Hoses are widely used in many different industries, and may be found in vehicle engines, factory parts, plumbing, and more. These pipes vary in material and the contents that they carry, ranging from water to hot, pressurized steam to waste liquids and more. Meanwhile, pipes may be made of plastic or metal and carry an even wider assortment of materials such as industrial chemicals or sewage, and more. Pipes are often found in factories and in a house’s plumbing, and the repair and maintenance of pipes is essential to prevent expensive and harmful leaks. But that’s not all. Pipes and hoses may also have hose clamps put on them to anchor them to nearby items for support, and hose clamp sizes and hose clamp types vary. A person may make use of stainless steel clamps, for example, for their plastic pipes or for hoses at a factory or in an engine. Otherwise, without stainless steel clamps, a pipe may move around during use due to the pressure of its contents. That could cause trouble, and loose hoses might touch something that may damage them or snare something else. To prevent such issues, stainless steel clamps will be used.
Models of Hose Clamps
These devices have been in use for almost a century now. They were first engineered by a former Royal Navy Commander named Lumley Riboson in 1921, and ever since, various models of stainless steel clamps have been used to keep pipes and hoses stable while in use. Not only do these hose clamps keep pipes and hoses in position, but they also help the pipe or hose stay secure at its joints, where a pipe/hose is connected to something else. It’s a clamp to prevent ruptures at a weak point due to pressure, and there is more than one way to do this. Different stainless steel clamps models may be employed. What are they?
Screw clamps are one such model that can be used, and these stainless steel clamps are used on pipes that are 0.5″ in diameter and greater. As the name suggests, they have a screw that the user may tighten or loosen to adjust how tight the clamp is, making this quite a flexible clamp model (they are also known as worm gear clamps). They may also be used for temporary fixes on a ruptured or leaking pipe until something more permanent is acquired and used.
Spring clamps are even simpler in construction, but they are highly useful and intuitive to use for any worker. Such a clamp is simply a cylindrical spring that has several protrusions, or tabs, on it for the user to handle. There aren’t even any moving parts in a spring clamp aside from how the worker may bend the clamp to adjust its tightness. The tabs allow the user to adjust the clamp as needed, no screwdrivers required.
Using Hose Clamps
Often, such stainless steel clamps are used as a substitute for duct tape on a pipe or hose where duct tape could be useful, and such clamps are also fine for the duty of a zip tie. They can be latched onto specialized barbs or “nipples” to keep the hose or pipe in place during use, keeping everything stable. What’s important to note is that stainless steel clamps, no matter the type, apply pressure equally on the pipe or hose they are attached to, so they will not rupture their host pipe or hose. Hose clamps in particular may be limited to hoses with mild to moderate pressure in them, such as the hoses found in a car engine.
Such clamps can be easily installed when a pipe or hose is installed or moved to a new position, but clamps may need their own care and inspections like any other piece of hardware. If the hose clamps are rusted, damaged, or otherwise compromised, they must be loosened and replaced at once, and the host pipe or hose may be shut off until the replacement is complete. Damaged clamps are more likely to allow leaks or bursts to occur, so replacing them may prevent an accident. However, worn or stuck hoses should not be cut or slit, because doing so may scratch the barb and even cause a leak.