Length
When shopping for an air hose, aside from the material, hose length is also crucial. If you don’t plan to use the air tool far from your workspace, a 50-foot hose should suffice. However, for larger projects like decking or framing, a 100-foot hose is generally a more practical pick. That way, you’ll probably won’t need an extension cord.
On one hand, an overly long air hose can pose a tripping hazard. What’s more, longer hoses lead to increased frictional and air pressure loss. Greater frictional loss means there’s a higher chance of getting stair-stepped nails. Although frictional loss occurs with any hose length, it gets worse as the length increases.
Storage
Let’s face it, having an air hose coiling all over the garage is not a pleasant sight, especially if you like a tidy space. Storing an air hose can be tricky because some just refuse to roll up neatly.
To solve this mess, you have two options. Firstly, you can purchase a hose hanger that neatly holds the rolled-up hose off the floor. Alternatively, consider a self-coiling hose. It stretches when you need it and then coils itself back up like a slinky after use.
A long self-coiling hose can retract into a small, tidy package, keeping it out of your way when you don’t need it.
The PVC air hoses we mentioned above are quite common, but they’re not the only choices in the market. There was a time when rubber air hoses were prevalent. If you’re curious about their differences and how to choose, feel free to contact us. We’ll have someone provide you with answers.