Heater Hoses, Pipes & Components

Heater hoses, or in some cases pipes, carry hot coolant from the cylinder head of the engine and direct the flow through the heater core. Once coolant passes through the heater core another heater hose carries the coolant to the water pump. Without these hoses feeding the heater core only cold air would blow through the ducts and out the vents. Other components would include connectors, or clamps.

Coolant itself is a heat transfer fluid, so one can imagine how hot it would get flowing through an engine that reaches over 200°F. Coolant is not only extremely hot, it is also extremely corrosive. Heater hoses can degrade over time if the coolant is not diluted properly, or if the corrosion inhibiting compounds get used up and the system is not flushed. Inspect the hoses or watch for coolant leaks or your motor will be in jeopardy. The constant temperature change alone causes the rubber hoses to begin hardening and cracking. Even if they don’t leak now, any signs of wear are a red flag.

Heater hoses and pipes do not just hold themselves to the heater core, cylinder head, or the water pump. With all this heat causing the rubber hoses to expand and contract something needs to hold them in place and prevent leaking. The connectors and clamps seal the deal by tightening around the hoses where they connect to the subsequent point in the system. While diagnosing heating system malfunctions these clamps and connectors may be removed multiple times. This causes wear to the fragile parts and eventually could lead to failure. If these parts seem too easy to remove, replace them!

Brand new aftermarket heater hoses are engineered to be compatible with all the common coolants or additives. With the newest parts under the hood you can be guaranteed that new hoses will have much more strength and heat resistance than old hoses. Newer hoses are made with synthetic rubber compounds that contribute resistance to deterioration from ozone, coolants, and temperature variations of -40°F to +257°F. A rather inexpensive replacement can do wonders for your heating system.