Methods to prevent leakage of flexible hoses

Although the flexible hose does not have the long service life and hard material of the metal hose, it is more suitable for transporting liquids and gases due to the characteristics of no chemical reaction and easy bending and installation.

To know how to prevent the flexible hose from leaking, it is necessary to figure out what leakage methods and causes of the flexible hose have.

Causes of flexible hose leakage

The first category stems from unfamiliarity with the hose during installation, and man-made mistakes in the operation of the hose result in the hose sealing effect not reaching the expected effect.

The hose will shrink by nearly 4% under the action of pressure. If the slack is not maintained at the beginning of the installation, the joint will easily shrink and leak due to the pressure. The distribution of the hose should also be taken into consideration. The hose should not be excessively bent and twisted. Generally, materials have a bending deformation value. Do not over-bend. The hoses affect each other due to factors such as temperature and vibration，they will accelerate the hose aging, especially when the hose is aging and it is easy to crack and leak.

The second category stems from the failure to select a suitable interface hose clamp, often because the hose does not achieve a good fastening effect or the wrong hose clamp causes premature wear of the hose, and leakage occurs due to damage such as scratches on the contact surface.  The material of the hose clamp is not compatible with the external environment, which may cause corrosion damage of the hose clamp.

It is extremely important to choose the right hose clamp and install it correctly. Also pay attention to the hose not to be twisted during installation. Abrasion causes the outer rubber layer to disappear. When the steel wire reinforcement layer is exposed to moisture, it begins to rust and deteriorate, thereby reducing the service life of the hose. For this reason, the principle of pipe layout requires the hose to be clamped and fixed in place to prevent wear. Also the hose will shorten under pressure, so do not over-clamp the hose. Friction between the hoses can also cause wear, so each hose should be clamped separately.

The selection of hose and tube material and the correctness of assembly are very important. And daily inspection and maintenance should be carried out, and the aging and damaged hoses should be replaced in time. To avoid leakage.

How to choose a flexible hose clamp

The clamp prevents leakage at the joint. The sealing performance of the clamp depends on many factors. The material and design of the hose, the compatibility of the hose hole and the connection, various mechanical factors such as pressure, temperature and vibration.

Commonly used hose clamps include rubber lined retaining clamps (p clamps), ear clamps and worm gear hose clamps.

Let's compare their characteristics and applicable scenarios.

Characteristic	Ear Clamps	Worm Gear Hose Clamps	P Clamps
Tightness	Excellent sealing, will not loosen over time.	General standard tightness.	General.
Installation	The installation is simple and requires a clamping tool.  The ear clip slides over the hose connector and requires pneumatic or hand tools to tighten. Not suitable for confined and narrow places.	The installation is simple, and the worm clamp can be easily replaced on site with only a screwdriver.  Convenient and convenient, can be used in narrow places.	Installation is simple and convenient. It is generally used in hydraulic pipelines, and more often in electrical cables.
Can it be reused	No, one-time clamping.	Yes, it can be reused.	Yes, it can be reused.
Material	Stainless steel will not rust.	Stainless steel will not rust.	Rubber and stainless steel galvanized parts are not easy to rust.
Features	It can prevent rust and corrosion and can be used in humid environments.	It can prevent rust and corrosion, has many styles and can be reused.	Wide range of material and rubber options.Reinforced band ends for high mechanical loads.

When choosing a hose clamp, pay attention that the notch of the screw mechanism cuts into the hose. Choose a hose clamp with a smooth inner surface and a curled edge to avoid cutting the hose due to the clamp.

Checking method for leakage of flexible hose

Direct observation: pay attention to whether there is a peculiar smell of transport gas in the gas pipeline environment, and whether there are traces of liquid drop and moisture in the fluid pipeline.

Bubble inspection method: This is a low-cost and very effective inspection method. Use products with surfactants, such as laundry detergent and soap in daily life, make soap liquid with water and apply it to the pipe surface. The soap liquid will form a film on the pipe surface, and the product will bubble when there is a gas leak.

Pressure test: In the isolated state, apply pressure to the hose at the specified pressure and time. If there is a leak, the pressure will gradually drop.

Professional testing machine: If you need to test a very small leak, you can use a professional instrument to test according to the test procedure, such as a mass spectrometer, ultrasonic leak detection equipment is often used for special gas leak testing.

Leak test has important practical significance, not only can avoid huge economic losses, but is also responsible for the safety of staff. We must not only pay attention to avoid leakage from the source, but also pay attention to regular inspections to ensure safety.