Hose Clamps How to determine the good ones from the junk. Let’s take a closer look. Some of the cheap brands will do the job in a pinch, better than nothing at all. But in the long run it is money well spent to do it right with the right components. I have had the misfortune in the past to discover hose connections that have let loose because the cheap hose clamp that was supposed to hold everything together failed. I did inspect my clamps on a regular basis but failed to loosen and rotate them so I could see the entire clamp all the way around or to use a mirror to do the same inspection. Point being although from my vantage point the clamp looked fine it was rusted almost clean through from the underside. You simply have to take the time to inspect the whole thing.
This brings us around to what should I use or what to look for in quality clamps, then sticking to these brands. One of my personal favorites, the ABA clamps, are truly all stainless, have rolled edges, the band does not have holes in it, and it does not have problems coming loose. I will explain. For their size they are wide clamps. By this I mean they have good width in the band. This makes for good clamping force. The edges have a roll to them. This is good for the hose, they tend not to cut into or damage the hose. The part of the band that the screw works in is a pressed in or an embossed affair rather than holes cut at a diagonal through the band. Finally the pitch of the screw is such that it does not have a tendency to loosen up. When in doubt test the entire clamp out with a magnet. Old trick, but remember that stainless is non magnetic. It is no secret that Murphy will raise his ugly head at the worst of times. Not to mention that many places that clamps live on a boat are often hard to get to and harder to work in. If you have to struggle through a job I would only want to do it once.
Just one parting word on clamps, anything and I repeat anything that goes through you hull under the water line, needs to be double clamped with good quality hose clamps. I may as well share another thought. Use the best quality hose for the job on these through the hull connections. You can sleep better at nights, and stay dry.
This brings us around to what should I use or what to look for in quality clamps, then sticking to these brands. One of my personal favorites, the ABA clamps, are truly all stainless, have rolled edges, the band does not have holes in it, and it does not have problems coming loose. I will explain. For their size they are wide clamps. By this I mean they have good width in the band. This makes for good clamping force. The edges have a roll to them. This is good for the hose, they tend not to cut into or damage the hose. The part of the band that the screw works in is a pressed in or an embossed affair rather than holes cut at a diagonal through the band. Finally the pitch of the screw is such that it does not have a tendency to loosen up. When in doubt test the entire clamp out with a magnet. Old trick, but remember that stainless is non magnetic. It is no secret that Murphy will raise his ugly head at the worst of times. Not to mention that many places that clamps live on a boat are often hard to get to and harder to work in. If you have to struggle through a job I would only want to do it once.
Just one parting word on clamps, anything and I repeat anything that goes through you hull under the water line, needs to be double clamped with good quality hose clamps. I may as well share another thought. Use the best quality hose for the job on these through the hull connections. You can sleep better at nights, and stay dry.