Pipe clamps are one of the most common fittings in most modern industries. With the ability to connect pipes tightly, hose clamps bring many benefits to users.
Perhaps many questions are surrounding how to use a hose clamp because of this popularity. In this article, we will guide you to use the clamp in the most detail.
The article will include basic information about hose clamps, the classification of uses, and instructions for properly caring for hose clamps.
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What Is A Hose Clamp?
Hose clamp is a popular and indispensable product in the service of pipe installation. It connects pipes in the petroleum, chemical industry, mining technology, power plants and reactors, and the energy industry.
With a unique design, it has the effect of fixing the pipe on the coupling. It can prevent the liquid in the tube from leaking by pressing the clampdown at the connector position. As such, it is possible to connect separate pipelines accurately and quickly.
Using pipe clamps will notice a noticeable effect in reducing vibration and noise during liquid discharge in the pipeline.
Generally, they are used to clamp and support mechanical and structural parts. But most importantly, it helps to fix the pipe so that the equipment mounted on the pipe is held more tightly. Thereby, it ensures safety, and increases the sustainability of the system.
Current clamps are not commonly used in high-pressure conditions. By design as well as construction, the product is not effective for extreme pressure. That is why it is often used in a lower pressure field, for example, indoors.
An advantage that cannot be ignored is that when using a collet, you do not but can install it quickly. And even if repairs are needed, you only need a few simple steps to remove the collet.
The hose clamp consists of 4 parts: clamp body, cover plate, welding plate, and hex head bolt. Materials commonly used to produce clamps are thermoplastics, aluminum, stainless steel, rubber, etc.
And the color of the collet depends on the material used. For example, the green collet has polypropylene material, aluminum material for silver collet. Besides, different materials will provide different temperature ranges.
Therefore, you will have different options to suit your needs. You can also distinguish the type of collet material you are using by color.
6 Common Types Of Hose Clamp On The Market
There are many different types of clamps on the market today. The most popular are still 6 clamps.
Ear hose clamp
This type of clamp consists of a strip, and they have one or more built-in “ears.” You need to close them using a pinning tool to create a tight connection at these ear points.
The ear clip has the main effect of preventing leakage in the connecting pipe. In addition to the special design, ear canal clamps are often used in demanding applications. For example, tubes with thin walls, hard plastic, or soft/hard rubber.
The feature of this type of collet is that it is used only once. The ear canal clip is specifically designed for permanent installation and cannot be reused. That is, when you want to disassemble it for repair, you need to destroy it completely.
In terms of use, the ear canal clamp is suitable for use in high-pressure applications. Also, it can customize the location configuration, very convenient. Usually, the product will come with a stainless steel strap to prevent corrosion.
Plastic pipe clamp
This plastic tube clamp has a serrated profile that locks the clip in place, unlike ear canal clamps. The material of the hose clamps plastic is a one-piece nylon clamp.
Plastic hose clamps have interconnected serrations. At this point, the clamp will provide tension to the entire surface, evenly distributed 360 degrees creating a consistent and firm connection.
Plastic hose clamps are often applied in hydraulic pressure technology as plastic pipes or rigid pipes. In general, it is suitable for conditions such as lightweight.
With the plastic hose clamp, you can easily set it up quickly. Furthermore, it is a reusable collet for light purposes and low-pressure conditions.
In addition, the plastic hose clamp is rust and corrosion-resistant device so that it can withstand wet weather conditions well.
Quick release hose clamp
At a glance, you’ll see quick-release hose clamps that closely resemble the common worm drive hose clamps. But when you look closely, you will know that they have quite a special feature. It’s a rotary screw.
The mechanism of the collet is very simple. The screw rotates away from the spool strip, allowing the strip to be wound by hand. The screw will lie down until you have removed all the necessary worms.
By this time, the worm gears incorporate the holes on the strip. You then simply use common tools to tighten the quick release hose clamp.
The ideal advantage of a stainless steel collet is its toggle lock that operates on a rotating mechanism. So it is very easy for you to set up and install the collet quickly.
Besides, the mounting screw is extremely secure, so it will not fall off when opened. Because of their reusable nature, quick-release hose clamps are ideal for industries and construction aspects that require regular inspection and adjustment.
Spring hose clamp
Spring hose clamps are also known as constant tension clamps. The spring-loaded hose clamp has a wide band design that provides continuous pressure on various hoses and fittings.
Meanwhile, joints and pipe materials have the property of expanding or contracting for many reasons, mainly due to temperature changes. Therefore, spring hose clamps are commonly used on OEM cooling systems in the automotive industry.
The spring-loaded hose clamp features a wide-band design, which helps to limit the risk of unwanted leaks. In particular, you can install or remove the hose clamp very simply with just common hand tools.
T Bolt Pipe Clamp
T-bolt hose clamps can also consider it a kind of quick-release clamp. But this type of clamp is a wide stainless steel strip with a T-bolt. And there is a hex nut used to fix this bolt.
This type of clamp is capable of providing uniform sealing pressure. Therefore, the connection is extremely tight, increasing the ability to prevent leakage.
You will often find T pipe bolt clamps in high vibration environmental conditions or industrial, commercial, and military applications.
If you need to work on hard-to-reach joints, the T-bolt hose clamp is the ideal choice. Furthermore, it offers 360 degrees evenly distributed clamp selection which effectively reduces leaks and deflation.
Worm Pipe Clamp
A worm hose clamp is the most popular and widely used type of clamp today. It goes by many different names, such as radiator clamps, gear hose clamps, worm drive clamps, and screw hose clamps.
Worm gears are mounted to the stainless steel wire, while the worm gear threads with holes can increase or decrease the diameter.
In addition, the strap has holes that can run all or part of the length of the strap to suit each job requirement.
How To Use Hose Clamps?
The use and installation of the hose clamp are very simple. However, we cannot deny that it is very difficult to set up the clamp perfectly.
In the content below, we will help you answer questions such as using 1 clamp or 2 hose clamps? How to set up tight hose clamps without harming both clamps and tubes? Then why is it important to choose the right hose clamp size?
Do you need 1 or 2 clamps?
The use of 1 or 2 hose clamps is a concern of many people. Let’s find out the case when you should use 1 clamp and 2 clamps.
When to use 2 clamps?
Meanwhile, international shipbuilding and the guidelines of the international standard organization ISO require double clamps. For example, the ships’ hoses and the technical workers all apply double clamps at the pipe joints.
We cannot deny the fact that double clamps provide better performance than single clamps. For example, one hose clamp cannot withstand great pressure, but everything becomes simpler with two hose clamps.
With two hose clamps, the hose connection will be firmer and better to avoid leakage. In particular, they will be more durable.
But when setting up the twin hose clamps, you need to be skillful as they require a bit of experience. Because otherwise, the result you get back will be a mess with no effect, even the opposite effect.
However, in some cases, you can also use a single clamp according to ABYC guidelines.
When to use 1 clamp?
The use of double hose clamps or single clamps depends on many factors, such as branching and pressure conditions.
ABYC recommends using two hose clamps in two different locations for a conventional fuel filler or exhaust manifold. And, of course, the use of a hose clamp is not binding by law or anything like that.
You can use only one clamp to connect for simple pipes that do not require too much pressure. You do not need to be too careful, leading to an excess in this case.
Or if you still don’t trust a hose clamp, choose a good quality clamp for extra security. And, of course, stainless steel hose clamps are the best choice.
In general, you need to consider surrounding factors such as low humidity or high temperature, gas or liquid pipes, high pressure or not, to draw conclusions whether to use 1 or 2 hose clamps.
What do you need to do to bond the clamp tightly?
When installing hose clamps, many people wonder if enough is enough and when to stop. Because tightening the hose clamp too tight has no effect and causes damage to the hose clamp and the hose. So when installing, you need to be very careful.
How to install the clamp tightly?
The first thing when installing a hose clamp is to look at the specifications provided by the manufacturer. Because to fit the hose clamp tightly, you need to tighten it to this specification. Usually, the torque specification is given in inches by the manufacturer.
The right tool for hose clamp installation is a torque wrench. It is a specialized tool available, about the size of a hand, and suitable for setting up hose clamps. While we don’t think everyone has a torque wrench, you can find other similar tools.
You can replace the torque wrench with a ¼ inch drive ratchet. It is an effective and reliable tool, but it has some limitations as it is not a specialized tool. For example, it is easy to over-tighten because the device uses leverage to install the hose clamp.
Or screwdrivers are also not a bad choice. Although the screwdriver tip easily slips from the screw, making it difficult to set up the hose clamp, it still works pretty well in general.
The hose clamps currently on the market are available in 30 to 40 inch-pound torque sizes.
To reach this number, simply use the tool you have selected and install until it feels right, at which point you will find the required specifications given by the manufacturer to ensure the right clamp and Install tight enough to the tube.
What if you install the hose clamp too tight?
If you set the hose clamp too tight, it will damage the clamp and affect the hose. When the clamp is too tight, it will first directly damage the threaded part of the clamp, so the clamp will no longer work.
In addition, when the tightening force is too tight, you can damage the whole pipe. Putting too much pressure on the tube will cause the tube to crack microscopically on the clamping strip. As a result, the possibility of nodal corrosion will increase.
The hose clamp requires less tightening force than you think. It is for this reason that we recommend choosing a torque wrench when installing clamps.
In addition, the exclusive hose clamp driver is ideal for tight control when setting up hose clamps. It has a flexible handle that makes it easy to reach difficult locations. In particular, the ergonomically designed handle allows you to reposition the torque transmitter accordingly.
Do you need to choose the right sized clamp?
Hose clamp size has a great influence on efficiency as well as safety when used. Therefore, you need to choose the right type of clamp and the right size pipe clamp when installing.
What happens if the clamp is too large?
Have you ever thought about the consequences of using the wrong size hose clamp? It sucks. In fact, you can use oversized hose clamps for much smaller pipe joints. However, this does leave an unwanted excess clamp.
Not to mention unsightly, this extra tail is a danger to you and even those around you. The sharp part of the extra tail is ready to hurt you whenever you accidentally swipe it.
It would be very dangerous if lying on the bottom of the ship. This is where the arms and hands are difficult to move.
As a result, there is a higher chance of injury and infection. For this reason, all pipe joints in ships must comply with the ISO guidelines we mentioned earlier.
Choose the right clamp size
Currently, there are many types of hose clamps, but each type has many different sizes. Why is it necessary to produce so many sizes?
Because every need and type of pipe is different, you need to find the right size clamp for high efficiency. Besides, you can perform an additional operation that slightly bends the remaining tail down to be safer. Or you can also use proprietary protectors like silicone clips.
This hose finishing guard reduces the chance of injury when working around worm gear hose clamps as well as residual ends. It helps to wrap the sharp ends of the clamp. So you can consider using it in areas with heavy traffic, sinks, etc.
We do not recommend using a clamp protector made of a hard material such as PVC. Because they are not safe, and it is easy to fall out. This condition can cause a clogged drain or similar tube.
You should give preference to those made of silicone. It is a particularly tough and very sticky material. Thanks to this feature, they can grip the clamp more firmly.
Instructions On How To Remove The Clamp
Removing the hose clamp for repair and replacement is necessary. For some devices and cases, you need to do it regularly to ensure no damage or leaks. Here’s how to remove some types of hose clamps:
For the spring hose clamp
To remove the spring tube clamp, you need to prepare a pair of pliers first. The spring tube clamp is inherently a metal ring with grooves running down the middle. The 2-arm design that protrudes from the circle is where you apply force to loosen the clamp.
Open the pliers’ jaws and hook the teeth into the worm gear hose clamps through the slots on the two protruding arms. At this point, you need to squeeze the pliers to loosen the clamp. This way, the clamp will slide out of the tube.
For the SharkBite clamp
The Shark Bite hose clamp was originally just a push-pull fitting. It is made of copper and inside is a plastic layer suitable for water conduction conditions. You can easily see them in the plumbing.
For this type of clamp, you need to find a disconnect clamp suitable for the pipe diameter. You will be using a dedicated Shark Bite disconnect chip. First, attach the chip to the tube just above the clamp. Now you do two actions at the same time:
- Press the chip into the clamp ring
- Pull the tube in the opposite direction.
As for the Shark Bite clamp with a 25 – 55mm diameter, you need to do one more move. To remove the clamp, you need to rotate the clamp clockwise.
For the screw pipe clamp
As mentioned above, the bolt clamp is connected by a bolt and hex nut. This design helps you to tighten or loosen the hose clamp. So all you need to do is use a flat head screwdriver or socket wrench to loosen the hose clamp and remove it.
You need to rotate the bolt counterclockwise until the hose clamp is loose enough to pull it out of the tube. In addition to screwdrivers and wrenches, you can also use a drill with a matching drill bit. This way, you will lose a little less force.
For the washer hose clamp
In the washing machine water pipes, you can easily see the hose clamp. And you need to remove the washer hose clamp regularly to make sure the hose is not damaged, rusted, or leaked. When fixing and removing the clamp, simply pull the clamp out with a pair of channel locking pliers.
Firmly grasp the small protruding wings of the clamp with your hands or specialized tools. Next, you use the jaws of pliers and squeeze. Meanwhile, you pull the hose clamp away from the back of the washing machine. Finally, you just need to slide the tube out.
Conclusion
Above is the information we want to share with you about pipe clamps – a common item used in many industries.
Hopefully, you will better understand hose clamps and the different types of worm gear hose clamps on the market through the article.
Through our tutorials, you know how to use a clamp. If you have any other questions regarding hose clamps, leave your questions for our experts.
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