Whilst visiting some industrial sites, it is evident that there is a lack of understanding about the life cycle of hoses and the reason for hose pressure testing & inspection. All hoses will eventually wear out resulting in failure, but the question is when?
No supplier or Manufacturer will tell you how long a hose will last, because it depends upon a huge number of factors such as the environment it operates in, how it is looked after, the pressures, movement, etc. etc. however what we do know is that all hoses follow roughly a similar curve:
The early failure is usually the result of manufacture or installation issues and the wear out failure comes towards the end of the cycle.
To maximise the use of our hoses, we would like to replace them towards the end of the flat section, but knowing when that is without regular hose inspections is difficult.
Car Tyres don’t last forever:
Anyone who owns an old car will know that the rubber tyres and seals all perish eventually which is why the MOT includes checks on windscreen wiper blades and tyres. Remember Rubber hoses start degrading as soon as they are made, and consequently we recommend that all rubber hoses are replaced every 7 years irrespective of their use.
Regular Hose Inspection
At Buckley Industrial we recommend regular inspection of hoses. How regular, depends upon the application and the ‘class’ of hose, but a minimum should be a visual inspection annually. For more information on classifying hoses and determining a hose inspection programme get in touch via our contact us page.