Plastic Hose Clamp source?

[kkutac001]

Heya. Does anyone know where to find these here in San Antonio? I haven't found them at two HDepots I ususally go to. TIA (and TGIF) Karl

[Ross]

zip ties work well

[Bill S]

Try buying the stainless ones at a Boating store. They are ALL stainless, including the screw. The ones from HD & the auto McParts don't have stainless screws.

[kkutac001]

Alamo Aq; zip ties (never thought of that one!); all stainless -- great suggestions/feedback.
Bill -- do you believe that all stainless would be stronger/more reliable than plastic clamps? (or than zip ties)
..Karl

[Bill S]

I have never seen zip ties used on an automobile or on a boat. Nor have I ever seen plastic ones used on a boat. ABS boat building standards REQUIRE all-stainless clamps. On thru hulls, double clamps are used. I have some plastic ones. I don't use them. ONLY stainless. I know I can trust them.

[Ross]

If your just using them to tighten down hoses on your pumps zip ties work well and are dirt cheap. If its for something else you may wanna go with the stainless like Bill said.

[SaltyJim]

I found out the hard way that the zip ties on my closed loop system were causing my micro-bubbles. If you are going to use them, make sure you get some big ones so you can really cinch them down. The smaller ones tend to stretch and break as you pull them tight.

[Ross]

Yeah throw a couple of the fatter wider ones on there.

[SaltyJim]

oh, and also make sure they are not the clear/white ones...those are not UV resisitant and may become brittle and break if used near your lights. Black are UV resistant and approved for use in fire alarm installations, where the clear ones are not...not that that means anything.

[Bill S]

OK, I'm just trying to understand. If the ALL STAINLESS clamps are only $2 each, why would you risk a flood for that? I can LOOK at them and know if they are going to fail... Zip ties? I don't think so. Also, I would think that an insurance adjuster might frown on the use of zip ties if there were to be a flood.

[Ross]

Hey Bill what size bulkheads are those? 1.5in?

[safeuerwehr]

the problem with zip ties is that sometimes you cant get them to clamp down easily and they are so thin that there is very little surface area that they clamp down on unlike actual clamps that you can tighten and know that they are tight and they are wider so there is more surface contact to clamp on...