Flexible hose warning

[Bunker]

To all you service guys, Today I changed a pump on a Firebird Olympic S. The flex looked nice and shiney and a different engineer had serviced it a month before (dont ask me why I was called to repair..).
So pump change went fine, quick checks before closing the box up.
3 hours later, call to oil pooling on kitchen floor......
On arrival, oil everywhere, popped the hood on the boiler to find the very deep base tray brimming over with oil pouring out of the flex.
Cleaned it up, what a chew. I found the flex had gone at the elbow joint. Not my fault but of course I took responsibility and sorted it out foc.

Moral of the story? Just because a braided look ok.....change it if its more than a year.

 

[lame plumber]

makes me nervous now, having found the original hose on some after 5 plus years.

 

[Millsy 82]

makes me nervous now, having found the original hose on some after 5 plus years.

I swear some about 10 years old still have the original hose on them!

 

[Best]

I have also got very nervous about oil hoses last year or so.
The Riello oil hoses are rubbish & unpredictable. They can last 5 plus years if not abused, but can leak it touched.
There were black long life oil hoses that last for several years but crack right through especially near any bends put on the rubber tube.
The proper Bentone hoses found on Inter Elecro oil burners look just like ordinary braded hoses but are fantastic & last strangely for ridiculous amount of years (even though they are supposed to be replaced)
I saw a garden that had been flooded with kerosine because a Riello hose or both on aTigerloop had leaked. Not my fault as I was there a year after the event for a service. Needless to say I replaced both fairly newly changed hoses as not going to take any chances.

 

[Simon Ashdown]

If you service an boiler the long life hoses must be replaced every 5 years. The braided every 2 years (this may have changed to every year)If you fail to do this and it leaks , causing an insurance job, you could be liable.

 

[curly7000]

Hi
New to the forum but as a rule of thumb I change flexi oil line every service. If you explain to the customer the cost of cleaning up a big oil spill to the cost of a new flexi line they always opt for the flexi.

 

[MarkOil]

Same, I always recommend changing them but some just don't want to pay.
I tend to use the green bio hoses, anyone had any problems with them?
I don't tend to use the black "longlife" hoses as they are cr*p.
Any views?

 

[Bunker]

One major top tip is to make sure the bends are not stressed, where poss only tighten the pipe end but once the burner is on the correct orientation.

 

[Best]

Boilers 40 or 50 years ago often were done with no flexi hoses at all.
Never any bother with them except you had to slacken a nut to release the burner from the oil line.
Strange these flexi hoses we use are supposed to be for two reasons - a flexi line to burner to prevent leaks due to vibration/movement & for moving the burner for repairs or whatever, YET these hoses are a danger of oil leaks & fire hazard nowadays.

 

[Simon Ashdown]

All flexible hoses should be like the ones supplied with HRM wallstars. The clear plastic pipe never cracks or leaks.

 

[MarkOil]

All flexible hoses should be like the ones supplied with HRM wallstars. The clear plastic pipe never cracks or leaks.

Very true! I have never had a problem with HRM hoses, and HRM also confuse all other manufacturers on how their boilers actually work lol, I'm a big fan of HRM boilers to be honest.

 

[Bunker]

All flexible hoses should be like the ones supplied with HRM wallstars. The clear plastic pipe never cracks or leaks.

Except they go hard as nails and do become brittle. Also I have a problem with the new ones from HWOS, they dont allow you to close the boiler up properly as they are not 1/4 male.

 

[WHPES]

I tend only to fit the green ones from HWOS now. Some of the supposed "long life" black ones started to crack after 18 months and the smell of oil permeates them and stinks out the room.

 

[Geyser]

Im having hwos black hoses showing signs of cracking after 10 month's. Going to try the green hoses now as well.

 

[WHPES]

Been using the green ones for a long time now, much better

 

[Harryplumb]

I have also had the same problem with the HWOS black hoses. EOGB green hoses for me from now on

 

[Pipes Plumbing]

EOGB greens for me too... Not that much more in the scheme of things but haven't had any isues with them.
Customers seem to be happy to stump up a little extra when you explain the difference (and longer life).

 

[Geyser]

What hoses are you using now? anybody tried the green long life ones from HWOS. Are they any better than the old black ones?

 

[WHPES]

Yes, as per previous comments

 

[Geyser]

Thanks. But i was referring to the long life hoses that used to be black and cracked a lot but are now green. Ive also been using the EOGB bio hoses. Just wondered if cracking issue had now been sorted on long life ones.