Buying an industrial hose isn’t like buying a new pair of shoes. You don’t shop with your eyes first and then locate the right size prior to purchase. Aesthetics matter last in the hose industry; function and quality come first. Anyone in need of an industrial hose for their line of work should be aware of this.
But what are the most important attributes of commercial hoses? The following three would definitely be them.
Size
Industrial hoses aren’t a one-size-fits-all. “The bigger, the better” doesn’t work either when selecting a good-sized hose. The size of hose you’ll need depends on your particular application. And, although size is the most fundamental attribute of industrial hoses, it’s one of the most critical.
Three keywords used to describe the size of industrial hoses include:
- Hose Length – A basic aspect associated with the size of your industrial hose is the length of the hose. The hose length can be described as the maximum length between the two ends of a hose. The longer the hose, the higher the pressure drop.
- Inner Diameter (I.D.) – The I.D. of a hose has to do with the amount of empty space found within the hose, not including the diameter/thickness of the skin of the hose. Selecting a hose with the correct inner diameter is critical as a hose with a diameter that is too large for your application can lead to slow system performance. On the other hand, using a hose with an inner diameter that is too small may result in leaks, heavy drops in pressure, and/or irreversible damage to your system. Sometimes the I.D. is used interchangeably with “dash number” or “dash size.” The dash size simply refers to the inner diameter of a hose based on increments of a 16th of an inch.
- Outer Diameter (O.D.) – The outer diameter is taken, as the name implies, from the outside of the hose. So, it includes not only the inner diameter but the remaining thickness of the hose, as in, its skin.
Pressure
The last thing you want to do is select a hose that is uncapable of meeting the maximum pressure of your system. If you do select a hose with the wrong pressure, this increases your chances of danger occurring on the jobsite.
Temperature
Not all hoses are capable of taking on the same amount of heat. Pick a hose that isn’t very heat-resistant could surely lead to permanent hose damage if your application requires such, and that’s just the least of your problems. That said, keep in mind both the ambient (outside/working environment) temperature and media (the “stuff” that will be transferred within the hose during use) temperature of a hose before buying it.
Apart from size, pressure, and temperature, it’s also important to purchase a hose based on its overall function, material, flexibility, the authority and trustworthiness of where and by whom it has been manufactured, and lastly, its price and any warranties it may have on it.
You can trust ASJ Hose & Fittings to provide you with top-notch industrial hose supply. We only select from the best hoses to sell to our North America-based customers, and we have a lot of it. Call us today at (951) 735-1351 to see if we have what you need in stock for immediate shipment.
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