Hose Reels

The main function of a hose reel is to keep the hosing neat and kink free in both times of use and inactivity. Some additional benefits to the use of hose reels include preventing safety hazards to employees and customers that arise from hoses that are simply lying on the ground as well as increasing the longevity of the hose. In addition to hose reels, reel manufacturers also design and fabricate solutions for electric cables, cords and ropes as well as air hose reels, cable reels, water hose reels, medical cord reels, extension reels, cable carriers and even fire hose reels, which are high pressure hose reels made for hoses that spray water, air or heavy liquids. Some applications and industries that hose reels and other reel types are frequently utilized in include: construction, in order to maintain the power cords used for various types of non-cordless power tools; medical, for various essential hospital equipment such as crash carts; and industrial manufacturing, for use in the powering of various types of automation equipment.

Hose reels are manufactured to meet the specific requirements of a variety of applications. For instance, for residential applications, there are smaller versions of hose reels available that are able to house small diameter and lighter hosing such as the average garden hose. For larger diameter hoses, such as fire department and construction hoses, the hose reels will need to be built much larger and out of much more rigid materials in order to support the extra length and weight of the tubing. Another type of large diameter hose would be used in industrial manufacturing applications, in which industrial reels are used to wind the hosing as well as cords and cables used for arc and gas welding, air and hydraulic tools, industrial lighting and more. In addition, there are hose reels that are solely utilized for the transportation, while other types of hose reels can be used for both storage and transportation applications. Still, there are types of hose reels that allow the use of the hose while it is still wound up and others, known as retractable hose reels, which allow for self-contained, automatic retrieval of the unwound hosing. One of the main benefits shared by all of these different types of hose reels is that they provide easy access and storing efficiency, which is what draws the consumers towards them.

There are many different design options for hose reels. One of the major variations in design that a hose reel can have is different retraction options. Different retraction options for hose reels include manual, electric, hydraulic, spring and pneumatic. For a manual hose reel, there is no automatic retraction mechanism, in its place there is a hand-turned crank. For electric, hydraulic and pneumatically-powered hose reels there is a motor that is used to power the automatic retraction mechanism. Spring-powered hose reels, however, work through different means and instead have an internal spring that is utilized in order to retract the hosing. When it comes to spring hose reels, the spring motor is often hermetically sealed in order to completely isolate it from both dirt and moisture. No matter the type of retraction option, the majority of these hose reel types come with a latching mechanism that is used to assure positive extension stop and ease of retraction at any length. Another design option for hose reels is the type of material used to construct the reel itself. Some applications require the use of a specific type of material, such as medical cord reels require the use of a sanitary grade materials such as 304L stainless steel, whereas other types of hose reels, such as industrial reels, simply require the use of a heavy-duty and corrosion-resistant type of metal, which could include various grades of steel, stainless steel and even aluminum.

There are many different aspects of the application to take into consideration before the purchase of a hose reel. For instance, what is the type of medium that the hosing housed by the reel is being used to convey. For air, such as required by pneumatic tools, it is important to figure out what pounds per square inch (psi) the hose must be able to handle. In addition to air, the hosing used to conveyor oil, grease and various lubricants also requires foreknowledge of the specific range of psi. For applications that may require more torque, it is important the take into consideration the inner diameter (ID) of the hosing, since applications requiring a lot of torque will require hosing with a large ID. For cord reels, factors such as type of cable, cable length, number of conductors and cable wire size should all be taken into consideration. In addition to choosing the incorrect hose reel for the application, there are a number of other reasons why hose reels may fail. For example, if a spring hose reel is not properly hermetically sealed and is thus exposed to the atmosphere, the internal spring will eventually rust and break. Also, incorrect material choice for parts may cause failure, such as latching mechanisms that are constructed from either thin sheet metal or cast aluminum.

Hose Reels and Hose Reel Manufacturers Images Provided by Reelcraft Industries, Inc.

Hose Reels and Hose Reel Manufacturers Images Provided by Hannay Reels®, Inc.

Hose Reels and Hose Reel Manufacturers Image Provided by Conductix-Wampfler

Hose Reel Types

• Air hose reels are designed to house air hosing, which is typically small in diameter.
  
• Automatic hose reels retrieve the hose by themselves with the use of batteries, electricity or water or air pressure.
• Cable carriers are composed of a series of flexible links that house and organize conduits such as cables, hoses and chains.
• Cable reels are reels designed to hold cables for electrical or other industrial purposes.
  
• Cord reels store, pay out and automatically rewind electrical cable and are used to power mobile machinery from a stationary power source.
  
• Electric reels are reels that utilize electric power to wind and unwind hosing, instead of requiring mechanical power. They are useful in situations where heavy hoses are continually used and relocated, such as in airplane refueling applications.
• Extension reels are a type of cylindrical device that electrical cords are mechanically or manually wound around to keep them organized, untangled and easy to use.
• Fire hose reels are designed to give easy access to a plentiful supply of water. They provide ample protection in high risk areas that require more than a nine liter fire extinguisher, such as large schools, hotels, warehouses, factories, concert halls and theaters.
• High pressure hose reels are specifically designed to hold pressurized water and air hoses used for industrial processes and manufacturing operations.
• Industrial reels are utilized in applications necessitating high product flow and/or longer hose length.
• Medical cord reels store, pay out and automatically rewind conductive cord or lifting cord that is used to power mobile medical machinery, such as crash carts, through contact with a stationary power source.
• Phone cord reels are self-retracting devices that reel the telephone cord into a small, portable storage container.
  
• Retractable hose reels have cranks to retract and store the hose.
• Spring reels are spring-driven retracting mechanisms suitable for industrial, farm, commercial and greenhouse applications.
  
• Static discharge reels are used to ground equipment that is operating in a hazardous atmosphere. When properly grounded, the reel gets rid of any static electrical buildup, which in turn decreases the chance of sparking and a potential explosion.
• Water hose reels are cylindrical cranks that a water hose can be manually or mechanically wound around.

Hose Reel Terms

Ball Stop - Also referred to as a "hose" or "bumper" stop, it is used to govern retraction length. When accessories such as drills and air guns are installed on hose reels, ball stops are frequently required.
 
Bracket - A simple L-shaped object, which has one arm fixed to a vertical surface, such as a wall. The other arm projects in a horizontal direction and is often used to support hose reels.
 
Bridge - A device placed over a section of hosing that allows traffic to pass over without damaging the hose.
 
Carcass - The fabric, cord and/or metal reinforcing section of a hose, which is different from the tube or cover.
 
Core Diameter - The diameter of the inside of the reel.
 
Coupling - A fitting that is attached to the end of a hose in order to connect two hose lines together or to connect the hose to an appliance, nozzle, discharge valve, fire hydrant, etc.
 
Cover - The outermost part of the hose that protects the hose reinforcement from physical and environmental abuse.
 
Fairlead - A square hose guide.
 
Guide Arm - A piece that usually projects from the side of the hose reel. Its purpose is to guide the hosing encased inside of it in a straight line, allowing for easier, less tangled hose retrieval.
 
Lift Height - The distance measured from where the hose is positioned to the centerline of the spool.
 
Pivot Base - A base that allows a hose reel to turn in different directions.
 
Pressure Rating - The maximum pressure capacity of hosing or cord. For air and water hoses, it is given in pounds per square inch (psi); for electrical cables and power cords, it is given in voltage (V).
 
Ratchet - A device used to hold hose reel spools in place at particular points of payout.
 
Reel Capacity - The maximum length of hosing, typically expressed in feet, that a reel is designed to efficiently house.
 
Reinforcement - The central part of the hose that gives it its strength. The hose working pressure depends on the type and amount of reinforcement used in the hose construction.
 
Safety Wrap - Hose that remains on the reel when the rest is completely unwound.
 
Spool Axial - The device upon which the hosing or wiring is wound. It rotates with the swivel, which in turn loads and unloads the hose.
 
Swivel - A supported pivot that allows the hose reel to rotate in a horizontal plane, enabling the winding and unwinding motions. The swivel also transfers gas/fluid from a fixed source to a rotating source.
 
Tie Rod - A part that keeps spool flanges connected rigidly to the drum.