Water in vent hoses

[Andy Denmark]

In putting Rhiannon back together in the aftermath of hurricane Irene I see the perenial problem of standing water in the after ventilation hoses under the lazarette cowl vents. Despite having the vent caps in place during the storm this seems to happen after every major rain event and fully blocks airflow through the hose whether the vents are capped or not.

I can't figure out how to affix a drain of some sort to the low spot in the hose so this water will drain into the bilge and be pumped out. Without air flow there's no ventilation to the engine compartment.

Has anyone else solved this dilemna in a simple and effective way?

[Steve Laume]

I don't think my vent hoses have a low point before the ends. That would be one solution. As I recall you created a true engine compartment that may make a straight sloping run undo-able. The other seems even simpler. Put a small hole in the bottom of the loop. I doubt a hole big enough to rid the hose of water would be large enough to significantly effect the venting of the engine compartment.

Maybe some puddy around the vent plugs when you button up for storms. It is hard to believe that much water could get in there with the plugs in place. I am amazed by the number and variety of things that can go wrong, Steve.

[Russell]

Why not just put a hole in the low spot of the hose to act as a drain? A small hole will not signifigantly reduce airflow, and would prefer the water buildup. Though you said you cant figure out how to put a drain it, I am perhaps missing some problem with this solution?

[Andy Denmark]

This all came about with the engine compartment rework. I replaced the flimsy white vent hoses with a much better quality heater hose. Problem with it is inability to turn corners like its predecessor so there's a downward loop just under the deck under the cowl vent. This is where the water collects.

The down side of Russell's method is keeping anything dry in the lazarette locker, particularly PFD's, docklines, etc. I thought perhaps there was a right angle coupling available for the tubing but I can't find such a thing. I'll think about fabricating a workable piece of hardware to solve this problem.

Thanks, guys

[Steve Laume]

I never like the drier vent hose for anything. Even the cloths dryer. I use dust collection hose for the cowl vents. It is much more substantial than the dryer vent stuff but still flexible.

If you want to keep the hose you have and still add a drain you could always add a drain line to the vent hose. Never enough hoses ya know. You could tee both vent drains into a common hose that would go to the engine pan or bilge.

This could be a pretty severe problem if the water forms a plug in the vent hose with a closed off engine compartment, Steve.

[sfreihofer]

First, let me restate he problem, so that you can see if I got it right:

You have an air vent hose that is collecting water. It is essentially a horizontal run, with a sag or two along the run, where the water collects. Is that right?

I understand that one option is to drill a hole in the low point of the hose so that the water can drain, but that partially defeats the purpose and intent of the vent hose. However, if you plugged the hole with a piece of chamois, or synthetic shammy, or the like, it would help drain the water by capillary action, while not allowing air to enter.

Just a thought. I use this stuff to drain the water puddles that accumulate at the bottom of the portlight frames. I clip on a short piece and let it wick the water away. It's almost like a miniature self-priming siphon.

Stan Freihofer
1981 CD25 #794
Ft. Lauderdale