Heat shrink hose clamps

[Litebread]

Has anyone ever uses heat shrink hose clamps on their silicone hose assemblies? Other than the high price they look pretty appealing to me and would result in a nice looking connection with little chance of pinching the tubing and would eliminate the bulk of a worm driven clamp as well as the excess banding those clamps always have sticking out when tightened.

Here are the types I have been looking into: Gates Power Grip Clamps

The description specifically mentions that they work on all types of silicone hoses but would love to hear of anyones first hand experiences with them.

-Litebread

 

[Onkel_Udo]

We used them on our race car with mixed results. The heat required to shrink them is quite high and difficult to apply evenly. The sizing requirements are very strict. Removing them normally means destroying the section of tube under the band.

On the plus side, when you get everything right, they actually get tighter the hotter they get.

I would suggest looking into oetlicker clamps instead. The stepless and double-ear clamps are nice.

 

[LandoLincoln]

You want to pay $7 for a single clamp?

 

[The_Bishop]

Correction, a $7 non-reusable clamp.

 

[Litebread]

I have a buddy who works at a local hot rod shop who can get them for me at a substantialy lower cost, but yes they are still more expensive than worm driven alternatives.

I just have a thing about the standard style hose clamps... Call it a pet peeve, call it OCD, call it what you want, but it is what it is and I just can't use them in my build.

All that said, in response to the comments, no I don't "want" to pay such a premium for a clamp but given my personal disdain for the alternative I "would" pay the extra.

Regarding the single use comment, most hose clamping options other than band style clamps are single use as well and again, given my personal issues, I'm ok with them being single use.

-Litebread

 

[Onkel_Udo]

Regarding the single use comment, most hose clamping options other than band style clamps are single use as well and again, given my personal issues, I'm ok with them being single use.

-Litebread

I think the part I hated about them was that they were single use AND very difficult to remove. You basically melt them off using a soldering iron. It is tedious.

Oetlicker stepless clamps are not single use but do require proper tool.

Spring clamps, correctly sized, are the most reliable on the planet and good to 90 PSI (verses about 45 psi for worn drive). They require no special tools.

If you are dead set on using the heat shrink clamp just make sure you get exactly the right size, use a heat gun to shrink them and make sure they contracted (narrowed) evenly around the diameter.

 

[raouliii]

Not sure what the source of your issue with standard hose clamps is, but just in case it has to do with the damage caused by the worm drive slots, I used liner hose clamps like these for my silicone hoses with great success.

 

[jsprinceiii]

+1 using Oetiker clamps.

 

[b-boy]

Not sure what the source of your issue with standard hose clamps is, but just in case it has to do with the damage caused by the worm drive slots, I used liner hose clamps like these for my silicone hoses with great success.

These are nice. I use slotted worm clamps, but I hate how they tear up my hoses. I had a stuck sparge once because my clamp tore a hole in the hose and my grain got sucked into the hose. It was a real mess.

 

[Litebread]

...If you are dead set on using the heat shrink clamp...

Yeah I'm definitely not married to the heat shrink clamps. I was just looking for some input from others who had used them, which you provided, and for that I thank you. In fact you have caused me to view them as a last resort.

I'm liking the looks of the Oetiker clamps, especially the low profile styles I'm seeing on their product page. I'll dig a little more and see where it takes me.

Thanks again for everyone's input.

-Litebread