Sometimes you may need to lie a hose over high-traffic areas such as the driveway or road to reach the spot where you want to use the hose.
However, at such locations, there are chances that the hose may get run over and damaged. Thus, to avoid any sort of damage, you question yourself if it’s okay to drive over a hose or not. So, read on to learn about this query.
Can You Drive Over A Hose?
A vehicle can be driven over a hose, but it’s highly discouraging because repeated contact with the tires will cause damage to the hose, such as a torn, broken, or flattened hose under strain. And if the fittings are run over by a vehicle, the hose can get damaged to the point of being replaced.
It’s essential to learn if you can drive over a fire hose, a water hose, or a garden hose without causing any heavy damage or accident or not.
To help you prevent any kind of mishaps, facts regarding whether running a vehicle over these hoses would be okay or not have been described below.
Fire Hose:
You should never drive over a fire hose because the pressure of your vehicle’s weight can cause the fire hose to burst, which will ruin the water supply to put off the fire.
Moreover, driving over a fire hose can potentially damage the hydrant to which the fire hose is attached, as pressure from your vehicle can tear the fire hose immediately off of the hydrant while ruining the threads, which eventually will make the hydrant unserviceable at critical times.
Besides, if the fire hose is lying on an asphalt road or curvy road, the strain from the vehicle can even rupture the fire hose, and a burst fire hose acts similar to a missile that can hurt people in the vicinity.
Above all, in many USA states, driving over a fire hose is illegal, so you may get into huge trouble.
Water Hose:
Driving over a water hose isn’t encouraged at all but if you use a water hose with crush-resistant fittings, you may be able to drive over the water hose without damaging it.
Generally, regular water hoses aren’t made with the capability of withstanding the pressure from your vehicle when it’s being run over, thus, the force from your vehicle can rupture, puncture, or flatten the water hose.
And this will lead to permanent damage, which eventually will make you replace the water hose with a new one. Besides, if water the hose is occupied for watering something, driving over it can stop the water supply by making the pipe burst out or detaching it from the spigot.
Running your vehicle over a water hose isn’t safe for your vehicle’s tires either, the fixtures sometimes can make a hole in the tires too, which may lead to a tire replacement situation further.
Garden Hose:
While moving a vehicle over a garden hose may not ruin it completely in the first place, but for sure it will damage the hose, especially if you frequently run your vehicle over the garden hose.
This is because the continuous contact with the vehicle will keep putting pressure on the hose, and this may ruin the hose for good.
Besides, while driving over a garden hose, if water is running through the hose, pressure will build up, causing the hose to burst out. Therefore, don’t drive over a garden hose if you don’t want to have mishaps.
Can You Drive Over A Stainless Steel And Rubber Hose?
A vehicle can be driven over a stainless steel hose because it’s more durable than other types of hose and comes with a high burst pressure ability. A stainless steel hose is manufactured with a thinner yet denser construction.
It comprises two layers of tubes, a 201 or 304-grade stainless steel-made outer tube and a PVC/rubber/polyurethane-made inner tube, thus, it’s less prone to rupture.
Besides, it’s long-lasting, weather-resistant, unpuncturable, lightweight, and compact, which is why driving over a stainless steel hose doesn’t cause any potential damage to the hose.
And as far as it’s concerned about rubber hoses, they are also quite solidly built, therefore, it’s able to stand firm against the pressure of the weight of a vehicle. Plus, a rubber hose is strengthened with polyester or nylon cording and holds a burst pressure of 450 PSI.
Besides, a rubber hose is long-lasting and weather resistant, as a result, if you drive over a rubber hose, it’s very less prone to split, burst, or crack due to the weight of your vehicle.
Are Expandable Hoses Any Good If Driven Over? Is It Okay?
While being run over by a vehicle, expandable hoses won’t be able to withstand the pressure coming from the vehicle. As a result, the hose may get teared up or punctured almost instantly, making it a not-so-good hose option when driven over it.
There is a latex or plastic tube inside of an expandable hose and the outer layer of the hose is made of nylon or cloth, thus, it’s absolutely not okay to run a vehicle over an expandable hose as it won’t be able to hold up well.
In fact, the plastic tube inside will get crushed due to the pressure from the vehicle, and at that moment you will be left with nothing but to replace the entire hose with a new one.
What Happens If You Drive Over a Hose?
If you drive over a hose, it potentially will cause numerous disfigurations, including some unrepairable damages to the hose. The most probable damages that can be caused to a hose have been listed and described below for your better understanding.
Broken Hose:
If you move your car over a hose, the entire weight of your vehicle will be put on the hose. And sadly most sorts of hoses aren’t made so robust that they can withstand the pressure, therefore, the hose indeed will get broken under strain from the tires.
Flattened Hose:
Frequent movement of a vehicle over a hose surely will flatten the hose if it doesn’t break or tear apart the hose. Hoses aren’t meant for bearing up against the pressure coming from the vehicle, as a result, the tension will make the hose flat.
Torn Hose:
Tears or holes created by the tears in a hose are a common scenario after you have driven your vehicle over the. And the heavy weight and force from the car being the main reasons, the hose will be left unrepairable sometimes.
Burst Out Hose:
Driving over a hose while it’s occupied in supplying water can build up excess and intolerable pressure that is very much likely to cause the hose to burst out and ruin the water supply, or worst, it can hurt people in the vicinity.
Detached Hose:
Generally, a hose is attached to either a spigot or a hydrant when it’s being used for supplying water. So at that moment if you drive over a hose, not only you will be damaging it but the hose also will get detached from the spigot or hydrant, which will stop the water supply eventually.
How Can You Protect Your Hose From Being Driven On?
By following any of the 5 ways described below you can protect your hose from being driven on.
Use Rubber/Stainless Steel Hose:
Rubber and stainless steel hoses can stand firmly against the weight of your vehicle in a better way without being flattened or bursting out.
You can opt for using a hose made of either rubber or stainless steel if you really need to drive over a hose. But don’t drive often so that damages can be avoided.
Use Hose Protector:
A hose protector is either PVC or industrial-grade rubber made, plus it can bear up to 18000 lbs of weight. Therefore, while driving over a hose, it will work like a barrier and will protect the hose.
Use A Ramp:
If your hose lies in your driveway, use a metal, plastic, or wood ramp. It will avoid direct moving over your hose, as well as will prevent your car to pinch the hose down directly on the ground while driving over it.
Use A Spring Guard:
Spring guards are steel wire-made coil springs that sit over a hose. Using these spring guards will protect your hose from tears and abrasion when it’s being run over.
Store The Hose:
Storing your hose away after every use is the best solution if you don’t want it to get damaged at all.
Final Thoughts
It’s never suggested to drive a vehicle over a hose because hoses aren’t strong enough to endure the pressure and weight of the vehicle. Thereby, it can result in a torn, flat, broken, or ruptured hose, and sometimes the damage can be unrepairable as well which may lead to replacing the hose.