What is a Marine Wet Exhaust Hose

A marine hose is one of the most important parts of a boat. It ensures better running performance of your boat. It is used in every kind of boat for various purposes. The main purpose of a hose is the transfer of fluids. They carry them out of the ship and to and from different parts of an engine.

They are connected in a boat for the easy movement / discharge of fluids (oil and gaseous) from your boat’s engine, generator etc. They are mostly connected in your boat as an extension of a hole in your boat, which is both above and below the water surface.

They are specially designed to provide the best possible, long term performance and stoppage to its fluids in the toughest environments.

There are two kinds of marine exhaust hoses.

1.    Marine wet exhaust hose
2.    Marine dry exhaust hose

Marine wet exhaust hose is the more liked and preferred of the two. It has more benefits when compared to the dry exhaust hose.

Some of the benefits that a marine wet exhaust hose has are:

•    They are quieter, calmer and cooler
•    Eliminate the need for insulation beyond the point where water injects
•    No fire or burn hazard
•    They aren’t subject to corrosion due to their making
•    They can handle much more stress and do not crack due to over-loading easily
•    They absorb more engine movement, vibration, and noise, which results in over-all improved performance of the boat.

They are made from various materials like rubber, silicone and steel.  Silicone tubes are the most trusted ones in this regard as they can endure high temperature, unlike black rubber pipes that give up as the temperature reaches 250°F.

Marine Wet Exhaust Hoses are the best hoses for any ship, due to the huge benefits associated with them.

Convert a Marine Wet Exhaust Hose into a Dry Exhaust Hose

The wet exhaust system is most popularly used in marine engines. They are most frequently used in smaller sailboats. Almost all marine engines are cooled with seawater by passing it directly or indirectly through a heat exchanger system.

Marine wet exhaust hoses are the used in the wet exhaust system to discharge sea water after it has been used to cool the engine. The tricky part about them is their installation. If that isn’t done correctly, then wet exhaust system can cause trouble.

Wet exhaust systems are often used together with the exhaust system that passes the gases via the hull to exit through the stern. The marine wet exhaust hose tones down the vibration and the noise which can become unbearable after a while.

Here is how to convert a wet exhaust system into a dry one:

• You will need a water reservoir to fit near the exhaust manifolds. Use stainless steel as it is anti-corrosive.

• Next you need to install an inlet spigot at the head of the reservoir and an outlet spigot at the bottom of it.

• Now you will need to make up a bracket for the reservoir. Use the existing bracket bolts by unscrewing them and adding the bracket reservoir before tightening them in place.

• At the exit of the water pump splice the T-joint junction within the water hose. Now slice the marine wet exhaust hose in half and attach hose clamps on both ends. Using the hose clamps tighten them in place with the T-joint.

• Cut a piece off the hose that is connecting the T-joint to the reservoir. Slide this piece over the hose spigot and tighten in place using hose clamps.

• Drill one hole in each exhaust collector, just after the exhaust manifold ends. Now tack-weld a bolt in place of each of these holes. Form a thread inlet by welding the bolt’s parameter to the exhaust collector.

• Use a coupling and drill a hole in its threaded section. Thread the coupling to the recently made injection port bolt.

• Lastly, connect the boat’s water jet coupling to its reservoir outflow spigot. Now the water pump will start pressurizing the system and start dampening the sound of the boat.

Congratulations! You have just converted a marine wet exhaust hose to a dry one!

Why Should You Choose Marine Wet Exhaust Hoses for Your Sailboat?

How do they work?
These wet exhaust system work by pumping water from the engine intake strainer and seacock. This water passes through a heat exchanger before it finally gets dumped through the wet exhaust hose out the stern. The silicone wet exhaust hoses are not prone to corrosion and are highly flexible.

They can also bear very high temperature fluid passing through them without reacting to it. It can bear up to 500°F and silicone hoses are the only hoses that can be used at this temperature. Other rubber hoses tend to crack or leak under these temperatures. 

They also don’t bulge or crack under pressure, since they are manufactured to withstand extreme pressures. The wet exhaust hose absorbs the sound of the engine’s movement, its vibration and its noise.
Benefits

Marine wet exhaust hose systems have become much more popular than the dry exhaust systems. The have so many benefits as compared to the older dry exhaust systems. Here is a list of their benefits and why you should choose them:
• Marine wet exhaust hose systems are cleaner, cooler and quieter.

• They don’t pose any fir hazard since it eliminates the need for insulating them after the water injection point.

• Sailboats and yachts with inboard engines commonly use marine wet exhaust hose
Types

Here are the different types of marine wet exhaust hoses:

• Softwall hoses are reinforced with strong reinforcement fabrics. These are best used in places where wire support isn’t a requirement. These hoses are mostly used in heat exchangers, discharge lines and engine water circulations.

• Hardwall hoses are also made from strong reinforcement fabrics, but they are also reinforced with a helical steel wire. These are mostly used in heat exchangers, discharge lines and engine water circulations.

• 4684CF hoses are the most flexible kind of hoses. They are mostly used in general applications where there are a lot of sharp bends are required.