Hose FAQ

Q: "What Is Hose"

It is a plastic or rubber tube for transporting water. There exist several kinds of hose and we offer a few types as follows.

The explanations of these hoses is below...

Q: "What is Microbore Hose?"

Microbore Hose is made from a few layers (2 or 3) of PVC tube with criss-cross patterns of plastic threads wound in between them. This protects the hose and helps it to hold the water pressure inside.

Microbore is the name we have given to hose that's inside diameter is 6mm and needs fittings that have 6mm barbs.

Microbore hose has an approximate outside diameter of 12mm although this can vary from hose to hose. This means it needs hose clips of around 11 - 13mm sizes to clamp fittings into the hose.

See the Fittings page ⇘ for more information on microbore fittings.

We currently sell microbore hose in 100m lengths, and only in yellow (Hi-Viz safety colour).

Microbore can take a water temperature of about 60℃.

Q: "What is Minibore Hose?"

Minibore Hose is made from a few layers (2 or 3) of PVC tube with criss-cross patterns of plastic threads wound in between them. This protects the hose and helps it to hold the water pressure inside.

Minibore is the name we have given to hose that's inside diameter is 8mm and needs fittings that have 8mm barbs.

Minibore hose has an approximate outside diameter of 14mm although this can vary from hose to hose. This means it needs hose clips of around 13 - 15mm sizes to clamp fittings into the hose.

Other suppliers may call this size of hose microbore 8mm

We currently sell minibore hose in 100m lengths, and only in yellow (Hi-Viz safety colour).

Minibore can take a water temperature of about 60℃.

Q: "What is Standard 5mm Tubing?"

Standard 5mm PVC Pole Tubing is a plain PVC tube, made in one layer only, that is very light and flexible. It is used to run the water up the pole to the brush. It's softness can be it's downfall because it can get damaged easily. Still, it's so cheap that many people use it anyway and change it often.

Standard 5mm tubing is measured by it's inside diameter, which is 5mm and needs fittings that have 5mm - 6mm barbs.

Standard 5mm tubing has an approximate outside diameter of 8mm although this can vary from hose to hose. This means it needs hose clips of around 07 - 09mm sizes to clamp fittings into the hose.

We currently sell standard 5mm tubing in yellow (Hi-Viz safety colour), Black and Clear.

Standard tubing can take a water temperature of about 60℃.

Q: "What is Reinforced 5mm Tubing?"

Reinforced 5mm Pole Tubing is a double layer hose with a plain PVC tube on the inside, then a plastic winding like Microbore / Minibore. Due to this extra material it's a lot more robust, a bit heavier, and less flexible. It is used to run the water up the pole to the brush.

Reinforced 5mm tubing is measured by it's inside diameter, which is 5mm and needs fittings that have 5mm - 6mm barbs.

Reinforced tubing has an approximate outside diameter of 9mm although this can vary from hose to hose. This means it needs hose clips of around 09 - 11mm sizes to clamp fittings into the hose.

Reinforced tubing can take a water temperature of about 60℃.

Q: "What is Garden Hose?"

Garden Hose is made from a few layers (2 or 3) of PVC tube with criss-cross patterns of plastic threads wound in between them. This protects the hose and helps it to hold the water pressure inside.

Garden hose is measured by it's inside diameter, which is 12mm (1/2") and needs fittings that have 12mm barbs.

Garden hose has an approximate outside diameter of 18mm although this can vary from hose to hose. This means it needs hose clips of around 17 - 19mm sizes to clamp fittings into the hose.

Within the world of garden hose is Tricoflex hose, which is made from 5 layers of tubing with reinforcements in there as well. Somehow it's very flexible and supple, though very expensive. Tricoflex is only available in 50m and 100m lengths and in the Yellow.

We currently sell standard garden hose in 30m lengths, and in yellow (Hi-Viz safety colour), Red, Blue, Black Green or Clear.

Garden hose can take a water temperature of about 60℃.

Q: "What is Push-In Tubing?"

Push-In Tubing is a kind of stiff tubing that is attached to special fittings by just being pushed into it. Inside the fittings are little teeth and seals to hold the tubing and stop it popping out at unwanted times. This is mainly used in small Reverse Osmosis Systems such as the 100GPD, 300GPD, 600GPD and Merlin's (PRF-RO).

Push-In Tubing is measured in it's outside diameter, so 1/4" tubing is 1/4" outside diameter. This is the exact opposite to all other hoses!

The sizes we sell are 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2", and in White, Black, Blue, Green or Red.

Push-in tubing is made in either inch (imperial) sizes or millimetre (metric) sizes.

Push-In Tubing can take quite high water temperatures, higher than all the more flexible and softer hoses.

Q: "What is Suction Hose?"

Q: "What is Transfer Hose?"

Suction Hose & Transfer Hose is the same hose. It is a large kind of single layer hose designed for transferring large amounts of water very quickly. In our uses that means emptying one tank of water into another one, such as from a tank in the garage to a tank in the van.

It has a spiral of very hard plastic in the shell to stop it sucking in on itself, hence the name 'Suction Hose'. This makes it suitable to hose that runs up to a transfer pump or a pressure washer.

Suction hose is measured by it's inside diameter, so 1" hose is 1" suction inside diameter and needs fittings that have 1" barbs.

Suction hose cannot take high water temperatures.

Suction hose is vulnerable to freezing.

Q: "What is Univalve Hose?"

Q: "What is PU Hose?"

Univalve Hose is a special flexible form of push-in tubing made from Polyurethane (PU) and is designed to be used for the Univalve water control taps. Some people like to use this tubing as standard pole tubing due to it's resilience.