Page 30 - GoodYear Rubber Products 1-866-711-4673 HBD Thermoid Inc

800/543-8070 Fax 800/423-4354 www.hbdthermoid.com
GENERAL INFORMATION
30
Product information is subject to change. For full details, visit our website or contact Customer Service.
GENERAL CARE AND MAINTENANCE OF HOSE
Hose should not be subjected to any form of abuse in service. It
should be handled with reasonable care. Hose should not be
dragged over sharp or abrasive surfaces unless specifically
designed for such service. Care should be taken to protect hose
from severe end loads for which the hose or hose assembly were
not designed. Hose should be used at or below its rated working
pressure; any changes in pressure should be made gradually so as
to not subject the hose to excessive surge pressures. Hose should
not be kinked or be run over by equipment. In handling large size
hose, dollies should be used whenever possible; slings or handling
rigs, properly placed, should be used to support heavy hose used
in oil suction and discharge service .
GENERAL TEST AND INSPECTION PROCEDURES
FOR HOSE
An inspection and hydrostatic test should be made at periodic
intervals to determine if a hose is suitable for continued service.
A visual inspection of the hose should be made for loose covers,
kinks, bulges, or soft spots which might indicate broken or dis-
placed reinforcement.
The couplings or fittings should be closely examined and, if there
is any sign of movement of the hose from the couplings, the hose
should be removed from service.
The periodic inspection should include a hydrostatic test for one
minute at 150% of the recommended working pressure of the
hose. An exception to this would be woven jacketed fire hose.*
During the hydrostatic test, the hose should be straight, not coiled
or in a kinked position.
Water is the usual test medium and, following the test, the hose
may be flushed with alcohol to remove traces of moisture. A regu-
lar schedule for testing should be followed and inspection records
maintained.
SAFETY WARNING: Before conducting any pressure tests
on hose, provision must be made to ensure the safety of the
personnel performing the tests and to prevent any possible
damage to property. Only trained personnel using proper tools
and procedures should conduct any pressure tests.
1. Air or any other compressible gas must never be used as
the test media because of the explosive action of the gas
should a failure occur. Such a failure might result in possible
damage to property and serious bodily injury.
2. Air should be removed from the hose by bleeding it through
an outlet valve while the hose is being filled with the test
medium.
3. Hose to be pressure tested must be restrained by placing
steel rods or straps close to each end and at approximate
10 foot (3 m) intervals along its length to keep the hose from
"whipping" if failure occurs; the steel rods or straps are to be
anchored firmly to the test structure but in such a manner that
they do not contact the hose which must be free to move.
4. The outlet end of hose is to be bulwarked so that a blown-
out fitting will be stopped.
5. Provisions must be made to protect testing personnel from
the forces of the pressure media if a failure occurs.
6. Testing personnel must never stand in front of or in back of
the ends of a hose being pressure tested.
7. If liquids such as gasoline, oil, solvent, or other hazardous
fluids are used as the test fluid, precautions must be taken to
protect against fire or other damage should a hose assembly
fail and the test liquid be sprayed over the surrounding area.
STORAGE
Rubber hose products in storage can be affected adversely by
temperature, humidity, ozone, sunlight, oils, solvents, corrosive
liquids and fumes, insects, rodents and radioactive materials.
The appropriate method for storing hose depends to a great extent
on its size (diameter and length), the quantity to be stored, and the
way in which it is packaged. Hose should not be piled or stacked to
such an extent that the weight of the stack creates distortions on
the lengths stored at the bottom.
Since hose products vary considerably in size, weight, and length, it
is not practical to establish definite recommendations on this point.
Hose having a very light wall will not support as much load as
could a hose having a heavier wall or hose having a wire reinforce-
ment. Hose which is shipped in coils or bales should be stored so
that the coils are in a horizontal plane.
Whenever feasible, rubber hose products should be stored in their
original shipping containers, especially when such containers are
wooden crates or cardboard cartons which provide some protection
against the deteriorating effects of oils, solvents, and corrosive
liquids; shipping containers also afford some protection against
ozone and sunlight.
Certain rodents and insects will damage rubber hose products, and
adequate protection from them should be provided.
Cotton jacketed hose should be protected against fungal growths if
the hose is to be stored for prolonged periods in humidity condi-
tions in excess of 70%.
The ideal temperature for the storage of rubber products ranges
from 50° to 70°F (10-21°C) with a maximum limit of 100°F (38°C).
If stored below 32°F (0°C), some rubber products become stiff and
would require warming before being placed in service. Rubber
products should not be stored near sources of heat, such as radia-
tors, base heaters, etc., nor should they be stored under conditions
of high or low humidity.
To avoid the adverse effects of high ozone concentration, rubber
hose products should not be stored near electrical equipment that
may generate ozone or be stored for any lengthy period in geo-
graphical areas of known high ozone concentration.
Hose should not be stored in locations where the ozone level
exceeds the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health’s
upper limit of 0.10 ppm. Exposure to direct or reflected sunlight –
even through windows – should also be avoided. Uncovered hose
should not be stored under fluorescent or mercury lamps which
generate light waves harmful to rubber.
Storage areas should be relatively cool and dark, and free of damp-
ness and mildew. Items should be stored on a first-in, first-out
basis, since even under the best of conditions, an unusually long
shelf life could deteriorate certain rubber products.
*Woven jacket fire hose should be tested in accordance with the
service test provisions contained in the current edition of National
Fire Protection Association Bulletin No. 1962 – Standard for the
Care, Use and Service Testing of Fire Hose.
* Reprinted with permission from the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA)
Hose Handbook, RMA/IP-2/2003.
CARE, MAINTENANCE AND STORAGE
Hose has a limited life and the user must be alert to signs of
impending failure, particularly when the conditions of service
include high working pressures and/or the conveyance or contain-
ment of hazardous materials. The periodic inspection and testing
procedures described here provide a schedule of specific measures
which constitute a minimum level of user action to detect signs indi-
cating hose deterioration or loss of performance before conditions
leading to malfunction or failure are reached.
SAFETY WARNING: Failure to properly follow the
manufacturer’s recommended procedures for the care,
maintenance and storage of a particular hose might
result in its failure to perform in the manner intended
and might result in possible damage to property and
serious bodily injury.
General instructions are also described for the proper storage of
hose to minimize deterioration from exposure to elements or envi-
ronments which are known to be deleterious to rubber products.
Proper storage conditions can enhance and extend substantially
the ultimate life of hose products.