Hose Buying mistakes to avoid.

-Flexible hoses UAE.

Mistakes do happen when specifying and buying hoses, especially with the seemingly unending choices available and sometimes due to the a very short time available for the purchase and procurement.  Here are 4 mistakes and how to avoid them.

Buying on price alone.

Buying on price alone seems to be a common fault with a lot of buyers.  Hose pricing can be dramatically different and leads to confusion, with buyers mostly going for the cheapest option or choosing something in the median range of pricing, without knowing or understanding what they are really getting.  Instead of going for a standard product that may be the cheaper option available, it might be worth to buy a more specialised product if it offers twice the lifespan.  Another even more premium product may offer five times the life span as compared to a standard hose.  Now, it is not only about price, is it?

Again, using hose wrap sleeves in situations where the hose might be exposed to abrasion will ensure the hose  does not fail ahead of its life rating, and skimping on this does not make much sense.

Abrasion is the most common causes of hose failure.  Studying your hydraulic system design and the working environment for the hydraulic hose will help you.  If your hose is at a higher risk of abrasion, adding additional abrasion resistance will help the hose to last longer and save costs in the longer run.

With respect to covers,  it will be a good idea to neither overestimate them nor taking them for granted.  If you can reduce  costs by using a standard hose and if teaming it up with a premium cover means it will serve its service life, by all means go for the premium cover, which may even be reusable and a long term investment.  However, if that combination does not match up to the lifespan of a premium hose, then it may be smarter to buy the premium hose which may serve longer without the need for additional protection.

Warranties- Avoid the risk of losing warranty guarantees by mixing and matching hoses with fittings from various manufacturers.  Most manufacturers offer a warranty only  if the fittings and hose used are from the same manufacturer and rated to be paired with each other.  Buyers sometimes mix and match hoses and fittings from different suppliers to save costs.  Often, it is done due to time pressure, where a hose assembly or fittings needs to replaced as quickly as possible and if the specified hose or fitting is not available, a workable alternative is sought just to get the system back up and running.   This might lead to hose failure, resulting in leakage and resulting downtime, maintenance and clean up costs.  Moreover, you may be risking the safety of personnel working in that area.

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Finally, specifying, selecting and procuring the right hose can be an uphill task, but preparing in advance and knowing exactly what you need, can help you cut through the numerous options available and zero in on the closes match that gives you the maximum benefits.  By selecting the right hose from the very beginning, you can increase working life of the hose, prevent downtime, reduce maintenance and thus optimise your investments by reducing  overall long term costs.

For tips on buying hydraulic hoses click here.

Flexible hoses UAE.