Plumbing DIY Things To Know About Hose Clamps

If you’re taking on a DIY plumbing project, some of the pieces you need to finish your project may seem confusing. There’s a variety of options for items like hose clamps and instructions aren’t always as clear as you’d like them to be. Choosing between a wire hose clamp, plastic hose clamps, a spring hose clamp…the selection can be bewildering at best. Luckily, you’ve turned to the Internet for some help. Let us break down some hose clamp basics for you, so you can tell if you need a spring hose clamp, a worm drive hose clamp, or a screw hose clamp for your current project.
A Brief History of Hose Clamps
Hose clamps came into existence in 1921, thanks to a former Royal Navy Commander, named Lumley Robinson. As you probably already know, they come in a large selection of materials and sizes, like worm gear clamps, spring clamps, and wire clamps. The variation in size is usually so you can have the correct clamp for any size of hose you’re trying to fasten.
What Do Hose Clamps Do?
A hose clamp (also known as a hose clip) is a piece of hardware used for the purpose of attaching and sealing a hose onto another device like a barb or a nipple. They’re produced in such a way as to ensure the tightest seal possible between a hose and a barb, with even pressure on all sides and no gaps. They’re also usually limited in order to moderate pressures, like the ones you can find in automotive mechanisms or homes. For example, you can often find hose clamps fastening hoses in car systems or clamping lines in plumbing systems in houses.
What You Should Know About Using Hose Clamps
General Information

• Make sure you have the right quality and proper size of a hose clamp. Otherwise, the seal can become prone to leaking gas, liquids, or other substances that you don’t want leaking.
• To make sure you have the best seal possible between a hose and a barb, make sure the barb doesn’t have any nicks or scratches on it and is contamination free.
• To expand a hose clamp, turn the screwdriver counterclockwise to completely open the clamp.
• Never remove a stuck hose by cutting or slitting it. You’ll scratch the barb, which as previously mentioned, can cause a leak.

Specific Hose Clamps
Spring Hose Clamps
A spring hose clamp is one of the simplest types of hose clamps and is a strip of metal shaped into a cylindrical spring that has several projections. They’re used best in confined or awkward spaces where you couldn’t get in to tighten other types of clamps.
Screw Clamps
Screw clamps are made from stainless steel, shaped into a band with a screw thread pattern cut or pressed into it. Their most common use is for temporarily fixing a damaged pipe fast in emergencies.
Wire Hose Clamps
Wire hose clamps are made from a heavy wire and turned into a tight U shape. They’re one of the best clamps for sealing and tightening hoses.
If you have remaining questions about various types of clamps, don’t be afraid to go to your local hardware store and ask a sales associate. They’ll be more than happy to offer assistance.