Tech Support - Frequently Asked Questions
For All Your Snowmaking Inquiries
Snowguns | Snowhose | Hydrants | Engineering | Drift
Snowguns
Snowhose
How long can I expect my hose to last.
This depends on the usage, the terrain, and the care and maintenance of the hose. Generally speaking the hose can be expected to give you ten years of service. We recommend replacing 10% of your stock each year in order to keep a constantly rolling inventory without a large one time investment.
How should we store and inspect snow hose
Snow Hose should be brought in each year and inspected for any defects. Coupling slippage, damaged couplings, defective arms or rings on the camlock couplings should be repaired. The hose should be inspected for any physical damage. Although the purpose of the outside jacket is to provide protection for the hose, it could be severely damaged and yet the hose remains completely functional. However, the hose should never be allowed to stay in service with known damage. If damage has occurred, simply cutting out the affected area and re-coupling will resolve the problem. Be sure to retest after any coupling alterations.
In addition to the exterior, the inside of the hose should also be inspected. If damage is evident, the hose should be cut back and re-coupled. If the problem extends too far down into hose, it is most likely defective and should be brought to the attention of the dealer or the manufacturer.
This is a synthetic hose and will not rot, however foreign materials can become trapped in the fabric and become a breeding ground for mildew. While the mildew will not attack the hose physically, it does detract from the appearance and will have an ordor. It is, therefore, recommended to clean the hose with a mild detergent such as dishwasher soap (do not use solvent) and then dry, roll and store on racks in a dry environment. This will ensure the longest possible life span , as well as providing an opportunity to visually inspect the hose for damage.
A proper annual inspection will ensure years of trouble free service, and will assure the safety of the persons using it.
What makes Snow Hose lightweight and flexible
The lightweight and flexibility of Snow Hose is a result of the Thermoplastic Urethane liner (T.P.U.) which is a highly sophisticated urethane elastomer derived from a blend of polyether, polyester and isocyanine monomers. Unlike earlier urethanes that were strictly polyester derivatives, Thermoplastic Urethane Liner (T.P.U.) offers extreme lightweight with low temperature flexibility, and far superior to fungal and hydrolysis resistance. Unlike neoprene or rubber compounds, Thermoplastic Urethane Liner (T.P.U.) has no volatiles and therefore is also approved for use with potable water.
How is Snow Hose treated
Snow Hose is treated with Encap which is a polyurethane resin. This resin is applied allowing it to encapsulate all the fibers in an already tightly woven jacket and bind these together to the point that abrasion resistence is increased by 500% over an untreated jacket, provides minimal water retention, excellent UV resistance and makes the hose virtually immune to fungal growth.
Snow hose comes standard in high visible yellow color. It is also available in green, red , blue, beige and orange with minimum order quantities.
Friction loss and elevation:
Elevations play an important role in pressure and hence flow.
The normal force of gravity exerts a force of0.433 lb per square inch on a 1’ column (0.196KG) of water , regardless of the diameter of the column.
So pumping up a slope, the elevation differential must be overcome even before water will reach the Snow Gun.
Example: If you wanted to pump water up a slope with a vertical drop of 1000’ and wanted 150psi at the snow gun the pumping pressure would have to be .433x1000 + 150 = 583 PSI
What is the difference between SNOW HOSE 1200,1400 AND 2000
The main difference is the amount of yarn, as we go up in designation the thickness and the amount of yarn increases resulting in better abrasion resistance and longer life and greater operator safety factor. These positives are offset by less flexibility and greater weight. It is the decision of the Snow Hose manager to decide which of the matrix decisions are most important to their particular operation and make their hose purchase decision based on their particular decisions.
Hydrants
Engineering
Drift
What is DRIFT?
DRIFT is a patented surfactant that has been designed for use in snowmaking.
How does DRIFT work?
DRIFT lowers the natural tensions of water. This allows the droplet to increase in surface area, release the latent heat in the water and freeze more rapidly in the plume. DRIFT creates a drier, more natural feeling snow.
Doesn’t water need nucleators to freeze?
Under snowmaking conditions, the presence of nucleators is helpful to increase the conversion of water to snow.
Don’t I need to add nucleators to increase my snowmaking production?
In most cases, no. There are plenty of particles in most snowmaking water from streams and ponds that will nucleate the ice crystals and start the conversion process. If the snowmaking water is very clear, then additional nucleators may provide benefit.
How does DRIFT differ from Snomax?
DRIFT works on the flow and cooling dynamics of water. See question 2. Snomax works by adding nucleators into the water stream around which ice crystals will form. Most water sources have plenty of nucleators naturally present so adding more nucleators often has a minimal effect on snowmaking production.
If you don't find the answers to your questions above, be sure to contact us... we'd be happy to help.