Service life and varieties of gas hoses

For a long time, cookers or gas water heaters were connected to the central main using steel pipes. Today there are adapters made from other materials. The gas hose must meet safety requirements, therefore, before making a choice, you need to consider the characteristics of different types of products.

Varieties of gas hoses

Gas connections are bellows, reinforced, fabric and rubber. All of them differ in duration and operating conditions, technical characteristics. The choice depends on the specific situation.

Rubber-fabric hose

Households are often made from rubber and fabric. This type of product is cheap and simple. The sleeve is soft, flexible, but reinforced with textile thread. The device is used at temperatures from -10 to +50 degrees. The hose is unpretentious in installation and use. However, after a while, rubber begins to harden and crack, which is fraught with gas seepage.

To increase the service life of the product, elastic components are introduced into the rubber composition. The advantage of flexible gas pipes is considered to be good elasticity and electrical conductivity. They are quickly assembled, you can choose fixtures of different sizes and diameters.

However, there are some disadvantages:

• instability to mechanical influences;
• insufficient level of rigidity;
• small protection against temperature extremes.

The use of rubber hoses is not recommended as they are subject to natural wear and tear. If the product is connected, it is not to the main pipe, but to the cylinder. It should be changed every 2 years. There are no special fasteners at the ends of the product, so it is simply put on the outlet fitting. For fastening, metal clamps are used. If there are fasteners, paronite gaskets are required during installation.

Reinforced rubber hose

For the manufacture of gas hose, vulcanized rubber reinforced with a yellow steel braid is often used. The inner layer of the tube is made of polymers. It is a conductor of electricity, and is also capable of rapidly degrading. This type of product has the following advantages:

• small price;
• the ability to withstand temperatures up to 50 degrees;
• wide range of diameters: 12-25 mm and more;
• ease of installation (there are fittings and union nuts at the ends of the tube), ease of use.

The use of a rubber reinforced hose requires the connection of dielectric inserts. They are screwed between the fixture and the household appliance. The disadvantages include low strength, insufficient level of electrical insulation. Do not use such a hose near electrical wires.

Bellows metal hose

The most reliable is a gas bellows hose. This is a flexible metal element, which contains polymeric materials, stainless steel. The sleeve is sealed, capable of withstanding high pressure, as it is reinforced with wire. It has a sufficient margin of strength and rigidity.

At the ends of the device there are steel and brass connecting nipples. With their help, the hose is connected to the pipe. Products are easily bent, change sizes, while they retain their performance, elasticity and strength. Even when bent, the inner diameter of the tube does not change. Linear expansion and contraction is compensated for by the structure of the product.

The reinforced part is protected from electrical impulse breakdown and stray currents. The dielectric insert is mounted at the production stage. The product has the following technical characteristics:

• tube diameter: 12-25 mm and more (on request);
• maximum working pressure: 6 atm;
• length: 30-200 cm.

Installation requires the installation of copper or aluminum gaskets.

Corrugated

The corrugated hose is made of metal. It easily changes shape and length. The original technical properties do not change even with frequent shape changes or stretching. Corrugation can be operated in a wide temperature range: from -50 to +250 degrees.

Others

In the past, an oxygen hose was often used to connect household appliances to a gas pipe. It is cheap, durable, copes well with high pressure, even if the indicator reaches 20 atm. Now such a product is practically not used. Sometimes it is installed temporarily.

PVC hoses have the following advantages:

• application without a dielectric (the product does not conduct electricity);
• the ability to connect to a cylinder or central line;
• normal functionality at high pressure (up to 0.63 MPa);
• many length options (up to 5 m);
• high strength, resistance to cracking;
• long service life: up to 20 years.

A PVC hose is cheaper than a bellows gas hose. The downside is the insignificant rigidity of the material.

Features of choice

For the correct choice of the device, the type of equipment to be connected, its distance from the central pipe, the material of manufacture, the recommendations of professionals are taken into account. There should be no intermediate connections along the entire length from the device to the gas source, so the hose length is initially calculated.

When choosing, the section diameter is taken into account. For good gas permeability, the indicator is 1 cm.For a reliable connection, it is better to choose products with nuts and a union.

For home installation

Household equipment requires a 1-2 m long product to operate effectively. In this case, the risk of tube rupture is reduced. If the length is insufficient, it is increased with a metal insert. It is better not to use a rubber hose, but if it is installed, you need to carefully monitor the degree of wear. If cracks appear on the product, it is immediately replaced. It is best to install a bellows product.

You do not need to buy products in which the fitting and the corrugation are fixed to each other with glue. Optimally one-piece product. When choosing a hose, you need to take into account that there are a large number of fakes on the market.

What gas services recommend

The product should be selected at specialized points of sale, where the seller can provide a quality certificate. Experts recommend purchasing a hose with a margin of length, since it should not be stretched. The following tips will help you make your choice:

• you should not purchase cheap Chinese-made products, since the wall thickness is small and they are subject to rapid wear;
• there should be a yellow mark on the sleeve, which indicates the purpose of the material (plumbing options cannot be used);
• when choosing, the eyeliner is inspected for cracks or other damage;
• fittings and nuts must match the diameter of the outlet on the household appliance.

The length of the hose should be such that it does not sag or stretch.

Signs of counterfeiting

Regardless of the type of gas pipe, at the time of purchase, you need to determine that it is not a fake. To avoid choosing a fake, you need to be guided by the following rules:

1. Inspect the product carefully. Its walls should be uniform. You should not take options with visible mechanical damage, even if they are insignificant. Through a minimal crack, gas will seep into the room, which can lead to an explosion or poisoning.
2. Compare the real parameters with those indicated in the technical data sheet.
3. Carefully consider the quality certificate, which must be presented by the seller at the request of the client. It indicates whether the product can be used to work with explosive substances.
4. Don't choose too cheap items.

Installing counterfeit items is dangerous: they often contain toxic or radioactive components. Defective sleeves rip and crack quickly. Products of European manufacturers are more often falsified.

Connection instructions and features

Regardless of the type of connection, the connection is carried out according to certain requirements:

• The length of the sleeve corresponds to the distance at which the household appliance will be located from the gas source. There are branches on the riser, which are terminated by taps. The product must not be equipped with additional couplings or connections.
• Before connecting the hose, preparatory work is carried out. The gas supply is shut off at the central riser in the apartment. The household appliance must be level so that the hose connection is not skewed.
• A seal is applied to the sleeve fitting and it is twisted on the pipe release. If the threads on the device and the tube diameter do not match, an adapter is required. A sealant is also used for it to eliminate gas leakage.
• Checking the tightness of the connection. To do this, a soap solution is applied to the joint. If the bubbles are not blown in, there is no problem.

The eyeliner cannot be hidden behind furniture, so you should choose a product that will fit into the interior of the house. There should be no branching or extraneous connections from the gas tap. If necessary, an additional valve is removed from the pipe.

Safety regulations

The use of bellows gas hoses or other types of products requires compliance with safety rules:

• The sleeve must be changed regularly if mechanical damage appears on it or the expiration date has expired. Do not use products with an operating period of less than 10 years. Rubber options are changed every 2 years.
• It is forbidden to carry out welding or soldering work near gas appliances, as well as their connection elements. It is necessary to protect them from the effects of condensation or its accumulation.
• The tightness check is checked monthly. For this, the joints and cracks in the hose are treated with soapy water. If there is a leak, bubbles will inflate in these places.
• Metal hoses are insulated. They should not come into contact with wires or household appliances.
• The connecting tube is positioned in a conspicuous place so that it can be inspected every time.
• Do not paint the hose. In this case, the material cracks faster.
• If the gas pipes are steel, do not use copper-tipped hoses.
• The product must have a coating that protects it from high temperatures and corrosive processes.
• The hose must be suitable for the characteristics of the gas mixture.

Sleeves must not be twisted or folded.

Advantages and disadvantages of gas hoses

The pros and cons of gas hoses depend on their type. Features of different types of products:

• Rubber-fabric. Flexible, easy to install, cheap and available in various sizes.The disadvantage is the impossibility of rigid connection to a household appliance, short service life, rapid cracking of the material.
• Rubber reinforced. The product is easy to install, has good flexibility and strength, and low cost. However, it conducts electricity, and the inner polymer layer is subject to rapid deterioration.
• Bellows. The hose is recommended by gas services, as it fully meets the technical requirements and standards of GOST. It is reliably protected from the influence of negative factors, as it is covered with a PVC component layer. The product tolerates mechanical stress well. There are no restrictions during operation. The only drawback is the cost.

Oxygen hoses have the advantages of the previous options, but are intended for temporary use.

Service life of gas hoses

The guaranteed service life of the gas hose is indicated in the instructions for use. After its expiration, the product is replaced. Depending on the material of manufacture and the technical properties of the tubes, the following operational period is regulated:

• bellows hoses: 15-30 years, changes with gas equipment;
• rubber-fabric: 2-3 years, in the presence of the slightest defects, the product needs to be replaced;
• reinforced: up to 10 years, high-strength materials are used in their composition;
• oxygen: up to 5 years, more often used to connect cylinders with liquefied gas;
• rubber with metal braid: up to 10 years.

Various factors affect the service life: correct installation, correctly selected characteristics of the hoses, quality of products.

There are several main types of hoses with which the household appliance is connected to the central pipe, but the bellows version is preferred. With proper installation and operation, the product will last as long as stated in the instructions.