Silicone hoses have many benefits over traditional rubber hoses.

In a previous blog, we went over a few of the many pros and cons of using silicone hoses over rubber hoses. The pros of using silicone hoses include a greater operating temperature range, more flexibility, increased resilience, a longer lifespan and many, many more. But, here’s the catch, while silicone is amazing for a wide range of applications, it’s not ideal in every situation. That's why, today, we’ve set out to help you understand when to use silicone hoses and when to stick with the traditional rubber hoses.

When to choose silicone hoses:

Vacuum Hoses

Replacing the standard rubber vacuum hoses in your vehicle with silicone hoses is beneficial in many ways, but one of the biggest reasons is the resistance silicone provides to the extreme conditions vacuum hoses are exposed to. Over time, the exposure to the high temperatures in your vehicle can cause rubber vacuum hoses to start to leak or crack, which can create a whole host of other issues in your vehicle. Silicone, on the other hand, is not susceptible to this kind of damage because it can stand up to extreme temperatures better than rubber.

Coffee Machines

Silicone tubing is perfect for coffee machines for two main reasons — it does a better job of resisting the heat and it’s not prone to leaking. Whether you’re using a standard coffee maker, an espresso machine or a cappuccino maker, silicone hoses provide the reliability and durability you need. Furthermore, silicone hoses are food safe, and they won’t absorb any of the chemicals in detergents or any other cleaning supplies you use to clean out your machine.

Manufacturing

Silicone hoses are perfect for many different manufacturing applications, and in many different industries. Whether you need hoses in manufacturing applications for the beverage, dairy, food, biotech or pharmaceutical industry, you’ll benefit from the strength, durability and flexibility that silicone hoses provide. Best of all, here at Flex Technologies, we manufacture custom silicone hoses to your exact specifications, and we can create the perfect silicone hose for you, no matter what size or shape you need.

Radiator Hoses

Radiator hoses are responsible for transporting coolant to your vehicle’s engine. This is an essential job because it prevents your vehicle from overheating. However, the engine gets incredibly hot, and you need a hose that can stand up to those high temperatures without degrading or breaking down. While rubber hoses are standard for radiator hoses, silicone hoses have a greater resistance to heat, and they are more durable and longer lasting. It’s for this very reason that replacing your coolant hoses with silicone hoses gives you more peace of mind.

Aquariums

Do you have a fish tank with an air device, like an air-driven filter or air stones? If so, it’s ideal to upgrade the tubing used to connect them with silicone tubing. Silicone is a more expensive option, but it’s well worth the added cost because it won’t stiffen up as quickly, it lasts longer and it creates a tighter seal between the air devices and the air posts. Additionally, since silicone comes in almost every color imaginable, it can also help to enhance the aesthetics of your aquarium.

Homebrewing

Every homebrewer knows that you need a reliable hose for multiple steps in the brewing process. You need a hose that can help you move your wort into your carboy, and a hose that can move your beer from the carboy into the bottles or the keg. Silicone is a great option for all of your homebrewing needs. As we’ve already mentioned, it’s chemical resistant, so you don’t have to worry about any of the chemicals used for cleaning and sanitation making their way into your beer. It’s also food safe and heat resistant, which are both ideal qualities for hoses used in homebrewing.

Catheter Tubing

Medical grade silicone tubing is one of the best options for catheter tubing. First of all, silicone tubing is flexible, which anyone who has ever had a catheter knows is essential to your comfort. Furthermore, silicone tubing is excellent in terms of its biocompatibility. Silicone hoses also offer excellent heat resistance and won’t react to chemical property — all of which make it ideal for catheter tubing.

Dairies

The rubber tubing that used to be standard in dairies has, in recent years, started being replaced with silicone tubing in greater and greater numbers. One of the main reasons for this is that the nitrile rubber tubing that was once used will actually start to break down once it’s exposed to high temperatures and UV rays. It can also start to deteriorate over time. Silicone, on the other hand, is an inorganic polymer that will remain stable throughout its life, making it much more stable in dairy applications involving a wider range of temperatures and UV light.

Are there cases when silicone hoses aren’t ideal?

Yes! Although silicone hoses are ideal in ALMOST every situation, there are certain cases where it’s not the best choice. Silicone is permeable to fuel and oil, so we don’t recommend that you use it for any application where the hose may come into contact with fuel or oil. And, while silicone is watertight, it is still permeable to water molecules, which can escape slowly through the walls of a silicone hose. For this reason, silicone hoses are more ideal in automotive applications in race cars and performance vehicles rather than in a vehicle you’re using as your daily driver.

Shop Flex Technologies today to find the silicone hoses you need for any and every application.

Thanks to the unique features and benefits silicone hoses bring to the table, they are perfect for many different applications, and this blog has just barely scratched the surface of what these hoses are capable of. Here at Flex Technologies, we manufacture high-quality silicone hoses for a wide variety of needs, and we even offer custom silicone hoses made to your exact specifications. Let us show you what a big different quality silicone hoses can make in your life. Shop with us today and contact us to learn more about getting a custom-made hose!