Industrial air hose instead of Hookah hose?

[dave4868]

I did a simple scuba job in the forebay of an old water mill last year and considered hooking up a 2nd stage with standard industrial 300 psi air hose to a scuba tank on the surface. Never got around to it, so I just wore a tank.

Would there be any health concern using a new industrial air hose with a rubber/vinyl inner layer instead of a Hookah hose?

I bought the industrial hose new and it has never been used with a compressor, just with scuba tanks for filling tires, etc.

Thanks in advance.

Dave C

 

[1_T_Submariner]

How deep? How long of hose?

When I dove the Oriskany they had a tank with a long hose an two regs at 15 feet. I don't remember what kind of hose.

 

[dave4868]

How deep? How long of hose?

When I dove the Oriskany they had a tank with a long hose an two regs at 15 feet. I don't remember what kind of hose.

Did it look like standard industrial hose?

My situation was ten feet max depth. The hose is a 60-footer.

Any health concerns with breathing air through an industrial rubber/vinyl lined hose?

I'm just wondering why Hookah hoses cost so much and if they have a special lining or something.

Dave C

 

[Hoosier]

No. you can use any air hose from the hardware store if the hose is new.
Make sure that your first stage has OPV valve and hose is rated more than 200 psi.

I have seen that many hookah system is simply using an ordinary air hose upto 50ft, specially for boat industry.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I was told by a guy who used a long hose to clean boats that the cheap pneumatic air hoses should not be used due to chemicals coming into the air supply.

He made his own hoses, but he used the clear hose that is used in commercial soda machine dispensers. He said this hose was still cheap, but supposedly was safe to breath through. He got a hydraulic hose shop to crimp the approrpiate ends to the hose to attach to first stage and second.

 

[Hoosier]

I was told by a guy who used a long hose to clean boats that the cheap pneumatic air hoses should not be used due to chemicals coming into the air supply.

He made his own hoses, but he used the clear hose that is used in commercial soda machine dispensers. He said this hose was still cheap, but supposedly was safe to breath through. He got a hydraulic hose shop to crimp the approrpiate ends to the hose to attach to first stage and second.

What chemical are you talking about?

Most vulnerable points on DIY hose are each end fittings because an oily stuff/crimp machine can be used. You can clean/soak it out with the simple green more than enough.

His application is simply using an air, not pure Oxygen.

Even, I am building the surface oxygen system with an air hose.

In addition, you can clean the hose with a simple green as well, but make sure of a long rinse with the fresh water.

 

[deltaboy12000]

I work for a major airline and we have to use forced air resperation occasionaly. For our rig it is all tested and qualifies for resperation. The rig line is only about 20 feet long and always is capped when not pluged in. To attach the rig to the air sourse there is a quick disconect air fitting to attach an air hose for supply. The only thing that qulifies the air as breathable after connection to the rig is a filter at about 5 micron on the rig. After the filter normal air compressor air is good to breath. Do keep in mind though if you think about using a normal air compressor DONT... You wont be able to control the fumes in the tanks from oil and or co2 from the air pump and or engine. Comercial compressors are very expensive and are able to control this. So, only use the hose if you so wish.

So to answer your question I would use an air hose. Here is what I am planning on doing.
1) buy a new high grade hose
(if you are going down past 10 feet or so make sure it wont crush easily.
Think about it snuba hose is pretty tough stuff, thats why!)
2) run a heavely diluted mild soap solution through it to clean it out
(there doesn't need to be alot of bubbles. Dawn will work.
You wont be running a filter so you need to make sure its cleaned out!)
3) rinse it out well
4) dry it out well
(run air through it for a good amount of time)
5) always keep it capped when the ends are open
6) Never use it for anything up breathing

 

[deltaboy12000]

From hoosier's post I would not buy pre-sweged hose. Buy raw hose and hose ends. That way you get a higher quality hose/end connection that wont leak, is mendable, and uses no chemicals. We make all of our air hoses. Also, it is very well known that oil/grease and pure oxygen is extreamly dangrous when combined. It will spontaniously combust with out an ignition sourse. I have seen it!!!

Type of hose end im talking about has a barb that goes inside the hose and a sleeve that covers the outside of the hose. These are very, very strong fittings.

 

[Gilldiver]

For boat supplied deco rigs we use standard welding hose as would be used for the O2 side of the welder. McMaster-Carr

The working pressure is 200 psi so you can run normal IP pressures to the 2nd stage.

The "standard" deco rig is
O2 bottle
High Flow O2 welding regulator (set to 100-130 psi)
O2 Welding hose (about 30' long)
Y fitting
2 x 10' O2 welding hose for reg whips

Each whip has a ball valve and 2nd stage regulator at the end.

Use a 3/16" ID instead of 1/4" ID to reduce flow restriction and line length pressure drop if you go over 10 or 15 feet total length.

So far (25+ years) we have had no problems.

 

[robert6104]

Dave,
The hose is not the concern here. The real concern is the compressor you plan on using. Anything but a "oilless compressor" is NOT to be used for breathing air. The scraping of a piston on a lubricated surface will produce toxic gasses - over time you will damage your lungs. The term oilless means that breathing air does not come in contact with any lubricated part.

Robert