Will Floating Rubber Hoses Float Forever
One of the questions asked most often of a floating hose supplier. The short answer is that they do not float under all conditions, and the reasons come down to buoyancy, engineering and the real operating environment.
The honest answer
Will floating rubber hoses always stay afloat? This is one of the questions we hear most often as a supplier of floating rubber hoses. The short answer is: not under all conditions. Behind that simple question lies a balance of engineering, buoyancy and real-world operating environments.
Why floating hoses float
A floating rubber hose carries a buoyant interlayer inside its wall, between the reinforcement and the outer cover. That is what allows it to remain on the surface whether it is empty or carrying slurry, without external floats. The buoyancy is part of the structure rather than hardware attached to it.
What changes over a service life
The conditions the hose works in are what determine how long that behaviour holds. Impact damage to the outer cover, the density of the medium being carried and the operating environment all affect the balance, which is why outer cover inspection matters on a floating line.
Written from the East Marine technical library. For a specification against your own line, send the vessel type, the material and the flange standard in service.
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