Built to Outlast.
Engineered to Outperform.
Built to Outlast.
Engineered to Outperform.
Your sewer jetter hose takes a beating. It gets pulled through pipe, dragged across rough surfaces, bent around access points, and repeatedly pressurized to thousands of PSI. All of that makes the hose one of the hardest-working parts on your sewer jetter and something an operator should pay close attention to.
A damaged jetter hose is not just an inconvenience that can shut down a job. High-pressure water makes a failing hose a significant safety issue.
That’s why Harben recommends inspecting your jetting hose before every shift, protecting it while you work, inspecting it as you reel it in, and replacing a damaged hose before a small problem becomes a much bigger one.
A hose inspection does not have to be complicated. The important part is making it routine.
Before beginning work, inspect the entire accessible length of the high-pressure hose. A high-pressure jetting hose should be checked along its entire length at the start of each shift.
When you reel the hose back in, take a few extra seconds to inspect it as it passes onto the reel. If dirt, grease, or debris is covering the hose, clean it well enough to see the condition of the outer cover. Look for new cuts, abrasions, blisters, kinks, or other damage and make sure the hose feeds evenly onto the reel without creating tight loops, twists, or pinch points.
You are looking for signs that the hose or its reinforcement has been compromised, including:
Piranha Hose Products, which manufactures the Piranha sewer and jetting hoses now available through Harben, specifically identifies exposed reinforcement, blisters, kinks, collapsed hose, and leakage at hose ends as conditions demanding immediate action.
If you find significant damage, don’t pressurize the hose.
The outer cover is the hose’s first line of defense against wear. Damage that reaches the reinforcing layer underneath is considerably more serious than a cosmetic scuff, but damage to the reinforcement can compromise the hose’s burst strength. Hoses with exposed or broken reinforcing braid should be removed from service.
A hose does not have to be old to become unsafe. A relatively new hose can be damaged on day one by a sharp edge or crushed during a job which is why daily inspection is so important.
Avoid kinking, twisting, crushing, or forcefully stretching the hose. The point where the hose enters a manhole or drain bears particular attention. Rough concrete, sharp edges, and back-and-forth movement can concentrate abrasions in the same section of hose every time you jet.
A hose feed guide or Tiger Tail creates a protective barrier at the entry point so the main jetting hose isn’t continually rubbing against that edge. That simple solution can reduce wear and help extend hose life.
A safety leader hose provides another layer of protection. Connected between the main hose and nozzle, the leader takes much of the wear near the working end while also giving the operator a visual clue for when the nozzle is approaching the pipe entrance while reeling back.
A kink isn’t something to straighten out and forget. Kinking can either damage or be a sign of an internal problem even when the outside looks fine. Kinking or hose collapse may demand repair or replacement.
The same principle applies to crushing. Keep vehicles, equipment, and other heavy loads off the hose and don’t force it into a storage position that creates a sharp bend.
When you reel the hose back in, take a few extra seconds to inspect it. Look for new cuts, abrasions, blisters, kinks, or other damage as it feeds evenly onto the reel, without creating tight loops, twists, or pinch points.
Replacement hose needs to match the equipment and the work. Start with the operating pressure. A hose should never be operated above its maximum working-pressure rating. Diameter and length matter because they affect water flow and pressure loss between the pump and nozzle.
Harben now carries Piranha jetting hose in addition to its other hose options. Piranha manufactures sewer cleaning and lateral-line hoses for a range of working pressures and applications, including 4000 PSI and 5000 PSI jetting hoses. Some Piranha hoses are also available with its Slither cover, designed to help the hose move through difficult sewer bends.
If you’re unsure of what you have or what you need, start with the specifications for your machine or contact Harben with your jetter model and current hose information. We can help you find the appropriate replacement.
Not every damaged hose needs to be replaced. Piranha, for example, provides specific procedures, fittings, and tooling for certain hose repairs. But those repairs have limits and guidance restrictions on the number and location of hose repairs. Never improvise a high-pressure hose repair.
If the reinforcing braid is exposed or damaged, the hose is blistered, kinked, or collapsed, a coupling is damaged, or you simply aren’t sure whether the hose is safe to pressurize again, take it out of service immediately and have it evaluated by a trained technician.
Make it a habit of inspecting the hose before you use it and again as you reel it back in. Use this simple checklist:
Catching problems during retrieval can prevent premature hose failure, reduce downtime, and help keep your jetter working when you need it. When the hose has reached the end of its useful life, don’t stretch it for one more job. Replace it with a hose properly sized and rated for your equipment.
Harben carries high-pressure jetter hoses, including Piranha hose, along with leader hoses, Tiger Tails, and other accessories designed to help protect your jetting system.