General Information
General Care and Maintenance
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 not to subject the hose to
excessive surge pressures. Hose should not be
kinked or 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 & Inspection Procedures
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 displaced 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 the 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 regular schedule for testing should
be followed and inspection records maintained.
SAFETY WARNING:
Before conducting any
pressure tests on hose, provisions 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 hose 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 (3m) 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 the hose is to be bulwarked so
that a blown-out fitting will be stopped.
Reprinted from RMA Hose Handbook IP-2 Seventh Edition 2003
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 containment 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 indicating 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 environments which are known to be deleterious to rubber products. Proper
storage conditions can enhance and extend substantially the ultimate life of hose products.
Care, Maintenance and Storage
349
Appendix
C
Air & Multipurpose
General Purpose
Heavy Duty
Push-on
Chemical Transfer
Cleaning Equipment
Food
Transfer
Washdown
Marine
Material Handling
Abrasives
Bulk Transfer
Cement & Concrete
Mining
Petroleum
Aircraft Fueling
Dispensing
Dock
Transfer
Spray
Steam
Vacuum
LPG Delivery
Water
Discharge
Suction & Discharge
Washdown
Welding
Coupling Systems
Equipment
Appendix