Alternatives to Worm Gear Hose Clamps?

[Brushwood Brewing]

I have the typical perforated worm gear hose clamps, similar to these, that I use for my pump hoses and chiller hoses. I don't like them. They rust, they warp out of shape, the gear doesn't grab well, and they chew marks into the silicone hoses when clamped tight.

I am considering upgrading my worm gear clamps to something like these, which are 316 stainless steel so they won't rust, and are non-perforated so they shouldn't chew up my hoses as much. Problem is, it would cost $40 for packs of two sizes with shipping.

It got me thinking. Instead of upgrading to better worm gear clamps... are there alternatives to worm gear clamps? Is there a better way to afix high temp silicone hoses to basic immersion chillers and pumps? I have the basic pump that came with my Anvil Foundry, so it has no threads or attachment fittings. Same with the chiller.

My requirements would be:
1. Affordable
2. Easy to put on and off again
3. No leaks
4. No rust

Thanks in advance.

 

[tracer bullet]

I'm interested as well! I have some stainless clamps with the keys that do NOT rust. They came form Midwest Supplies's store when they were still open so I don't have a link. When my hoses get ratty looking I cut an inch off and keep going. When I grab a new one I make sure they're a little longer than needed so that I can cut a little off every so often.

There are the plastic "snap grip" clamps, I am sure they work but I never felt secure with them. There are also what I want to call "t bolt" clamps that also have the clamping mechanism on the outside and as such don't require the grooves in the band. They tend to be bigger, I don't know if any are sized to fit. And no keys built in but I suppose there's a chance one could be added.

 

[Bassman2003]

The plastic snap grip ones work fine as long as they are sized correctly. The smooth stainless clamps look better but they need an easy turn handle. No great solutions for our smaller connections.

 

[day_trippr]

I was about to suggest plastic Herbie Clips...
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=herbie+clip&crid=1R5MAHCUTMCAA

Yes, definitely have to get the diameter correct for the application...

 

[Yesfan]

I have camlock fittings on my hoses. I got them from BrewHardware.com (Bobby M). His fittings have oversized 5/8" barbs on them, so 1/2" ID silicone hoses stretch over the barbs instead of having to use worm gear clamps on 1/2" barbed fittings. Bobby's fittings are higher flow too.

 

[whoaru99]

There are the Oetiker clamps, but they're semi-permanent.

 

[DonT]

These and this
Not semi-permanent. Not when you have a good set of dykes. But, how often do you take it apart?

 

[whoaru99]

These and this
Not semi-permanent. Not when you have a good set of dykes. But, how often do you take it apart?

So, yeah, semi-permanent when you have to pry or cut them off and not reusable after. LOL.

 

[Bobby_M]

I have switched to Oetikers and only cut them off when the tubing gets old.

 

[cfrazier77]

Bobby m has extra wide stainless worm drive clamps that works great. And they are not that expensive.

 

[Bassman2003]

Bobby Sells these - https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/hoseclamp.htm?1=1&CartID=0

I wish they had handles instead of needing a tool.

 

[sibelman]

Given the lack of a 100% fit with OP's requirements, it seems to me that keeping the correct nut driver to hand is not much harder than tool-free.

Also, silver lining: the brewhardware.com smooth stainless clamps are more sleek than anything that works with bare fingers.

 

[MaxStout]

I keep a cheap set of Harbor Freight nut drivers in my brew gear tool box for all the various hose clamps I use.

 

[sibelman]

To get tool free stainless but not smooth, McMaster has these.

 

[mac_1103]

I consider "semi-permanent" to be a feature, not a bug. And oetiker clamps are cheap enough that "not reusable" doesn't bother me.

 

[sibelman]

Oetikers are great and cheap - especially if bought in quantity. I wouldn't choose them for places where frequent replacement is planned, but that's just me. Maybe it's just because I've only used smallish Oetikers, for cold side gas and beer lines.

If OP is going to sacrifice the tool-free feature, the shipping list would include clamps and the relevant tool(s), unless OP already has what's needed for either Oetikers or smooth stainless worm clamps.

 

[Chongo]

Gates Powergrip, permanent, but my choice.

 

[tracer bullet]

@Brushwood Brewing - Are you looking for stuff that stays in place brew after brew, or that can be moved around often? I was actually assuming clamps that allow hoses to be moved often, but I think others are thinking they stay in place.

 

[Ballaratguy]

I have the typical perforated worm gear hose clamps, similar to these, that I use for my pump hoses and chiller hoses. I don't like them. They rust, they warp out of shape, the gear doesn't grab well, and they chew marks into the silicone hoses when clamped tight.

I am considering upgrading my worm gear clamps to something like these, which are 316 stainless steel so they won't rust, and are non-perforated so they shouldn't chew up my hoses as much. Problem is, it would cost $40 for packs of two sizes with shipping.

It got me thinking. Instead of upgrading to better worm gear clamps... are there alternatives to worm gear clamps? Is there a better way to afix high temp silicone hoses to basic immersion chillers and pumps? I have the basic pump that came with my Anvil Foundry, so it has no threads or attachment fittings. Same with the chiller.

My requirements would be:
1. Affordable
2. Easy to put on and off again
3. No leaks
4. No rust

Thanks in advance.

The cheapest strong ones that I’ve found that don’t damage the silicone hose are a single use
Nylon zip ties or cable ties. Or whatever they are called where you are
Stick them on pull up tight then cut them of when finished. A bag of 50 will cost about $2.50

 

[PCABrewing]

There are also what I want to call "t bolt" clamps that also have the clamping mechanism on the outside and as such don't require the grooves in the band. They tend to be bigger, I don't know if any are sized to fit. And no keys built in but I suppose there's a chance one could be added.

We use t-bolt clamps on any fitting below the waterline on our boat, actually most all of the clamps are T-bolt..
They are secure, no rust and maintain roundness. Downside: the smallest I have seen is about 1.25" ID, you need a wrench to install and remove and they are pricey.
While they could work, they really aren't designed for frequent on-and-off. The nylon in the nuts would eventually get loose from frequent remove-install cycles.

 

[Brushwood Brewing]

I was about to suggest plastic Herbie Clips...

Someone gave me one of those Herbie Clips for free, but I've never used it. Depending on my batch size, the top of my immersion chiller (where the clip attaches to the hose) may get immersed in wort, so I ideally I'd like something stainless that could withstand the heat.

Bobby Sells these - https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/hoseclamp.htm?1=1&CartID=0

Nice. I was at Bobby's shop this week and didn't see those. That might be the best budget option. I'm fine with needing to keep the tool on hand.

Are you looking for stuff that stays in place brew after brew, or that can be moved around often?

Well, originally I wanted something that I could remove after every brew so that I could clean them well. However, it looks like other people here (e.g. @Bobby_M with oetiker clamps, @Chongo with Gates Powergrip) are using permanent and semi-permanent options. That got me thinking....

For those of you who use permanent or semi-permanent options, do you not remove the fittings from the hoses to clean them between brews?

If you don't have to remove the fittings from the hoses to clean them, then I'd think it would be worth the investment to go with the camlock fittings. I have two kids under two, so even though finances are limited, time is even more so, and I won't actually need that many of them. I was looking at the camlock fittings when I was at Bobby's shop, but I assumed I'd still need to clamp and unclamp the camlock fittings from the hoses to clean them between brews, so it wouldn't actually be saving me time.

But if I could use oetiker clamps to (semi-)permanently affix camlock fittings to all my hoses, and not unclamp them between brews, well boy howdy, that would make my day.

 

[day_trippr]

fwiw, you don't have to cut Herbie clamps to remove them, you just slide the inside serrated leg sideways out from in between the top and bottom opposing legs. They make a tool to do it but one can use skinny pliers...

Cheers!

 

[sibelman]

I don't disassemble my camlock/silicone hoses unless I'm changing out the tubing. Dozens of brews. I'm sorry if that seems gross. Okay, not actually sorry

 

[Bobby_M]

Someone gave me one of those Herbie Clips for free, but I've never used it. Depending on my batch size, the top of my immersion chiller (where the clip attaches to the hose) may get immersed in wort, so I ideally I'd like something stainless that could withstand the heat.


Nice. I was at Bobby's shop this week and didn't see those. That might be the best budget option. I'm fine with needing to keep the tool on hand.


Well, originally I wanted something that I could remove after every brew so that I could clean them well. However, it looks like other people here (e.g. @Bobby_M with oetiker clamps, @Chongo with Gates Powergrip) are using permanent and semi-permanent options. That got me thinking....

For those of you who use permanent or semi-permanent options, do you not remove the fittings from the hoses to clean them between brews?

If you don't have to remove the fittings from the hoses to clean them, then I'd think it would be worth the investment to go with the camlock fittings. I have two kids under two, so even though finances are limited, time is even more so, and I won't actually need that many of them. I was looking at the camlock fittings when I was at Bobby's shop, but I assumed I'd still need to clamp and unclamp the camlock fittings from the hoses to clean them between brews, so it wouldn't actually be saving me time.

But if I could use oetiker clamps to (semi-)permanently affix camlock fittings to all my hoses, and not unclamp them between brews, well boy howdy, that would make my day.

There would be no benefit to using any kind of QDs if you were expected or required to remove the hose from the barbs on a regular basis. I cut my oetiker clamps off my connections about once every 2-3 years when I replace the silicone due to old age and yellowing.

 

[Bobby_M]

Nice. I was at Bobby's shop this week and didn't see those. That might be the best budget option. I'm fine with needing to keep the tool on hand.

Keep in mind I have 80% of the hardware stuff in the back warehouse because there's really no easy way to display it all in a retail setting.

 

[day_trippr]

I don't disassemble my camlock/silicone hoses unless I'm changing out the tubing.

You have company - probably plenty

I run two pairs of silicone hoses on my 3v2p single tier, one pair sees lots of wort, the other is for the hlt and spends its time recirculating sparge liquor and then metering said liquor through the mlt's autosparge valve. I can get a couple of years out of the first pair, but eventually the color just gets too rude to tolerate - typically it's the 3rd or 4th batch of my SRM 50-something stout that sends that pair to the Silicone Grave Yard.

At that point I swap the stained pair out, move the "sparge duty" pair over to "wort duty", and make up a fresh pair for "sparge duty". And I never take them apart except when replacing the tubing after "wort duty"...

Cheers!

 

[hottpeper13]

hoses and cam loks assume you have a pump. I CIP with alkaline brewery wash for 20 min at 140*. Why would you take them apart to soak? Let the pump do the work while you change a diaper or two.

 

[govner1]

I have the typical perforated worm gear hose clamps, similar to these, that I use for my pump hoses and chiller hoses. I don't like them. They rust, they warp out of shape, the gear doesn't grab well, and they chew marks into the silicone hoses when clamped tight.

I am considering upgrading my worm gear clamps to something like these, which are 316 stainless steel so they won't rust, and are non-perforated so they shouldn't chew up my hoses as much. Problem is, it would cost $40 for packs of two sizes with shipping.

It got me thinking. Instead of upgrading to better worm gear clamps... are there alternatives to worm gear clamps? Is there a better way to afix high temp silicone hoses to basic immersion chillers and pumps? I have the basic pump that came with my Anvil Foundry, so it has no threads or attachment fittings. Same with the chiller.

My requirements would be:
1. Affordable
2. Easy to put on and off again
3. No leaks
4. No rust

Thanks in advance.

I have been using these for 10-12 years without any issues. They don’t leak or have the flat spot of worm gear hose clamps plus they come off easily, even one handed and are inexpensive;
https://a.co/d/1IBVKtK

I have the typical perforated worm gear hose clamps, similar to these, that I use for my pump hoses and chiller hoses. I don't like them. They rust, they warp out of shape, the gear doesn't grab well, and they chew marks into the silicone hoses when clamped tight.

I am considering upgrading my worm gear clamps to something like these, which are 316 stainless steel so they won't rust, and are non-perforated so they shouldn't chew up my hoses as much. Problem is, it would cost $40 for packs of two sizes with shipping.

It got me thinking. Instead of upgrading to better worm gear clamps... are there alternatives to worm gear clamps? Is there a better way to afix high temp silicone hoses to basic immersion chillers and pumps? I have the basic pump that came with my Anvil Foundry, so it has no threads or attachment fittings. Same with the chiller.

My requirements would be:
1. Affordable
2. Easy to put on and off again
3. No leaks
4. No rust

Thanks

I have the typical perforated worm gear hose clamps, similar to these, that I use for my pump hoses and chiller hoses. I don't like them. They rust, they warp out of shape, the gear doesn't grab well, and they chew marks into the silicone hoses when clamped tight.

I am considering upgrading my worm gear clamps to something like these, which are 316 stainless steel so they won't rust, and are non-perforated so they shouldn't chew up my hoses as much. Problem is, it would cost $40 for packs of two sizes with shipping.

It got me thinking. Instead of upgrading to better worm gear clamps... are there alternatives to worm gear clamps? Is there a better way to afix high temp silicone hoses to basic immersion chillers and pumps? I have the basic pump that came with my Anvil Foundry, so it has no threads or attachment fittings. Same with the chiller.

My requirements would be:
1. Affordable
2. Easy to put on and off again
3. No leaks
4. No rust

Thanks in advance.

Use these:
60-Pcs Heavy Duty Speedy Double Snap Grip Nylon Plastic Hose Clamps 8 Sizes Set Assortment https://a.co/d/h0DZiYF
I’ve used this type in various sizes for over ten years. No flat spots like geared hose clamps and easy on and off even with one hand.

 

[beren]

You could use stainless safety wire hose clamps. https://clamptitetools.com/

 

[Brushwood Brewing]

This is all really helpful. I think I've been convinced that camlock fittings (with oetiker clamps) are in my future. I'll stick to the cheap non-perforated worm gear clamps for now, until I can save up to buy the camlock fittings... I might need to buy some this year and hold off till next year to buy the rest. Thanks again.

 

[govner1]

I use the plastic clamps i mentioned earlier on many of my hose connections to camlocks which are by far my predominant connections to kettles, pumps and CFC’s with no issues.

 

[beren]

I you like games of chance I got triclamp bits from Ali express cheaper than I could find cam locks here. Going to order some more special bits from brew hardware though

 

[Bramling Cross]

A prior job left me with a lifetime supply of large zip ties. They're really effective on softer materials like silicone. They grip effectively and they don't cut into the hose.

 

[Bilsch]

A couple turns of electrical tape before clamping will protect silicone hoses from clamp damage.

 

[whoaru99]

What about the spring band clamps as sometimes seen on fuel lines, coolant/radiator hoses, etc.?