PVC Layflat Hose

PVC layflat hose — also called lay flat hose, flat discharge hose, or lay-flat irrigation hose — is a lightweight, collapsible water transfer hose that folds flat when empty and rounds out under pressure. Sunhose manufactures layflat hoses in three grades — standard, medium duty, and heavy duty — covering diameters from 1 inch (25 mm) to 16 inches (408 mm), with working pressures from 30 PSI up to 150 PSI.

• Tube: Flexible PVC Lining.

• Reinforcement: High Tensile Synthetic Textile.

• Cover: Light Chemicals And Weather Resistant PVC Outer Cover.

• Application: For Light Duty Discharge Of Watering Agriculture And Industry.

• Temp. Range. : - 5 ̊C to +60 ̊C (23°F to 140°F)

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Construction & Materials

The performance of a layflat hose comes entirely from how it is built. Each Sunhose layflat hose is manufactured with three distinct layers.

Inner PVC lining. A smooth, flexible PVC compound that minimises friction loss and resists corrosion. The inner bore stays chemically inert when carrying clean water, irrigation water, or mild agricultural chemicals.

Polyester textile reinforcement. High-tenacity polyester yarns are woven in a continuous circular pattern around the tube. This braided structure is what allows the hose to handle pressure without ballooning or twisting. The number of yarn layers determines the pressure rating — standard duty uses a single reinforcement layer, while heavy duty grades use two or more layers for working pressures up to 150 PSI.

Outer PVC jacket. The jacket is compounded with UV stabilisers to resist sun degradation during prolonged outdoor use. It also provides abrasion resistance against concrete, gravel, and rough ground surfaces.

This three-layer construction means the hose is significantly lighter than rubber alternatives of the same diameter while still delivering reliable pressure performance across seasons.

Applications by Industry

Agricultural Irrigation

PVC layflat hose is the most widely used portable water transfer hose in agriculture. Farmers connect it directly to pump outlets to move water from canals, rivers, or reservoirs to irrigation points across fields. The flat-when-empty design makes it easy to roll out over hundreds of metres, connect, use, and then quickly retrieve and store on a reel at the end of the irrigation cycle.

Common agricultural uses include:

• Flood irrigation of rice paddies and vegetable fields
• Lateral supply lines from main aluminium pipes
• Temporary connections between pump and drip irrigation headers
• Orchard and vineyard filling systems

Sizes most commonly used in agriculture: 2 inch, 3 inch, 4 inch, and 6 inch.

Construction Site Dewatering

Construction sites regularly need to remove groundwater from foundations, trenches, and excavations. A pump plus a run of layflat hose discharges this water to a safe disposal point away from the work area. The hose can be run across site roads — because it flattens under vehicle traffic — and quickly repositioned as the work area changes.

For dewatering, contractors typically use medium duty or heavy duty grades in the 3 inch to 6 inch range, depending on the pump's flow rate and the required discharge distance.

Mining Operations

Mining applications demand high abrasion resistance and reliable burst pressure. Layflat hoses are deployed for pit dewatering, process water supply, and dust suppression. In underground mining, the flat-storage profile is especially valuable because it allows large coils to be transported through narrow access tunnels.

Sunhose heavy duty layflat hose (SH80 and SH10 series) is designed for these conditions, with burst pressures reaching 270–450 PSI and UV-stabilised compound that survives prolonged exposure in harsh outdoor mine environments.

Firefighting & Emergency Water Supply

Layflat hose has been used in firefighting for decades. When connected to a pump or hydrant, the hose delivers large volumes of water quickly over long distances. Because it collapses flat when not pressurised, a large length can be carried in a compact roll on a vehicle.

Standard-duty layflat hose at 4 inch and 6 inch is commonly used for auxiliary water supply in rural firefighting, where hydrant infrastructure is limited. Heavy-duty versions are specified where surge pressure from fire pumps is a concern.

Municipal Water Supply & Flood Control

Temporary water supply during infrastructure repair — or emergency flood control operations — often depends on large-diameter layflat hose. Diameters of 8 inch, 10 inch, 12 inch, and 16 inch can deliver thousands of litres per minute and are used by municipal water authorities and civil defence agencies.

For flood response, these hoses are pumped in series across streets and open ground to move floodwater from inundated areas to rivers or drainage infrastructure, often over distances of several kilometres.

How to Choose the Right Layflat Hose

Selecting the correct layflat hose for your application comes down to four parameters.

1. Diameter (ID) Match the hose ID to your pump outlet. Using a hose significantly smaller than the pump outlet creates back-pressure and reduces flow efficiency. For long runs — over 200 metres — consider going one size larger to compensate for friction losses.

2. Working pressure Choose a hose whose rated working pressure (WP) is at least equal to the maximum pump outlet pressure. For surge-prone applications like firefighting, use a hose rated at least 1.5× your pump's maximum operating pressure. Burst pressure (BP) should always be at least 3× the working pressure.

3. Duty grade

• Standard duty (SH40 series): For general irrigation and low-pressure discharge. WP 30–60 PSI.
• Medium duty (SH60 series): For construction dewatering and sustained agricultural pumping. WP 75–90 PSI.
• Heavy duty (SH80 / SH10 series): For mining, firefighting, and high-pressure applications. WP 90–150 PSI.

4. Material: PVC vs TPU For most applications, PVC layflat hose offers excellent value. If your environment involves sharp rocky terrain, extreme cold (below −10 °C), or contact with oils and fuels, consider TPU layflat hose instead. TPU offers 10× better abrasion resistance and remains flexible at −40 °C — but carries a higher unit price.

PVC vs TPU vs Rubber: Which Layflat Hose Is Right for You?

For the majority of agricultural, construction, and municipal applications, PVC layflat hose is the optimal choice: lighter to handle than rubber, cheaper to buy than TPU, and perfectly capable across the −5 °C to +60 °C temperature range.

Installation & Maintenance Tips

Unrolling: Unroll the hose from the outside of the coil, laying it flat on the ground. Never drag the coil laterally — this twists the reinforcement fabric and weakens the burst pressure over time.

Connections: Use standard camlock fittings (Type C female or Type E male) for quick connection to pumps. Ensure the gasket is seated before locking the cam arms. For aluminium irrigation pipe, Type A and Type B adaptors are available.

Pressure testing: Before each season, pressurize the hose to working pressure and check for weeping at couplings and along the hose body. Replace any section that shows signs of delamination or external scuffing deeper than 0.5 mm.

After use: Drain the hose completely before rolling. PVC will develop permanent creases if rolled tightly while wet and stored in direct sunlight for extended periods. Store coiled rolls in a shaded, cool location between uses.

Winter storage: In freezing climates, drain and dry before storage. PVC becomes temporarily stiff below −5 °C but does not crack unless under pressure. Never store a water-filled hose where it may freeze.

Why Choose Sunhose for PVC Layflat Hose

Sunhose Industrial Company has been manufacturing industrial hoses from China's dedicated hose manufacturing hub. Every PVC layflat hose we produce is pressure-tested before shipment.

Factory-direct pricing. We manufacture everything in-house, with no middlemen between our factory and your order. This gives importers, distributors, and project buyers the most competitive ex-factory price in the market.

Full diameter range. Most suppliers stock only the common 1–6 inch sizes. Sunhose produces and keeps in stock sizes from 1 inch through 16 inch, including the large-diameter sizes needed for mining and municipal projects.

OEM & custom orders welcome. We can produce layflat hose in custom colours, lengths, pressure ratings, and branded packaging. Minimum order quantities for standard products start at 1,000 metres/kg per specification; custom OEM runs start at 5,000 metres.

Technical support. Our sales team has hands-on product knowledge and can recommend the correct hose specification for your pump pressure, application, and environment. We reply to enquiries within 8 hours on business days.

Need a sample or project quotation? Contact our team or send us a WhatsApp message — we'll respond within 8 hours.