There is nothing more basic in the world of running water than the hose clamp, but that is not to say you can’t go wrong. They are simple devices – cleverly designed, though – that serve the simple purpose of making a tight seal between a hose and a tap or pipe when, even if the gauges are correct, so they fit snugly, the pressure of the water flow tends to pull them apart.
One type that rolls off the tongue is the jubilee clip, which was originally a brand name for a worm drive hose clamp. That is the term that needs explaining. A worm drive is what turns circular motion into linear motion, in other words when you twist a part with a screw-type shape it engages with a toothed wheel and the circular motion turns into a forward one, pushing a strip of metal along.
To analyse it like this makes a hose clamp sound quite fancy, when it just does a specific job that results in tightening that circular metal strip around the hose. What is more important is the difference between a worm gear clamp and a t-bolt clamp. Here are the basics.
T-Bolt Advantages
A t-bolt clamp exerts greater pressure than a worm drive, so it is better in higher pressure situations. What is high pressure and what is low pressure in your field? There is no handy way of gauging this precisely; it comes down to experience.
T-bolts can apply pressure more evenly around the hose, while worm drives may be tighter at the point where the twisting is done. T-bolt clamps are generally regarded as more durable and can stay tight when vibration is applying a loosening tendency.
Worm Gear Clamp Advantages
Worm gear clamps are cheaper, as well as being easier to install and adjust.
Which Hose Clamps are Best?
An experienced plumber will probably use both at various times, and there will be occasions where they will happily use either. So, depending on the nature of your work, have both in your tool box, using worm drive clamps for the straightforward jobs where there is not a lot of pressure, and having t-bolts just in case.
If you are replacing a clamp that has failed, you will need to assess why that was. Was the clamp wrong in the first place, or was it simply a case of the passage of time and the wear and tear that can be involved?
Other Types Of Clamps are Available
To be strictly fair to the clamp producers of the world, we should look at other options. Spring clamps, for instance, are quick and easy to fit, and the spring mechanism makes them automatic, which is good in a way but means you can’t make them tighter if you need to.
Band clamps, including v-band clamps, are more often found in woodworking and the automotive industry, but can be used in other applications if you wish. Their mechanism is a little more sophisticated and may be more than you need (and unnecessarily expensive), but in their own field they’re great.
Which Hose Clamp?
In summary, you may never need more than t-bolt and worm clamps, so have a good stock of those and be aware that other types are available for specific jobs.