A hose clamp is designed for use in popular attachments from kitchen fittings to car engines. The purpose is to secure a hose over an accessory by clamping the hose down. It prevents fluids in the hose from leaking at that point of connection. Hose clamps are essential equipment for a lot of home repairs and maintenance.
The appropriate hose clamp distributes pressure evenly around the hose. You can find different hose clamp sizes made from various materials such as stainless-steel. Choosing the wrong hose clamp size and quality will result in leaking. Key elements to consider when selecting a clamp include:
Torque
The torque exerted on the connection is an important consideration. Over torquing results in a weaker connection. Take note: more is not always better, especially when using worm drive hose clamps.
Material
The use of a high-quality clamp with a stainless-steel band cannot be overemphasized. Besides, it is important to note the correct grade of stainless steel in use for any given application.
However, not all stainless is the same. There are lower quality stainless-steel clamps that have recently come into the market, and users have reported instances of them failing when in use.
Bandwidth
When you are determining the correct bandwidth, consider the strength required, and the torque load transferred to the connection. The majority of standard clamps are 9/16” in bandwidth.
Clamping diameter
Generally, it would help if you optimized a clamp to fit the mating parts with ease without excess material extending once the clamp is fully tightened.
Depending on your project, there are a variety of hose clamps to select. The following are the most common hose clamps.
1. Worm Gear Clamps
Worm gear clamps are a type of stainless-steel clamp that can be used when you need to secure a hose while it’s already connected to a fitting. They are popular in the aviation and automotive industry. They consist of a screw housing, slotted band, and the worm gear that meshes with the slot in the band.
2. Spring Clamp
Spring clamps come in many sizes. They work much like a clothespin, but with greater force. They are some of the cheapest clamps you’ll find and have a wide range of applications.
3. Embossed Hose clamps
Embossed hose clamps and other types of clamps are made of stainless steel. They come in various sizes because plumbing pipes vary in terms of size. If you keep both large hose clamps and mini hose clamps, you can tackle plumbing problems that may appear all over your house.
4. Ratcheting Band Clamp
A band clamp is an excellent option for situations where surfaces that are not parallel need to be clamped together. You can find special band clamps used for circular pieces through which you can thread blocks, where clamping pressure needs to come from multiple directions.
5. Hand Screw Clamp
This one consists of two hardwood jaws and handles with long threaded screws. The clamp’s advantage is it can be adjusted into various angles and shapes. You are likely to mar the wood it is holding since it distributes pressure evenly over the hardwood jaws.
In Conclusion
Having a supply of assorted stainless-steel clamps for plumbing is the best preparation for plumbing emergencies. Stainless-steel is the preferred material because it does not corrode even when exposed to water over time. It is an alloy that is strong and durable.
