Do you need to shorten a silicone hose?

Whether you’re using a hose for home brewing, in your vehicle’s radiator, in an aquarium or on the dairy farm, silicone is a tremendous, durable option that is designed to last. However, no matter how beneficial silicone can be, it needs to be the right size for the application. Luckily, at Flex Technologies, we offer both pre-made and custom-made silicone hoses, so we can ensure that we provide you with the perfect size for your needs. But, if you find yourself in need of cutting a silicone hose, this guide will help you get a clean, professional-looking result.

Make sure that you have the right tools.

The first step to cutting silicone hoses properly is ensuring that you have the right tools at your disposal. No matter what kind of silicone hose you’re cutting, you’ll end up with a better result if you use a hose clamp to hold it in place while you work. A t-clamp or a liner clamp should work well. Additionally, make sure that you have a ruler or tape measurer so that you can ensure that you are cutting the hose at the perfect length. If you cut it too short, there’s no getting it back.

If you’re cutting an unreinforced silicone hose that’s smaller in diameter — up to approximately eight millimeters — you can use pliers, scissors or wire cutters to cut the hose. And, if you’re cutting a reinforced silicone hose that’s smaller in diameter, you can use a sharp blade or a parcel knife to cut the hose.

Regardless of what the diameter is of the hose you're cutting, it’s important to ensure that you protect yourself. The best way to do this — apart from going slowly and being very careful with your blade — is to wear protective gloves throughout the process.

A Few Notes to Keep in Mind

• When cutting a silicone hose, don’t roll the hose, as you run the risk of cutting your fingers.
• Ensure you use the right clamp — serrated clamps, standard worm gear clamps and wire clamps are never appropriate for silicone hoses.
• Always use a very sharp blade when cutting silicone hoses. This will give you a cleaner, more professional result in the end.
• Make sure that you are always pointing the blade away from yourself when cutting.
• Never try to cut a silicone hose using a hacksaw or any other cutting tool that has teeth, as this will leave you with frayed ends instead of a clean result.
• If you use a little bit of soapy water on the blade, it will make cutting easier and keep the blade sharper for longer.

Your Step-by-Step Guide to Cutting Larger-Diameter Silicone Hoses

1. Using a ruler or tape measurer, determine the appropriate hose length necessary for the application, and then mark the spot with a permanent marker. To clean off the marker once you’re done cutting the hose, simply use a little bit of rubbing alcohol — it will come right off!
2. Place your clamp on the hose perpendicular to the mark you made. Make sure that the clamp is straight. Tighten the hose clamp, ensuring that it’s tight enough to hold the clamp securely but loose enough so that it doesn’t distort the hose’s shape.
3. With the blade pointing away from you, insert it into the hose, right beside the clamp, and then cut along the edge of the clamp slowly and carefully.
4. There is an uneven edge on the clamp, located near the adjuster. In order to ensure that you end up with a clean result, slacken and rotate the clamp before cutting this area.
5. When you’ve cut the entire circumference of the hose, remove the clamp, wipe off the mark from your marker with rubbing alcohol and voila!

Shop Flex Technologies for the right silicone hoses for any and every application.

At Flex Technologies, we’re proud to be your source for high-quality silicone hoses. We have hoses that are perfect for uses in vehicles, manufacturing, dairy farms, aquariums, home brewing and more, and we even offer custom hoses to ensure the perfect shape and size for any need. Shop our wide selection of silicone hoses or order your custom-made silicone hoses today!