Follow along to see the factors that affect your pinch hose life, how to inspect it, how to replace your pinch hose and finding the repair kit if necessary.

1. The abrasive used in the system.

A. The abrasive used has the greatest effect on the pinch hose life. Using course, sharp abrasive such as course crushed glass, aluminum oxide, or coal slag will greatly decrease the life of the pinch hose due to the larger media size and sharp edges. To maximize the pinch hose life it is best to use the finest media possible to reach the desired profile.

2. The system inlet pressure.

A. Having an increased system inlet air pressure affects the pinch hose life by increasing the force exerted on the hose during the pinching process. If you are not blasting at pressures greater than 125 psi (8.62 Bar, 0.862 MPa), it is advised to set air inlet pressure similar to the desired blast pressure if possible. This will help increase the life of the pinch valve.

3. The blast control switch trigger rate.

A. Engaging the blast control switch often affects the pinch hose life because it increases the number of times the hose is pinched over a time period. When blasting, plan or layout the job to reduce frequent triggering of the blast control switch. This will increase pinch hose life and usually production rate.

If these factors that affect the pinch hose life cannot be avoided it is recommended to check the pinch hose at the start of each job or weekly for signs of failure. A failed hose will form a lump between the reinforcing ply and the outer rubber casing of the hose before a rupture occurs.

Follow the "Replacing the Pinch Hose¨ procedure in manual 3A3489 to replace the pinch hose. When operating with course media, high inlet pressures and frequent triggering the pinch hose may require replacement every 2 weeks, while operating with fine media's, lower inlet pressures and normal triggering replacement may be required every 3-6 months.

The Graco Pinch Hose Repair Kit is the only approved and effective option for replacing the pinch hose due to the increased working pressure rating of 200 psi (13.8 Bar, 1.38 MPa) and the durable inner tube. This kit is a field ready solution to replacing a failed pinch hose. It comes with a pre-cut length of pressure rated hose, and two (2) new pressure rated clamps to ensure a correct fit and proper engagement of the hose onto the barb fittings. Having a spare kit is a strongly recommended to avoid downtime due to a failed pinch hose. This kit can be installed in less than 15 minutes.