Question about water heater connections

[genkinyc]

Hi Guys,

Does such a thing exist as a 7/8" to 5/8" hose adaptor?

I have a water heater installed that has 7/8" hose coming off it and I need to connect it to a new engine that I installing - the new engine is 5/8 hose barb connections, the old was 7/8"

I have tried Home Depot, West Marine, spoken with Raritan (the heater manufacturer) and also tried a couple of local plumbing supply houses "plumbing only comes in 1/2" 3/4" and 1" size!"

So, if I can't find a hose adaptor I would have to purchase expensive new hose and re-fiiting to the water heater...

Do any of your gurus our there have a solution ?

Thanks in advance

 

[The Cobbler]

and the original hose barbs can't be installed in the new engine I assume?

 

[genkinyc]

Hi,

Unfortunately no, I cannot transfer the hose barbs from the old engine.

It seems impossible to find a reducing coupler from 7/8 to 5/8...

Thanks

 

[rlitman]

I had a similar issue with vacuum hoses on my Jeep. One side was one size, and the other side was another size. It came from the factory with a formed hose, but that part was unavailable at the dealer.

I ended up buying brass hose barbs in both sizes at HD, sawed both in half, and brazed the two together.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

Picture of what you're trying to do?

 

[genkinyc]

I can get a picture when I re-visit the boat on Friday.

I have a water heater already installed with two hoses attached that are 1 7/8"

I want to attach them to 1 5/8" hose barbs on the new engine that I am installing and was hoping for a reducing coupler.

The coolant from the engine passes through the hoses and through the marine water heat exchanger to create hot water for the boat

One of these puppies;
http://raritaneng.com/raritan-product-line/water-heaters/1700-series-marine-water-heater/


Thanks

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

Ah,you forgot to mention the part about a boat!
That's what was throwing me off ,I was picturing a water heater in your house connected to a,sbc.
You should be able to get a hose barb Luke that at any decent box store.

 

[The Cobbler]

so the sizes are 1-7/8 & 1-5/8 , or 7/8 &5/8?

 

[genkinyc]

I should have mentioned that it's a sailboat - DOH !

Oh man, and I typo the hose sizes,

It's 7/8" to 5/8" that's what I need.

Thanks !!

 

[Highbeam]

It's not crazy to cinch the 7/8" hose down onto a 3/4" barb or stretch it over a 1" barb.

 

[rlitman]

It's not crazy to cinch the 7/8" hose down onto a 3/4" barb or stretch it over a 1" barb.

It isn't, but in either case, you're likely to see premature failure of the hose.

 

[genkinyc]

Thanks for the responses.

I still have been unable to find a hose barb - 5/8 to 7/8.

The water heater manufacturer tells me that I can replace the fittings at the heater side to 5/8 - but that's a lot more work (I would have to remove the water heater to reach the fittings, purchase new expensive marine grade hose)

Thx

 

[BillK]

What engine is it ? Are you sure you cant take the hose fittings out of the new engine and replace them with ones for the 7/8 hose ? Are the fittings threaded in or pressed in ?

 

[Zeke]

Can you do this inline?

https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/productdetails.asp?RecID=2808

 

[rlitman]

Can you do this inline?

https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/productdetails.asp?RecID=2808

And have barbed inline fittings on each side of it? That's a lot of potential places for leaks, but I like that idea a lot more than stretching or compressing a hose.

If it were me, I'd still go with my original recommendation of making a brass to brass adapter. Either by brazing two pre-made adapters together (the easiest and cheapest way), or by turning something on the lathe.

But a thought just came to mind. You could take a piece of thick wall copper tubing, anneal it, and press a swage into the end to stretch it to the thicker size. With a little rolling of the ends, and a gently made bubble flare on each end, you could make an adapter out of copper without too much effort.

 

[DenisG]

Get hose barb adapters to 1/2" NPT pipe and connect them with a 1/2" NPT coupling. (Or use hose barb adapters with opposite NPT genders.)