Why can’t this hose work?

[Steve McMahan]

I’ve got a likely dumb question, but someone asked me today, why a steel braided water hose couldn’t be used for an automotive application. I looked at the packaging to get the various certifications, etc and none were related to the question. They were all clean water, lead type things.

So, why can’t this hose be used?

 

[71ProjectJunk]

The only thing I can think of is that those hoses are not heat rated to be inside and engine compartment, and that antifreeze could have a detrimental effect on the hose. To be honest, if the hose can take I would say 260-270 degrees of temperature, you should be able to use it. Thing is that hose is made for home use, which should never see anything over maybe 150 degrees.

 

[71ProjectJunk]

You can get automotive steel braided hose in almost any size, and that hose is usually rated to 300 degrees.

 

[Steve McMahan]

Yea I know all that, but when you compare the two hoses, the automotive and in this case, a dishwasher hose, you can’t tell by looking at it. And, there’s no specification data available to determine it. If it wasn’t in this bag, no one would know. I’ve seen lots of hoses sold with fitting and nothing else. Now, it does have a rubber seal at each of the fittings, which is a giveaway to me on it not being a automotive application. Just wondering.

 

[MikeGriese]

You can't see the material inside the hose, you can't see the quality of the crimp on the hose ends (will they hold pressure), you can't see how the internals will respond to temperature. It's like taking a rubber coolant hose and trying to use it for fuel. It will dissolve or rupture before too long even though they look the same.