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What is a Plastic Hose?

Daniel Liden
Daniel Liden

A plastic hose is a hollow tube made of plastic that is used to carry liquids or gases from one location to another. Plastic hoses are used by many different people and businesses for a variety of purposes. Individuals use hoses for gardening or cleaning purposes, and businesses may use hoses to transport industrial chemicals are around a factory or to move water around a building. Hoses can be made from many different materials and can be braided for extra strength. One may choose a plastic hose over a different kind of hose because plastic hoses are durable, rustproof, and inexpensive.

People tend to choose the kind of hose they will need based on the kind of substance and the amount of pressure that will go through it. Some hoses need to contain gases with extremely tiny molecules, while others need to carry dangerous, corrosive liquids. A plastic hose can chosen specifically for its purpose, as there are many types of plastic hoses. Many are very compact to prevent any leakage of gases, and many kinds of plastic strongly resist corrosion. A plastic hose can also be made in such a way that it can withstand gas or liquid flowing through it at very high pressures.

Man mowing the grass
Man mowing the grass

Hoses can be made from many different materials other than plastic. Rubber hoses are quite common because of their low cost and ease of use. Some hoses are made from a combination of materials that are braided together for additional strength. Some kinds of plastic can be braided into such hoses. Sometimes, a plastic hose will be braided with synthetic fibers or even with metal cords to greatly increase its pressure capacity.

Because of its low cost, plastic is often used to make garden hoses, which many people use around their houses on a day to day basis. Garden hoses are almost exclusively used to carry water, and their ends can handle many different kinds of attachments. Sometimes, a plastic hose will simply be attached to a sprinkler in someone's garden or lawn. Other garden hose attachments have multiple settings, and can spray anything from a fine mist to a thin, long-range jet of high-pressure water.

Lengths of plastic hose are also used in medical or scientific settings to carry various substances. They are used in such settings because they are inexpensive, durable, and easy to sterilize. Plastic hoses or tubes are used by scientists or medical professionals to carry water, various gases, and even some hazardous substances such as acids or flammable gases.

Discussion Comments

EdRick

When I worked at a day care center years ago. we used to use a garden hose to refill the water cooler. I didn't really that we really shouldn't use it for that!

People joke about bottled water being filled with a garden hose. But the issue isn't the cleanliness of the hose or germs or anything like that. It's that garden hoses are not made of food-grade plastic. The chemicals used for garden hoses can leach into the water and make it unsafe to drink.

I suppose it would be safe to drink safe from the outdoor faucet, but not the plastic hose.

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      Man mowing the grass