Can your hose stand the test of time?
CHS Snowmakers has been selling Niedner hose since 2004 and repairing hose since 2008. All brands of hose come through our shop for repair and leave after a pressure test (mostly to 800 PSI). Many brands of hose fail the high pressure test at just 10 to 15 years old, not the Niedner. Consistently 15 to 18 year old hose passed the test without issue.
In October 2018 while repairing a pallet worth of hose for Taos Ski Valley I came across a different Niedner hose. The inner liner was black rubber and I hadn’t seen that in a long time. One end was missing and I repaired that end and pressure tested it. The original end had a tiny leak at the coupling. After the test I saw the manufacture date of 10/94.
I could have replaced the other end and put it back in service, but I contacted Taos instead. We agreed to retire the hose so I could take it to shows. You can see this hose at the trade shows I will be attending this year.
Why is length of service important for a hose important? There are lots of reasons and safety is a big one.
- Safety – NFPA 1962 is the code that fire hose needs to meet by the manufacturer, annual pressure testing and when to take the hose out of service (20 years). When hose fails under high pressure for snowmaking, not only does it make a mess, it is also a big safety issue for your staff. https://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/all-codes-and-standards/list-of-codes-and-standards/detail?code=1962
- Return on investment – yes equipment you purchase has a return. On items like hose the number of years of service has a dollar amount. Just think if you had to replace every hose every year, that would get rather expensive. Why purchase hose that may only last 10 years (before it ruptures during operations) when for a few dollars more you could purchase Niedner and have a potential longer life.
- Care for the hose – the snowmaking environment is extremely harsh for the two to four months most hose is typically in use. Here are a few tips
- Don’t bend frozen hose (with ice inside) as the ice can damage the inner liner
- Don’t drag it through mud or rough surfaces like rocks
- Don’t pull it out of a snow pile with the cat
- Do wash it with a mild detergent soap and water if exposed to oil, mud or other chemicals
- Do number your hose with the year it was put in service
- Do pressure test your hose prior to the snowmaking season, you need to determine how often
- Do store your hose dry and rolled up inside and out of the sun
The snowmaking industry isn’t required to meet the NFPA standards, but I believe we should follow them. Snowmaking hose is really just “glorified fire hose” and let’s treat it like our life depends on it.
Jason Sawin
Owner
CHS Snowmakers
