Hoses
Oxy-fuel twin welding hose, inert gas hose, couplers, nipples, nuts and repair kits - Grade R and Grade T in 1/4" with CGA-022 and CGA-023 fittings.
Grade R and Grade T are not interchangeable
This is the specification that gets ignored and it matters more than any other on this page.
- Grade R hose is rated for acetylene only. Its liner is formulated for acetylene and nothing else.
- Grade T hose is rated for all fuel gases - acetylene, propane, propylene and the alternate fuels. Its liner resists the aggressive solvents those gases carry.
Run propane or propylene through Grade R hose and the liner degrades from the inside. It does not fail visibly; it fails as softening, swelling and eventual rupture under pressure. If there is any chance of switching fuel gas, buy Grade T and stop thinking about it.
Red is fuel, green is oxygen, and the nuts tell you too
Fuel-gas nuts are left-hand threaded and notched around the hex; oxygen is right-hand and plain. The colour coding and the thread keying both exist so a hose cannot be crossed, and neither should ever be defeated with an adapter.
Inspect before every shift, not after a failure
Flex the hose along its length and look for cracking in the cover, soft spots, kinks and abrasion at the strain points behind the fittings. A hose that has been driven over, dragged across a weld spatter zone or left in sunlight is compromised whether or not it looks it.
Leak-test at working pressure with soapy water at every connection, including the hose barbs. A pressure-drop test with the torch valves closed finds what soap misses.
Repair the middle, replace the ends
A hose repair kit is the correct fix for damage in the body of a twin line and it will serve indefinitely. Damage at the fitting is different - the strain relief behind a crimped nut is where flex concentrates, and a splice there simply moves the failure point an inch. Replace the hose.
Never repair with hose clamps and improvised barbs. Oxy-fuel operates at pressures and in an oxygen atmosphere that punishes improvisation.
Shielding gas hose is a different item
Inert gas lines for MIG and TIG use their own nipples and nuts - the AW series - and are not rated or fitted for fuel gas. We carry both, so say which process the hose is for when you order.
Free shipping over $175 across Canada. Counter pickup in North York.
