When discussing service life, I am referring to the period measured from installation. The user/manufacturer would be able to establish this period.

Let’s take a look at an example. Imagine there are two identical hose assemblies- one operating at 70° F (21° C) - 100° F (38° C) ambient and fluid temperature with relatively steady pressure, and the other operating at 225° F (107° C) with impulsing service. Which do you think will last longer? The answer is, of course, the first example because there is less stress on the hose liner due to lower ambient temperature and reduced impulsing service.

Most hose assembly failures are due to using the wrong hose for the job or external abuse. This abuse is caused by kinking, chafing, impact, or bending the hose out of the way (exceeding bend radius or "breaking" a "set" hose) to gain access to another part.

All hoses, including those made of PTFE, nylon, CPE, silicone and rubber, can "take a set." That is, after a period of use in a particular configuration the hose permanently assumes a fixed shape. A hose that has “taken a set” has lost its elasticity. When this happens, I would recommend replacing the hose.

Factors Affecting Hose Life

There are numerous factors and variables that can affect hose life. The main factors to consider are:

Hose handling
Type of media
Pressure of media
Temperature of media
Type of tube rubber
Ambient conditions

This list is not exhaustive as there are far too many variables to list that can affect the life of a hose. For more details, please contact one of our product experts.

How do I know if my hose is nearing the end of its life?

Unfortunately, there are very few signs that would indicate a hose is nearing the end of its service life before it is too late. One sign that there is a problem is when you see media leaking from the gasket area where the hose is connected. Another would be media leaking through the outside cover of the hose itself.

There are things that you can do to limit these failures from occurring like ensuring that the hose is the correct construction for the installed application and that it is being handled properly and has not been damaged before installation.

So there you have it, you can expect a storage life of three to five years for your mining hose, or even longer, with proper storage precautions. When it comes to determining the total service life of your hose, it becomes more challenging because there are so many variables which can affect its lifespan. Proper selection of a hose type and proper installation/routing will result in excellent long service in all but the most abusive applications.

For more information, visit our Linatex Hose product page or contact us today and speak to one of our mining hose experts.