A guide to hose clamps

Read time: 8 minutes | Updated on: 30 October 2023

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Hose clamps - also called hose clips or jubilee clips—secure hoses and fittings in plumbing, the automotive industry, and industrial applications. They create a reliable, leak-proof seal and prevent hose failures. Common types include wire clamps, made from materials like plastic, carbon steel, and stainless steel. Choosing the right clamp and ensuring proper installation is essential for safe, long-lasting performance.

In this article, we’ll cover:

What are hose clamps used for?

Hose clamps are designed to secure a hose over a fitting, such as a spigot or barb, creating a tight seal that prevents fluid from leaking at the connection point. They also help stabilize and secure hoses in place, ensuring reliable performance under various operating conditions. Most hose clamps are engineered to fit a wide range of hose diameters, allowing them to effectively attach hoses used in numerous systems. Common applications include plumbing and automotive settings - particularly for securing coolant hoses - where maintaining consistent pressure is critical to prevent leaks. Beyond these uses, hose clamps are also widely employed in industrial environments to safely transport liquids, chemicals, and gases without leakage.

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What are the different types of hose clamps?

There are three main hose-clamp types:

Plastic hose clamps

The ratcheting teeth interlock to provide a strong, secure. These can be installed quickly by hand and squeezed with pliers to tighten the grip. Sometimes referred to as a snap grip, snapper or herbie grip, these hose clamps are made of plastics. Nylon is an excellent choice, as it’s strong while providing flex for easier closure. Economical, lightweight and reusable.

Applications and industries:

Specialty vehicle and automotive fuel lines, airlines, drain lines
Pumps and hydraulic systems in medical equipment (should NOT be used in other hydraulic-pressure applications)
White goods, venting systems and outdoor hoses

Worm-drive hose clamps

These hi-torque worm gear clamps are the style typically meant when referring to jubilee clips. They feature a helical-threaded screw mechanism, or worm gear, which is housed in the clamp. When the screw is turned, it acts like a worm drive, pulling the threads of the band. The band then tightens around the hose or tube, making these a reliable type of screw clamp for secure connections.

The high clamping force makes this a heavy-duty jubilee clip. Available as stainless-steel or steel hose clamps, these are ideal when space is restricted or hard to reach. NOT recommended for soft or silicone hose. For small hose assemblies, consider mini worm-drive hose clamps.

Applications and industries:

Wire-reinforced hoses
Automotive fuel lines and exhaust hoses
Plumbing – seal hoses, water pipes and marine sink outlets
Signage, temporary repairs, sealing large containers

T-bolt hose clamps

T-bolt clamps are designed to provide a secure, air-tight seal on applications with larger diameters, where high vibration occurs. The clamp’s bolt is inserted through the hole in the hose clamp body, and the nut is then tightened from underneath with a wrench or pliers. Manufactured from stainless steel, T-bolt clamps offer excellent corrosion resistance, making them suitable for use in harsh or outdoor environments where exposure to moisture, chemicals, or temperature variations is common. Their robust construction ensures a consistent, leak-proof connection, even under high pressure or temperature fluctuations. As stainless-steel hose clamps, T-bolts are ideal for high-pressure hoses and for use with silicone hoses.

Applications and industries:

Specialty vehicles and automotive

Maintain pressure on gas lines when engine is off
Gas lines cut too short or needs a fitting added
Secure a bleeder valve or safety valve in the gas line for putting gas tank at a specific pressure

Sealing off water lines when hoses and tubing are used. Examples:

Swimming pool plumbing
Aquaponics systems
Hydroponics systems
Drip irrigation

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How to install a hose clamp

A torque wrench is the best tool for installing a hose clamp, though a screwdriver will work too. Using the correct tool helps ensure hose connections are securely tightened without causing hose damage. We’ll use the popular worm-drive style—one of the many hose clamps commonly used - for our example below. Follow these steps to learn how to properly tighten a hose clamp:

Loosen the hose clamp by turning the clamp’s screw counterclockwise.
Attach it to the edge of the hose with the screw head in the direction needed to make contact with the tool you’re using.
Place the edge of the hose around the fitting.
Turn the screwdriver or torque wrench concentrically to tighten the clamp to secure the hose in place.

Adhere to the clamp’s torque specification, which is given in inches by the clamp manufacturer. Be careful not to overtighten, which will only damage the threaded part of the clamp and lead to the clamp failing.

A t-bolt hose clamp is similarly installed:

Insert the bolt through the clamp’s body.
Tighten the nut from underneath using a wrench or pliers.

The two halves of the clamp are then tightened against each other, and just like that, you’re done.

How to remove hose clamps

Specifically, let’s look at how to remove spring hose clamps, which is another name for t-bolts, which have both a drive and a bolt head.

Loosen the bolt with a flat-head screwdriver or a socket wrench.
Turn the bolt counterclockwise until it’s loose, then pull it off the hose.

How to measure hose clamp size

When we say “hose-clamp size,” we’re referring to the clamping diameter range. This range means the minimum and maximum usable diameter.

You’ll first need to know the outside diameter (O.D.) of your hose. For an accurate measurement, assemble the hose on the fitting you’ll be using.
Measure the O.D. of the hose and fitting with a caliper. If you don’t have a caliper, then use this formula:

Outside Diameter (O.D.) = Circumference (C) ÷ 3.1416 (Pi)

Choose a clamp that sits in the middle of the clamp’s adjustment range. Below is a portion of the SAE standard for Type F worm-drive hose clamps. Type F typically has a 1/2" wide band and a 5/16" slotted hex head screw.

Worm-drive hose clamp size chart, Type F
SAE size	Clamp range (inches)	Clamp range (millimeters)
6	3/8 – 7/8	10 – 22
8	7/16 – 1	11 – 25
10	½ – 1 1/16	13 – 27
12	½ – 1 1/4	13 – 32
16	13/16 – 1 ½	21 – 38
20	13/16 – 1 3/4	21 – 44
24	1 – 2	25 – 51
28	1 5/16 – 2 ¼	35 – 57
32	1 9/16 – 2 1/2	40 – 63
36	1 13/16 – 2 3/4	46 – 70
40	2 – 3	51 – 76
44	2 15/16 – 3 ¼	59 – 82
48	2 9/16 – 3 ½	65 – 89

Let’s say you have a 1/2" hose. Note the clamp ranges. You can use an SAE size 6 hose clamp. Now let’s say your hose is 3/4". Consider using a 12 hose-clamp size. If your hose is 1", a size 16 hose clamp would do. If we’re talking about a 2" hose, then you have more choices, as you can see.

The British standard works in a similar way, as this example shows:

British standard for worm-drive hose clips
Size	Adjustment range (millimeters)	Adjustment range (inches)
12	9.5 – 12	3/8 – ½
16	11 – 16	½ – 5/8
20	13 –20	½ – ¾
22	16 – 22	5/8 – 7/8
25	18 – 25	¾ – 1
30	22 – 30	7/8 – 1 1/8
35	25 – 35	1 – 1 3/8
40	30 – 40	1 2/8 – 1 5/8
45	32 – 45	1 ¼ – 1 3/4
50	35 – 50	1 3/8 – 2
55	40 – 55	1 5/8 – 2 1/8
60	45 – 60	1 ¾ – 2 3/8
70	55 –70	2 1/8 – 2 3/4

Hose clamp materials

Hose clamps are generally made in carbon steel, stainless steel or plastics. Plastic hose clamps are a cost-efficient alternative to metals, but only in particular applications. Plastics are also corrosion resistant, and so is stainless steel. Extra-large stainless steel hose clamps are available for bigger assemblies. For heavy-duty applications, consider steel for its strength.

Find out more about steel material properties in our guide, Carbon steel v Stainless steel.

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Download free CADs and try before you buy

Free CADs are available for most solutions, which you can download. You can also request free samples to ensure the solution you’ve chosen is exactly what you need.

If your application involves hydraulics, you’ll find these guides useful:

If you’re not quite sure which clamp will work best for your application, our experts are always happy to advise you. Whatever your requirements, you can depend on fast despatch. Request your free samples or download free CADs now.

Questions?

Email us at sales@essentracomponents.com or speak to one of our experts for further information on the ideal solution for your application 800-847-0486.