Steer Clear of These 8 Mistakes When Purchasing a Garage Exhaust Hose

A garage exhaust hose helps remove fumes generated by vehicles to ensure a safe workplace. The importance of a reliable garage exhaust hose cannot be underestimated. Thus, when purchasing one, several crucial factors must be considered. This post introduces you to eight common mistakes people make when buying garage exhaust hoses.

Wrong Material: EPDM rubber, neoprene, silicone, and fiberglass are all common materials used in garage exhaust hose manufacturing. Among these, rubber hoses are a popular material choice for building flexible exhaust hoses. There is a time and place for any of these but putting a quality hose made for an overhead system in an out-the-door system, for example, will result in rapid failure. Temperature range, flex and coiling durability, and impact resistance are just a few features to compare when making a material decision.
Inadequate Hose Size and Diameter: Buying a hose of inadequate size or diameter is a common mistake garage owners make. If a hose is too narrow or broad it will affect the airflow. This, in turn, will reduce the efficiency of the exhaust system. As a rule, you want to have a hose that is the same size or slightly larger than the exhaust system on the vehicle. If in doubt, contact an expert in exhaust extraction systems.
Ignoring Temperature Extremes: By definition, garage exhaust hoses are designed to capture extremely hot vehicle exhausts, but not all hoses are made the same. It is essential to choose a hose with adequate temperature resistance. This is because exhaust gases may sometimes temperatures up to 1000°F (538°C). If you focus on the average temperatures coming out of the vehicle but ignore the peak temperatures during longer or more intense service, you could end up with a hose that works well for a while but fails during that peak event.
Neglecting Hose Length: Just like with temperature extremes, if you plan your hose length around the average scenario but forget about those odd situations where more length could be helpful, you could end up with a system that doesn’t work for every vehicle you work on or type of service.
Flexibility and Bend Radius: Garage exhaust hoses must be flexible enough to maneuver or bend easily without restricting airflow. This sounds obvious, and it is, as long as you consider all your potential failure points. Examples are: Crack resistance for frequent use on a reel, kink resistance for an overhead drop on a pulley, or durability at a flex point on a telescoping system.
Lack of Compatibility: Tailpipe configurations vary across vehicles. However, many buyers need to address these variations adequately. The hoses may require specific connectors or tailpipe adaptors to fit different vehicle exhaust outlets. Accommodating dual exhaust vehicles is another key compatibility issue, and it can be helpful to have a Y setup on one line rather than using two separate lines.
No Ease of Use: Select the hose that best fits your exhaust system design to ensure that it is easy to use. Trying to protect a fabric and wire hose from abuse on the ground is going to be a miserable experience. Using a hose without enough adapter options will make connecting to a wide range of vehicles almost impossible. Accessories like tailpipe adapters, elbows, and door ports allow for a much better user experience.
Lack of Air Inclusion: The worst thing you can do in exhaust removal is to have a tight fit on a tailpipe or stack. Including fresh air at ambient temperatures immediately drops the temperature inside the hose and the rest of your system. This ensures proper flow as well and will greatly impact your hose and overall system performance and useful life.

The next step in exhaust hose success is buying it from a trusted source like Exhaust-Away. We provide high-quality, flexible exhaust hoses that help you meet the highest safety standards while ensuring durability, ease of use, and reliability. Our vehicle exhaust hoses are made to last and we have options for every system and vehicle around. Want to learn more about these hoses? You can contact our team via phone or email.