Follow These Four Steps to Choose the Right Hose for Your Job

Our quick video will explain the step-by-step process for hose selection

This short Tech Clip video reviews the four steps needed to properly choose a hose

Take an 'inside-out' approach, working from core to cover

As with so many Swagelok products, you have many choices when it comes to hose. If you want a stainless steel cover over a silicone core, we can make it for you. If you want a Fiberglass jacket over nylon, it's no problem. The question is which combination will give you the qualities you want in the finished hose? We can build most requests and custom orders for hoses locally, right here at our Hose Cell located in Edmonton Alberta. Follow these four steps and you should get what you need for your applications.

Start at the core

The core material of a hose is the layer that will come in contact with the fluid and contain it, so that's where you want to start. Different materials will have different permeability, work within different temperature ranges, and be compatible with different kinds of fluids. Some core materials are easier to clean than others.

Common core tube materials include: metal, silicone, nylon, fluoropolymers like PTFE and PFA, and various rubbers.

So nylon, for example, works well under high pressure and low temperatures, while metal is a better choice for high temperatures. PTFE features good cleanability, while silicone doesn't.

Add reinforcement

The reinforcement layer provides pressure containment. This is also the layer that adds kink and crush resistance, electrical continuity, torsion strength, volumetric expansion control, and flexibility. It might serve as the hose cover, or it may be sandwiched between the cover and the core.

Hose reinforcements can be a number of materials from fabric to metallic.

Look for cover

The cover is the layer that protects the hose against permeation, abrasion, kinking and temperature. It can enhance UV resistance and flexibility as well.

Common cover options include Armor Guard, Spiral Guard, Fire Jacket, Thermosleeve, silicone, and stainless steel over-braid. Each cover material has its own set of characteristics. So if you are looking for a cover that resists many hydraulic fluids and lubricating oils, and can operate at temperatures from -65° to 500F, take a look at Swagelok's Fire Jacket, a woven fiberglass coated with aerospace-grade silicone rubber. 

But if you need a cover that can handle higher temperatures and protects the hose from weld spatter, you might want to consider Swagelok's braided fiberglass Thermosleeve.

Get connected

The final step is to select the end connections for the hose. The proper end connections will eliminate the need for adapters, making installation and maintenance easier.  When you have fewer adapters, you also have fewer leak points and less production downtime. You get lower risk to personnel, equipment, and your end product.

Swagelok has many different types to choose from, making it easy to meet your industry's standards and your system's specifications. Among the options are NPT threads, tube adapters, tube butt welds and Kwik clamps.

We produced a two-minute Tech Clip video to walk you through the four basic steps. If you'd like to learn more, ask us about our Hose Essentials training class by calling 780-437-0640 or using our contact page to send a note.