Leaking Water Connections

bbwhitejr

Well-Known Member
Apr 14, 2013
4,300
Lake Lanier GA
Boat Info
2003 420DA, 6CTAs
Engines
NA
Anyone have any experience with SeaTech Marine Uniflex hoses and fittings? I have some that are dripping at times at the 1/2” hose connection. There is nothing wrong with the hose, but the connections drip. I can buy the hoses with the hose connections attached, but they are not cheap and I only need stop the drip. There are no hose washers that I can see.

Any advice welcomed. Here is a pic.
61733BEF-0667-467F-8378-AAFC578AE65C.jpeg


Thanks,
Bennett
 
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I have had many problems with these. What I do is remove the collar with a cut off tool and then put hose clamps on them.
 
I had those on my 340. You could look at them and they would start to leak. I found new cone washers for them. Let me see if I have the link anywhere...
 
I have recently see these while researching. I have seen them on my connections, but did not really realize what there purpose was. I figured out today where they go and what they do. I had not found them though and thanks for the link. These did it huh? Do you know if there is an O-ring behind it or is this the only “lose piece” that fits into the female connector?

They leak just behind the big piece that you turn to tighten it right out the front of the crimp fitting.

I have considered cutting these off and using a “push on” Pex female connector.

Ordering these tonight.

Thanks for the help,
Bennett
 
I've replaced some of mine with new cone washers..... better, but still drip. Plan B is to try some sealant as well. Plan C is to go to a completely different fitting.
 
I found the Pex fittings at Lowe’s and ordered a different SeaTech fitting along with some cone washers. I am going to experiment a little and see what works best.

Bennett
 
Bennett - it's been a while, but new cone washers worked for me - I recall that you don't want to overtighten the fittings...You will probably find that your current cone washers are crushed...There was not another washer in mine - just the cone washers...
 
Got it Carter and thank you. I promise you I have overtightened the ones that are dripping. They drip behind the swivel piece you tighten and directly in front of the crimp. I ordered a bunch of them.

I am also going to experiment with some other ideas, but if the cone washers work, that will be the easiest fix. I guess i am a little anal as I hate water anywhere in my boat. Thanks for your help.

Bennett
 
You bet Bennett. I hope they work for you as well. An incredibly cheap fix.

I hate water anywhere as well...in fact my joke on the dock when it rains is: "I hate it when the boat gets wet"!!
 
Update: Replaced cone washers on several female connectors and no more drips! At $0.73 each, cheapest fix around!

I did make up and replace one 2’ hose. I used the push to lock Sea Tech Female connectors and a piece of Pex pipe. I really like the the new Sea Tech fittings...

Washers and connectors came from www.freshwatersystems.com.

Bennett
 
#me2 and thank you Carter & Bennett. (probably did that wrong as I don't know anything about twitter).

I just developed a couple of leaks on Unleashed. Probably due to over tightening during recent freshwater pump replacement.

Glad to see somebody else has already found a solution. Only needed 2 but just ordered 20 at $0.58 ea. I'm sure I'll need the others sooner or later.
 
Timely - I just completed chlorination of the water system and just about every one of those Uniflex hose ends started dripping; I noticed the pump cycling on and off. I ordered 50 of those cone seals.....
I counted 48 needed on the 52DB; I have no idea on how to get to the ones behind walls in the heads......

So, I've tried tighter and looser on the fittings but no change to the drip.
How tight should the fittings be on the new cone seals? Assume hand tight but don't know exactly; can't find on the manufacturer's web site....
 
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Timely - I just completed chlorination of the water system and just about every one of those Uniflex hose ends started dripping; I noticed the pump cycling on and off. I ordered 50 of those cone seals.....
I counted 48 needed on the 52DB; I have no idea on how to get to the ones behind walls in the heads......

So, I've tried to tighter and looser on the fittings but no change to the drip.
How tight should the fittings be on the new cone seals? Assume hand tight but don't know exactly; can't find on the manufacturer's web site....

I asked the same question earlier and Carter said about a 5 on a scale of 1-10-hand tighten. I some that no matter what I do, I cannot stop the drips. Also, one day they drip and not the next. They are a pain. I am not sure that something is not up with the actual female connector. Initially, it seemed this was the 100% answer.

I had a short 2' hose in the transom locker. Both ends were dripping. I installed new cone washers and no matter how tight or loose I got them, still dripped. Made up a new hose with a piece of Pex pipe and 2-Sea Tech female connectors and that one is perfect.

I put new cone washers in others that are good one day and drip the next. Please keep me posted how you guys come out. I have tried barely tightening them and then tightened them as tight as possible by hand and same results.....

Bennett
 
They make all kind of fittings to adapt to pex in the sea tech as you call them or shark-bite as they are called around here ( connector with the teeth and o-ring inside ) so you can eliminate the cone washers fittings. Or you can get regular pex fitting and crimp them together and never have to worry. They also make a release tool for the shark bite and or sea tech fittings so you can disassemble them any time you need too. Take a trip to your plumbing supply house or even home depot. When I get a leak I change them out done , fixed don't have to worry any more. It isn't as complex as people are making it out to be!
 
I asked the same question earlier and Carter said about a 5 on a scale of 1-10-hand tighten. I some that no matter what I do, I cannot stop the drips. Also, one day they drip and not the next. They are a pain. I am not sure that something is not up with the actual female connector. Initially, it seemed this was the 100% answer.

I had a short 2' hose in the transom locker. Both ends were dripping. I installed new cone washers and no matter how tight or loose I got them, still dripped. Made up a new hose with a piece of Pex pipe and 2-Sea Tech female connectors and that one is perfect.

I put new cone washers in others that are good one day and drip the next. Please keep me posted how you guys come out. I have tried barely tightening them and then tightened them as tight as possible by hand and same results.....

Bennett
My assessment is the fittings are very sensitive to the hose alignment to the connection. So, if the hose or something else should put some side stress on the fitting and not be perfectly straight it seems to be more prone to leakage. I could easily get these things to leak with a little bit of side pressure on the hose assembly. In my boat every one of the hoses on all of the manifolds turn right out of the manifold consequently putting side load on the hose to manifold fitting. Loose / tight only changes the compression on the cone seal but does not correct the misalignment. My thoughts....
 
They make all kind of fittings to adapt to pex in the sea tech as you call them or shark-bite as they are called around here ( connector with the teeth and o-ring inside ) so you can eliminate the cone washers fittings. Or you can get regular pex fitting and crimp them together and never have to worry. They also make a release tool for the shark bite and or sea tech fittings so you can disassemble them any time you need too. Take a trip to your plumbing supply house or even home depot. When I get a leak I change them out done , fixed don't have to worry any more. It isn't as complex as people are making it out to be!


do all the connections you replace have enough "slack" to cut off the old connector and replace with a shark-bite connection?

p.s. i started with replacing the cone washers and they didn't really work. it's actually the design of the connection itself - where the captured "nut" mates up with the flat part of the connector that fails. i put some stretch seal tape on a few spots when i had the 260. seemed to work really well and it was a fraction of the cost and effort to remedy.

20170426_192800.jpg
 
My assessment is the fittings are very sensitive to the hose alignment to the connection. So, if the hose or something else should put some side stress on the fitting and not be perfectly straight it seems to be more prone to leakage. I could easily get these things to leak with a little bit of side pressure on the hose assembly. In my boat every one of the hoses on all of the manifolds turn right out of the manifold consequently putting side load on the hose to manifold fitting. Loose / tight only changes the compression on the cone seal but does not correct the misalignment. My thoughts....

I concur with your thought that side loading with any stress at all is a negative. However, the output side of my freshwater pump drips with no side pressure. I will be interested when you guys get the cone washers and see what happens.

The Sea Tech female connectors that I ordered and installed have cone washers and do not leak whatsoever and they are side loaded pretty good. The pipe in my boat is from Sea Tech and has “Uniflex” stamped on it I believe. I ordered some Sea Tech blue pipe/hose and it is not like my plumbing. It is exactly like the Pex pipe at HD or Lowes. The Sea Tech fittings fit very well. I have to see if my plumbing will fit the newer Sea Tech female connectors. If so, the next challenge will be removing the current fittings and installing the push-to connect Sea Tech fittings. Access to my manifold is terrible...

Bennett
 
I concur with your thought that side loading with any stress at all is a negative. However, the output side of my freshwater pump drips with no side pressure. I will be interested when you guys get the cone washers and see what happens.

The Sea Tech female connectors that I ordered and installed have cone washers and do not leak whatsoever and they are side loaded pretty good. The pipe in my boat is from Sea Tech and has “Uniflex” stamped on it I believe. I ordered some Sea Tech blue pipe/hose and it is not like my plumbing. It is exactly like the Pex pipe at HD or Lowes. The Sea Tech fittings fit very well. I have to see if my plumbing will fit the newer Sea Tech female connectors. If so, the next challenge will be removing the current fittings and installing the push-to connect Sea Tech fittings. Access to my manifold is terrible...

Bennett
I see - thanks. A PEX or PEX like 15mm tube and the Seatech QD fittings would not work for me without an excessive amount of rework; It does not have the bend radius the Uniflex does and would not fit to the manifolds and around all of the corners in the 52. I suppose one could put a bunch of elbows on the tube but wow....
I really need to make the existing hose assemblies with the crimped fittings and cone seals work as they are.
 

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