Heads Up for Hosers: Low Pressure Hose

Welcome back to Gear Up with Greggs! This time, we’re diving into our Heads Up for Hosers segment! We’re going to go over the basics of a low-pressure hydraulic system and what hoses you need to make your system work for you, not against you.

Low Pressure Hose | Gear Up With Gregg's Blog

Hose failure can be messy, and dangerous. That’s why it’s important to make sure you’re using the right hose, and fittings, for the job. A hose’s working pressure, or maximum operating pressure, determines how much pressure a hose can handle continuously without any pressure surges or spikes. This number is represented in PSI (pounds per square inch), or bar. To find the pressure rating for your hose, consult your manufacturer’s catalogue or, even easier, take a look at the layline!

The layline provides all of the information you need to know about your hose, including the manufacturer's name, production date, maximum operating pressure, part number, size, and industry specification. What we want to focus on is the maximum operating pressure.

Understanding Low Pressure Hoses

Low-pressure hoses are designed for use in applications where the maximum operating pressure does not exceed 500 PSI. A good example of something on the lower end of the spectrum is a garden hose. These common hoses usually have a maximum operating pressure well below 100 PSI, though some larger, heavy-duty farm hoses can have a maximum operating pressure as high as 500 PSI. But what determines whether a hose has a maximum operating pressure of 100 PSI or 500 PSI? Well, it all boils down to the materials used to make the hose.

Hoses are made up of three parts—an inner tube, a reinforcement layer, and a protective outer layer. Both the inner tube and the outer layer are generally made of a type of synthetic rubber—usually nitrile rubber or EDPM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer). EDPM is more commonly used in hoses that need to hold up to the environment, like that garden hose you leave in the shed all winter. In a low-pressure system, the reinforcement layer is generally a textile construction. This is because low-pressure hoses don’t need to hold up to the surging pressures that would require a metal reinforcement layer. This textile reinforcement layer also gives low-pressure hoses great flexibility, offering a higher minimum bend radius for those tight corners.

Now, garden hoses are nice and all, but what about hoses for hydraulic and industrial applications? After all, that’s where most of these hoses get put to use. Well, most often, low-pressure hoses can be found on low-pressure hydraulic equipment or they are used for the transport of gasoline, fuel, lubricating oils, air, and water. These hoses are also commonly used for the return line in hydraulic systems, which carries excess fluid from the control valve back to the reservoir. Return lines are the lowest area of pressure in a hydraulic system, and while a medium or high-pressure hose would work just as well here, low-pressure hoses are more cost-efficient and are adequate for most return line applications.

Types Of Low-Pressure Hoses We Offer

Let’s take a closer look at some of the common, low-pressure hoses we carry here at Gregg Distributors. To start, we have three multi-purpose, low-pressure hoses. These hoses are most commonly used for air but have unique properties that make them useful in other situations as well. So why pick one hose over the other? Well, it all has to do with your specific requirements!

Continental’s Frontier Air-Water Hose

We’ll start with Continental’s Frontier Air-Water Hose, which is available with a pressure rating of 200, 250, or 300 PSI. This hose is made from EPDM, and as we mentioned before, EPDM is often used in hoses that need to hold up against tough environmental factors. And the Frontier hose line is no exception! With a -40^°C temperature rating, these hoses are a real cold-weather workhorse. This compound is not only good for air, but also has an excellent resistance to mild chemicals, which broadens the potential use. This economical option is used for a wide range of industrial, construction, and agricultural applications. But for long-term exposure to oil, EPDM might not be your best choice.

Continental’s ORTAC (Oil Resistant Tube and Cover) hose

For a shop that may experience more than the occasional oil spill, we turn to Continental’s ORTAC (Oil Resistant Tube and Cover) hose. This premium-quality, multi-purpose hose is available with a pressure rating of 250, 300, or 400 PSI and boasts a Class A oil resistance rating… the highest rating that a hose can achieve! The excellent oil resistance is accomplished by using a nitrile rubber tube and a synthetic rubber cover, rather than the EPDM construction of the Frontier series. With a temperature rating from -29°C to 99°C, this hose can be used for air, water, kerosene, low-pressure oil transfer, and even some chemicals!

Gorilla Hose

Finally, we have the Gorilla Hose. This hose comes packed with a 500 PSI pressure rating, no matter the hose size, leaving our last two examples in the dust. With the same Class A Oil resistance as the ORTAC, the Gorilla hose seems like a clear winner. However, keep an eye on that temperature rating! While the Frontier and the ORTEC cap out at 99°C, the Gorilla line is only rated for 88°C. So, if things are getting heated, you might want to consider your options. An added bonus, the Gorilla Hose is its strength… with the premium Carbryn™ synthetic rubber cover, these hoses have superior abrasion resistance and are considered virtually crush-proof! This makes them perfect for factories, construction, agriculture, quarry, mine, railroad, oil and gas, and shipbuilding applications!

These differences are very similar to what you will find in other low-pressure hoses we offer. When choosing a hose, determining the best fit will often come down to your application, pressure, temperature, and budget needs.

Eaton’s low-pressure textile braid hose

We also carry Eaton’s low-pressure textile braid hose offering. But there is something that makes these hoses unique… the word Socketless™. The Socketless™ hose construction ensures a tight, leak-proof connection up to 350 PSI, while you may be more familiar with the fittings when they are referred to as push-on fittings. Push-on fittings are barbed hose fittings that grip to the inner tube of your hose, eliminating the need for clamps, ferrules, or crimping to obtain the required pressure rating for your system! Socketless™ hoses are all excellent for transporting oil, fuel, air, and water.

Socketless™ hoses

Now, while these Socketless™ hoses are very similar in pressure and application, the biggest difference is in their covers! The FC647 series has a textile braided cover, which provides oil and mildew resistance in damp environments. But if you wanted a bit more abrasion protection, the 2556 Series boasts a synthetic rubber cover that can take the abuse, while keeping dirt and moisture at bay. Now, the FC332 series has a unique blue cover made of a proprietary Eaton compound known as AQP. AQP is designed to have better fluid compatibility, a larger temperature range, a fantastic service life, and a better shelf life, the FC332 hose series is perfect for almost any application.

Eaton’s Evercool series

Other common areas where you can find low-pressure hoses are in the air conditioning systems found in industrial refrigeration, transportation vehicles, agricultural equipment, and in your very own car or truck. Eaton’s Evercool series can handle pressures up to 500 PSI and has a temperature rating from -40°C to 140°C. The inner tube, made from a dual-extrusion veneer, virtually eliminates gas loss, which reduces environmental impact as well as the downtime and costs associated with “topping off.” The EPDM cover, combined with the unique four-layer construction, means that this hose is tough enough to resist wear and collapse, making it ideal for even the most demanding applications. And, this hose can be factory crimped or crimped in the field using the E-Z Clip™ fitting system!

Applications

Another common place to find these low-pressure hoses is in your fuel system. That’s right if the fuel lines in your vehicle are rubber, they’re probably low-pressure hoses. While the brake lines need to hold up to sporadic and drastic pressure changes, the fuel lines are under a lot less pressure. Low-pressure hoses are often used to replace hard lines in fuel systems, especially where the lines need to have the ability to move or flex.

Low-pressure hoses are great for applications where you’ve got tight spaces that need a better bend radius. But remember, know your system! Never use a hose, fitting, coupler, or adapter that isn’t rated for your system’s PSI. A good rule of thumb is to never operate a hose assembly over its rated working pressure and to keep in mind that environmental changes, such as temperature, will impact the working pressure of your hose. Also, don’t mix and match manufacturers, no matter the ratings! Hose and fittings are made to work together, so keep every component of your hose assembly from one manufacturer.

Now, if you have any questions, or want more information about our low-pressure hose assemblies, feel free to give us a call. Or, you can check out our YouTube channel, where we have lots of Heads Up for Hosers videos! Thanks for checking in with Gear Up with Gregg’s!