Using braided hot water heater hose for compressed air?

[Mike Heidrick]

I use hydraulic hoses. Easily found at a farm store. Swivel end on many of them too. farmandfleet.com should have them .

[Scott T Smith]

I'll jump on the hydraulic hose bandwagon too, but with a caveat. Buy the hose and have the appropriate ends crimped onto it. Commercial auto parts store and industrial houses can make it for you.

Most hydraulic hose does not compress well with a typical hose clamp (although lower psi rated hydraulic return hoses are softer and will clamp). Hydraulic pressure hose is too stiff to move much, and if you try to clamp it to a hose barb eventually it will blow off of the fitting.

Don't ask me how I know this....

[Jim Becker]

I agree with Scott...let the source for the hydraulic hose terminate them with their heavy duty crimps. You can use NPT fittings from there.

[Michael Schuch]

A Hydraulic hose was my first thought too. I did use a hydraulic hose when I put a good pump that was on a bad tank on a good tank with a bad pump 15 years ago. It has been working fine for 15 years. The hydraulic line goes between the pump and the tank so maximum vibration in my case.

[William Hodge]

I have been using air tools for 35 years, and I never thought of just using hydraulic hoses instead of air hoses. Air hoses seem to work OK, available at every auto parts store, and they are cheap. I have found that hooking an air hose to an air tool works OK.

Should I be switching to hydaulic hoses? I have brad nailers, small crown staplers, an air nozzle, and a tire pump hose end.

[Eric Arnsdorff]

I have been using air tools for 35 years, and I never thought of just using hydraulic hoses instead of air hoses. Air hoses seem to work OK, available at every auto parts store, and they are cheap. I have found that hooking an air hose to an air tool works OK.

Should I be switching to hydaulic hoses? I have brad nailers, small crown staplers, an air nozzle, and a tire pump hose end.

The use of hydraulic hoses is in reference to larger pneumatic lines. It's recommended since typical pneumatic hose has a smaller diameter.

There's no advantage to switching to hydraulic hose for pneumatic tools. Most hydraulic hose is made for higher pressures and can be less flexible than pneumatic hose.

[Ronald Blue]

If you use hydraulic hose just get single braid. It's more flexible and less expensive. You don't need high working pressures like hydraulics typically use. If you want to deal with it you can get field "serviceable" ends. Not crimped but you assemble the end. You can also get teflon lined stainless air line and that also can use the no crimp ends. We used to get our hose making supplies from Air Hydraulics out of Duluth Mn. 3/4" or #12 is the actual inside diameter. Here is a link for a good supplier.

https://www.airhydraulicsystems.com/...se-centers-ahs

[Jim Becker]

I have been using air tools for 35 years, and I never thought of just using hydraulic hoses instead of air hoses. Air hoses seem to work OK, available at every auto parts store, and they are cheap. I have found that hooking an air hose to an air tool works OK.

Should I be switching to hydaulic hoses? I have brad nailers, small crown staplers, an air nozzle, and a tire pump hose end.

The context here is for the much larger in inside diameter hose from the physical compressor to the building air network. It's a best practice to not connect a hard pipe directly to the compressor. The OP specifically is looking for a 3/4" ID solution. Typical "air" hoses are 1/4" or 3/8" ID. The recommendation for hydraulic hoses is purely because of availability and their ability to support the required pressure with a good safety margin.

[lowell holmes]

Go to Lowes or Home Depot.

https://www.lowes.com/search?searchT...essors%20hoses

[Steve Mathews]

The context here is for the much larger in inside diameter hose from the physical compressor to the building air network. It's a best practice to not connect a hard pipe directly to the compressor. The OP specifically is looking for a 3/4" ID solution. Typical "air" hoses are 1/4" or 3/8" ID. The recommendation for hydraulic hoses is purely because of availability and their ability to support the required pressure with a good safety margin.

Spot on Jim. I wanted a 3/4" flexible hose to go from the compressor to the piping network. The largest compressed air hose I could find locally was 1/2. Hydraulic hose is a good solution if available but a bit overkill with the pressures involved with most compressed air systems. The compressed air hose I eventually purchased online was 1/3 the price of a hydraulic hose. It will safely do the job intended.

[Jim Becker]

Steve, I plan on using this great idea for my new shop setup for sure as I want to make the initial portion of the air network more efficient and for that, the larger ID will make a whole bunch of sense.

[Paul Haus]

Just saw this, I'm going against the majority here. When I put in my big compressor (60 gal
maybe 150 psi max) there as a fitting on the size for 3/4" pipe. I wanted about 18" of flex and found a 175 lb PSI stainless reinforced hose at my home supply. I soldered a 3/4" fitting on the end of the copper lines and used that flex hose to join them. I do have a shutoff valve on the compressor ahead of the flex hose and I turn the line off when not in use, but I've had it this way for maybe 10+ years now and it's performed flawlessly for me. Keep the run short and I would have not reservations on using this setup.

[Eric Arnsdorff]

There's no reason you can't use the over-braided hose for pneumatics. It's just that hydraulic hose is readily available and typically is made up by the store so you can get the end fitting configuration you need for the larger sizes not typically available as pneumatic hose.

The over-braided hose internal material is rubber hose for the lower pressure ranges and corrugated stainless for the higher pressure offerings.