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Service life of hoses
Service life of hoses
The service life of hoses is affected by many things. I'll try to highlight a few that I've come across along the way. The wrong choice of hose and misused hoses are ruled out immediately upon handshake. In my opinion, they are already their own set of issues, which will be dealt with sometime later. Let's consider the age of the hose under normal conditions and, above all, in proper use.
The environment in which the hose is used creates requirements for the hose. UV light from the sun causes the hoses to fade and dry out. Let's imagine, for example, a coil of rubber hose that is left in a harbor in the Mediterranean without protection. Continuous UV light fades the hose's texts and its surface. The heat produced by the sun contributes to the drying of the hose together with UV light. It can be seen on the outer surface of the hose as transverse cracks. Actually, all hoses should always be stored protected from UV. Hose manufacturers try to slow down the fading and drying of hoses with different outer surfaces.
Substances transferred with a hose create their own requirements. Naturally, the suction and pressure hoses designed for consumables do not last forever, but different inner materials are used to reduce wear and tear on the hose. On the other hand, some liquid substance can be difficult for the hose, e.g. vinegar used in the food industry can sweat through the hose. Hose users should know how to sometimes also look inside the hose and not only follow the outer surface of the hose
So what is the suitable service life for hoses? It should be defined in connection with the maintenance of the device, which takes into account its use and criticality in case of a hose failure. In the industry, the general guideline for high-pressure hoses is 5 years, after which the risk of unexpected hose failure increases. An expert can help plan the exchange interval in certain locations. The question is so multifaceted and so many things affect the service life of the hose that there is no single correct truth. The replacement interval should be defined on a device-by-device basis so as not to cause unnecessary risk to people, the environment or production.
Author
Toni Mielikainen
CEO
Mittaletku
+358 400 292 874
[email protected]
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Toni is perhaps Finland's most experienced hose master, whose hands have passed through hundreds of solutions for all domestic industries. More than 20 years of experience in hose and connector matters can be seen as expertise that both large production plants and small breweries benefit from.
