What is a Jet Hose?

A jet hose is a flexible tube to which a special nozzle is attached that increases the pressure of the liquid carried in the hose, discharging it from the tube under high pressure primarily for the purpose of cleaning debris from a surface. Jet hoses are instrumental in several different operations in commercial, industrial, and residential applications. The pressure of the liquid discharged from the nozzle is regulated in two ways: by the source of the liquid, and by the nozzle through which it's discharged. The water source can be a municipal water supply at normal pressures, or a high-pressure compressor. The nozzle itself, usually made of brass, is the device which regulates the pressure at discharge by widening or closing the aperture through which the liquid is discharged: the narrower the aperture, the greater the pressure.

A jet hose can be a dedicated piece of equipment, or it can have interchangeable nozzles attached to the hose, which typically delivers water or a mixture of water and a cleaning agent. When jet hoses are used with solvents and other petroleum distillates, the hoses themselves must be constructed of materials built to withstand the corrosive nature of such liquids, and the operators must wear special protective gear.

Jet hoses are important components of the housekeeping department in many industrial facilities. Used to clean equipment and machinery, they generally have adjustable nozzles so the operator can regulate the water pressure coming out of the nozzle. When used for cleaning equipment, the hoses are usually confined to a cleaning area, and the equipment is brought to the cleaning room. Larger equipment, though, such as blending machines, remain in place and are cleaned and drained in place. In addition to equipment, jet hoses will often be used to assist in the cleaning of floors and walls.

Jet hoses also have a variety of uses in residential and commercial applications. One of the more common of these is pressure washing of houses and other objects, which involves mixing a relatively small amount of water with a strong detergent and using a jet hose to blast the cleaning mixture onto the surface to be cleaned. The cleaning solution works best when applied to the dirty surfaces under high pressure, which is the job of the jet hose. Like all uses of a jet hose, this approach conserves water because it uses the water pressure, not the volume, to get the work done.

One of the most commonplace jet hose applications is in the average homeowner's garden. Garden hoses are typically fitted with nozzles that can be adjusted to produce a wide variety of sprays, including a jet spray. While not capable of accomplishing some of the tasks expected of jet sprays in commercial and industrial applications, or even pressure-washing a house, it's generally capable of tackling most household chores, such as rinsing off a soapy automobile or washing debris from driveways and walkways.