Repairing Woven Cloth Hoses

VacuumLand – Vintage & Modern Vacuum Enthusiasts

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First of all.

Thank you for taking the time to put the information out there for anyone too use. I've replaced my hissy hoses, all but one which isn't the braided vinyl on the outside, its more like the texture of a tennis ball. A well worn tennis ball. So sometime in the near future I'm going to do this project just for the experience.

The vinyl-rubber-plastic hoses aren't perfect either. They dry out and start cracking and tearing near both ends with age. Seen more than one of them in the trash literally mummified with tape. 100% silicone has worked well for those repairs.

One of my non-electrified hoses has a few pin holes along the length and I was wondering if I could use your method to re-line said hose? It's about 25 years old and is on my daily driver so lots of use. This is a vinyl hose, so wondering if the latex will adhere to that. Thanks, Billy
 
The Latex may adhere.....but

Hey Billy!

We share the same birthdate! LOL!!

Edgar, sometimes some of the plastic could be questionable but then again I have seen OEM parts be somewhat inferior, too, at times! Quality is not so important these days as is price point.

My educated guess is that the rubber treatment may or may not work, but the sensible part of me tells me that though you may be sealing holes or weakened spots, you are ultimately also decreasing the circumference of the hose. You also may not be able to control the thickness of the application and thereby further decrease the circumference of the hose.

Edgar, you can take a rubber mallet and gently bang out the flat spot by hitting from the opposite side. Don't use the "step on it" method! LOL. I also hate to admit it but the crushproof hoses though they don't have the luxurious feel, are more durable and work very well!
 
I do agree

that it's questionable how the results will pan out using the Latex to line hoses. As was mentioned using any coating will reduce the inside circumference. I was thinking that in the case of the lighter weight vinyl hoses that it would also add noticeable weight and reduce flexibility. So I'll stick with silicone to repair those hoses. The cloth covered hose I have in mind to use as sacrificial, has suffered Rigor Mortis for ever,so I may try it for the learning experience.

@louvac Belated Happy Birthday! Our birth date puts us on the cusp between Cancer and Leo as you know. I'm totally Cancer,just saying!
 
I did.....

find a commercial outlet online that sold long section of thin, clear heat shrink. I always wanted to try that as a possible hose repair. How stiff the hose would be after applying the heat shrink, I haven't a clue.

Was about $40 for the material a few yrs ago........

Kevin
 
Repair of hose using latex

I just finished doing the latex procedure on my model 89 green hose,and it turned out very good. NOW I don't know how long the hose will last having the good suction it has now.
But it works very well .
Dan in Calgary
 
dustywalker

Glad you were successful relining the hose! Just curious, about how thick is the coating now that it's dry? Is the hose noticeably heavier? Now that you have done this any tips? Thanks, Billy
 
The diameter does not reduce that much, and it is still flexible. Also even if it did, the smaller diameter will help the vacuum be more efficient as well. That's how vacuum companies today try and make smaller weaker motors more powerful, by reducing the diameter of the hose/tube.
 
All the hose talk

Yes the rubber vinyl hoses will eventually wear out too and the generics seem to do so sooner in my experience. The wire reinforced rubber ones, if they get a bent or flattened section can be repaired to be almost round again carefully inserting it in a vice and applying pressure. I did it to one I had that I bought used and it had a section that was oval from whatever someone did to crush that spot. It took several careful tries to be careful to not overdo it but also do it enough to bend it back.

Ultimately any hose should never be stored with the ends or any part of it for that matter bent or curved sharply, it will indeed shorten it’s life at those spots. So while a lot of people tend to store their canisters with the hose attached to the wands and the wand upright, the hose end near the handle will end up ripping and wearing out much sooner than if it is not stored in such a position but rather with such ends allowed to hang straight. An Electrolux man told me this. My friend’s Mom always stored hers over a bent wire coat hanger. She bent the two shoulders of the hanger down towards the bottom and then the two corners of the hanger up some. It made for a very nice bracket to store the hose on in the closet and avoided any sharp bends of more than 90 degrees.

Any hose will wear out eventually especially under high use. It’s just the nature of things but a well cared for rubber one will last a long time. Old unused braided ones though still do dry out. I have a Silverado new one barely used and it is dried out inside despite it looking beautiful. Though I have a model E one with the fabric (not plastic) braiding and interestingly enough it is in good shape and barely leaks. It appear the interior construction is quite different from the later versions. It does have a funny twist to it likely from having been stored in that position for a long time before I acquired it but I don’t try to force it out for fear I might damage it and it works just fine for when I feel like using it which is mostly for fun.

Interesting that people above mention the generics as being great but then go on to say that the screws are too short and the suction valve annoyingly won’t stay shut And having to use rubber bands or tape ...doesn’t that make it not so great and perhaps just a mediocre product? And some of them don’t work with sidekicks properly! They may be cheaper alternatives but I think it’s a bit far fetched to say they are as good as the genuine. Some of the generics don’t have swivel handles either which is a big drawback to me. Others rip more easily at the ends, depends on the material they use. The ones with the clear outer coating where you can see the white and gray electric wires running through it seem to last the longest in my experience but a lot depends on how it is used, stored and cared for over time.

Jon
 
As I've said.....

many times, the aftermarket hoses going into the early 2000's were fine. I have quite a few. Then to make maximum profit and keep costs down they were made in Asia.

That's when the chrome started flaking off and not fitting Sidekicks, etc, etc. There ARE issues with the current aftermarket hoses, don't anyone kid the kidder.

Best storage if you have the room, is to lay them flat out straight on a shelf. Lacking that you can use two large, coated bicycle hooks that are spread apart and put the hose middle on those two hooks. That makes a gentle curve for the hose....that's what your after, with the ends free.

Kevin
 
I'm still waiting.....

for someone to cough up the $40 or so to buy the long length of clear, thin heat shrink and try it on an old hose. I couldn't imagine it being stiffer than that cobbled up tape wrap job.

Kevin
 

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