent case, the water level rose over the engine,
requiring an engine replacement, in addition to extensive interior
refurbishment. In this particular case, the owner was aware of the
risk, but promised himself that he would always turn off the city water
when leaving the boat. He forgot. I live off my tanks, thank you very
much.

Sorry, I guess that sounded like a rant.

I've thought of having direct water on my boat, but just have a header
tank with a float valve fed by a _very_ thin hose. This would then
feed the main tank.

By using the main tank as a 'cache' only a trickle of water is needed
to keep it topped up.

Also by using hose with a narrow bore and thick walls it should be
less vulnerable to damage if moved while frozen.

cheers,
Pete.

Pete C inscribed in red ink for all to know:
On Wed, 20 Sep 2006 11:19:09 -0700, RW Salnick
wrote:


Thanks Glenn..

No, I absolutely refuse to have my boat connected to city water. There
have been 3 near misses on our dock alone in recent times, where a
fitting of some kind failed inside a boat, and the City of Seattle then
endeavored to sink the boat by pumping in gallons and gallons of water.
In the most recent case, the water level rose over the engine,
requiring an engine replacement, in addition to extensive interior
refurbishment. In this particular case, the owner was aware of the
risk, but promised himself that he would always turn off the city water
when leaving the boat. He forgot. I live off my tanks, thank you very
much.

Sorry, I guess that sounded like a rant.


I've thought of having direct water on my boat, but just have a header
tank with a float valve fed by a _very_ thin hose. This would then
feed the main tank.

By using the main tank as a 'cache' only a trickle of water is needed
to keep it topped up.

Also by using hose with a narrow bore and thick walls it should be
less vulnerable to damage if moved while frozen.

cheers,
Pete.

Might be OK Pete, but sounds complicated... and all of the parts of the
system which could be continuously supplied by city water would have to
located outside of the hull for safety. I think that would be the float
tank you mentioned, and since the float tank feeds your main water tank,
then your main tank too. If there is *any* fitting or hose which could
break or pop off and provide a continuous supply of city water inside
the hull, then Murphy says it will, and at the worst time.

The huge advantage of living off the tank is that the hull is already
carrying the water. If it relocates to a lower place in the hull
inadvertantly due to a system failure of some kind, the boat cannot
sink. And of course, freezing is not an issue (unless it is time to
refill the tanks, which Murphy says always happens when it is raining or
snowing, at night, in a gale, when you have a guest, who is in the
middle of a shower)

bob
s/v Eolian
seattle