ArtMetal

Recently had very bad experience utilizing above set-up in that after firing up equipment after long hiatus to solder a silver bezel... Got it going the usual way, running through all usual steps... flame was running smoothly for about two minutes, just starting to heat up bezel in order to flow solder when the torch/hose erupted into a long 2 foot bushy flame at the hose connection to the torch itself as near as I could determine in my panic at the moment, and dropped it to the floor where it continued to flame. Luckily I had the time and presence of mind to quickly shut off the tank valves, after which the flame went out.

I did receive a large 1st degree burn over my forearm, side of wrist and outer portion of thumb, with small blisters forming after two days, but very grateful as it could have been much, much worse! After looking at the torch afterward, it appears that the hose burned through close to where the torch ends connect to the hose. We eventually thought that it might have been caused by dry rot to the hose as the torch has been in an outside workshop with no air conditioning/cooling system and here in the Arizona desert, it probably reaches 120+ degrees in the summer time in that shop.

My questions are, has anyone ever run into that with this type of hose? Is there anyway to check for dry rot safely? The hoses themselves were still very flexible in mobility, but are woven-fabric covered so that the inner hose cannot be visually inspected. Any thoughts to other possible causes?

Looking for answers before I lose my nerve to ever use a torch again...