Sturgi Extend-a-Stay Hose Failure
This is a rant/warning combo. I have a Sturgi Extend-a-stay kit that's a bit less than 4-years old. I don't use it much, so when it's not in use the hose is stored in a side compartment - my point ...
Forum Discussion
So I e-mailed Bill @ Sturgi. He replied right away and asked me to call him. So I did.
Really nice guy. He explained what happened and why it happens. I tend to believe him but skeptics chime in if you'd like.
He said the issue with the hose - and any hose like it - is the plastic inside them. They're basically PVC hose wrapped in rubber. They use elasticizers (I don't know how to spell that) to make the plastic flexible. When connected to a high pressure source - like a tank - the gas leaches into the plastic and makes it stiff and brittle. You don't have this issue with the low-pressure hoses like those that feed grills and such. The rate of deterioration depends on how much time the hose is connected to the high pressure source. It could be a year, or many years.
He said they've been experimenting with other materials over the past year or so that hold up better.
Anyway, I didn't get a new hose out of them but I enjoyed the conversation whether it was baloney or not.
Really nice guy. He explained what happened and why it happens. I tend to believe him but skeptics chime in if you'd like.
He said the issue with the hose - and any hose like it - is the plastic inside them. They're basically PVC hose wrapped in rubber. They use elasticizers (I don't know how to spell that) to make the plastic flexible. When connected to a high pressure source - like a tank - the gas leaches into the plastic and makes it stiff and brittle. You don't have this issue with the low-pressure hoses like those that feed grills and such. The rate of deterioration depends on how much time the hose is connected to the high pressure source. It could be a year, or many years.
He said they've been experimenting with other materials over the past year or so that hold up better.
Anyway, I didn't get a new hose out of them but I enjoyed the conversation whether it was baloney or not.
