Suction hose

Drawing water from an external source

A suction hose is used to draw water from an external source such as a groundwater well, a canal, a ditch, or a small lake. Suction hoses are used in combination with a self-priming pump such as a garden pump or a booster pump. These water pumps are designed to draw water and to push it through the delivery connection under high pressure; a garden hose, for example, can be connected to the pump.

Our suction hoses are fitted with a suction strainer with an integrated non-return valve. The suction strainer stops larger solid particles from being drawn in. The spring-loaded foot valve stops the water that has been drawn in from running back into the water source. This is essential because, in this way, the pump will have water readily available next time it is used.

Differences between suction hoses

The suction hoses were selected carefully after being subjected to thorough testing. We have only included a selection of hoses that differ in length, screw connections, and material so that we can provide a suitable model for every situation. The differences are explained in more detail below.

Length

We supply ready-made suction hoses in two lengths - 4 and 7 metres - which will be sufficient in most situations.

Self-priming pumps such as a garden / booster pump have limited suction power, because they operate with a maximum suction depth of about 8 to 9 metres. If the pump needed to draw water from a greater depth, it would lack sufficient suction power and could not do the job. Therefore, it is important to place the self-priming pump as close to the water source as possible.

If you do not have the option of placing the pump closer to the water source

A self-priming pump has limited suction power, which applies to suction depth as well as to suction length. If a longer horizontal distance needs to be bridged, this would affect the pump's ability to pump water from a deeper level: for example, with a 20-metre hose, the maximum priming depth is two metres.

If a distance of 7 metres is not sufficient in your situation, you can extend the suction hose with a universal hose. They can be directly connected to each other. You can also opt for the spiral hose with a length of 20 metres, which is not fitted as standard with coupling pieces to use it as a suction hose. However, we supply a suction kit, details of which can be found on the spiral hose page.

What to do if the water surface is deeper than 8 to 9 metres

In this case, there is only one solution: opt for a borehole pump. A borehole pump is placed in the source, directly in the water, and from there the water is transferred to any desired application such as one or multiple sprinklers.

Screw connection

Practically all self-priming pumps are fitted with either a 1" female or a male screw connection, and our suction hoses are fitted with a 1" universal screw coupling so that they fit on both the female and the male screw connections.

For larger self-priming pumps, we supply a suction hose with a 1 ¼" screw coupling.

Material

Our suction hoses are pre-shaped, high-quality spiral hoses. We supply the following two models:

• Standard: with a synthetic suction strainer and synthetic screw couplings;
• Brass: with a high-quality suction strainer and brass screw couplings.

If you are working with slightly dirty water, we recommend opting for the brass model, which is fitted with a high-quality suction strainer to prevent extra particles of dirt from entering the pump.

Mounting / installation on first use

Installing a suction hose is easy. Please follow the steps below:

• Apply sealing tape, such as Teflon, to the screw coupling on the hose or water pump;
• Fill the entire hose with water: for example, using a watering can (please note that the entire suction hose must be filled);
• Mount the hose onto the water pump by simply screwing the screw couplings together.