What are the most important tests on sanitary hoses ?

What are the different types of hoses ?

Industry-specific hoses

There is a wide variety of hoses and fittings designed for specific uses in different industries.
To ensure high performance in a fluid system, it is important to choose a hose that is suitable for the industry to which it refers.
Indeed, an inappropriate hose can cause serious damage or be a source of real danger.
Among the different types of hoses available, here is a list of the most commonly used connections and the different technical characteristics according to the applications.

Semiconductors

In the manufacture of electronic products designed with semiconductor materials, cleanliness is one of the priorities.
The metal hoses used are specially designed for sensitive environments and applications requiring extreme cleanliness.
These connections have very fine threads, with a coating designed to resist contamination.

Other industrial applications

For many other industrial applications, hoses must be designed to withstand high pressures.
The pressure rating of some couplings can be as high as 60,000 psi, especially for high pressure couplings.
This sometimes requires the tubes to be prepared beforehand.

Focus on hoses for sanitary fittings

In the sanitary fittings sector, there are 3 main types of hose, each with a specific use.

Supply hoses

Supply hoses are flexible metal or plastic pipes that allow the supply of cold or hot water.
Sanitary hoses are used to connect sanitary equipment (washbasin, WC, tap, bidet, shower, taps) to the water supply network in the house.
Hoses also allow the connection of plumbing and heating installations (water heater, hot water tank, radiator, air conditioning, etc.).
They are installed without welding with male or female threaded connections, or with compression fittings.

The connections used in this sector are designed for easy cleaning, whether in a closed circuit or for complete cleaning by dismantling the system.
Fitting surfaces are also designed to resist corrosion and reduce bacterial growth.
To meet the quality and safety requirements of the medical and pharmaceutical industries, flexible hoses must beUSP Class VI approved.
Class VI controls developed by the USP assess the biocompatibility of plastics and elastomers intended for medical use.

Shower hose

The shower hose connects the shower mixer – or bathtub mixer – to the shower head .
They come in different sizes and materials.
Shower hoses can be made of nylon, PVC or metal.
In addition to length and diameter, strength is the most important feature of a good shower hose.

Drainage hoses

Not to be confused with supply hoses, drainage hoses are intended for draining waste water.
There are male and female threaded hoses, grey PVC glued hoses and white hoses to replace siphons.
The pressure-resistant hose consists of a rubber hose covered with a braided steel tube.

What are the tests on sanitary fittings hoses?

Tests on supply hoses

Flexible supply hoses play a vital role in sanitary installations, as they secure the water supply from the fittings to the installations (bathroom, kitchen, etc.). To guarantee their reliability, safety and long-term performance, flexible hoses for drinking water installations sold on the market must meet specific criteria and standards. Standards covering sanitary fittings, such as EN200 or EN817, require that connecting hoses comply with the European standard NF EN 13618. The products covered by this standard are flexible hose assemblies:

• With or without braid.
• Lengths between 90 and 2000 mm.
• Nominal diameters (DN) 6, 8, 10, 13, 15, 18, 20 and 25.

To ensure their conformity, flexible hoses for drinking water installations are subject to regular inspections. Manufacturers must carry out laboratory and factory tests onhydraulic test stands. The valve test benches can be used to perform static pressure tests, as well as pressure cycle and water hammer fatigue tests.

Hydraulic characteristics

• Flow rate test: The principle consists in measuring the flow rate in the shower hoses using cold water (T 30 °C) in order to determine their flow rate class.

Mechanical and sealing characteristics

• Tensile strength: The principle of this test is to subject the hose to a tensile force for a certain period of time.
• Bending strength: This test is intended to check the durability of the hose at the connection ends when it is subjected to bending.
• High temperature pressure resistance: The test consists of subjecting the hose, for a given period of time, to a high pressure and temperature (70°C) for the recommended operating limits.
• Tensile and bending strength test: The test consists of subjecting the hose to the appropriate pressure (2 or 5 bar), using only cold water.
• Thermal shock test: The principle of the test is to check the tightness of the hose under alternating tempera
• Swivel connection: Where a shower hose is fitted with a swivel, the swivel must be able to function correctly and prevent the hose from twisting.
  The purpose of this test is to check the function of the swivel joint.

The endurance test benches are used to test the service life of taps, mixers, reversing valves, mechanical mixers and thermostatic mixers according to the relevant standards.
The tests carried out on test benches comply with standards and certifications.
Issued by AFNOR Certification, the NF certification attests that a product complies with the standards and any additional technical specifications required by the market.
It guarantees the quality and safety of certified products and services.