Elephant hose and Heliflex both work on the suction side of a pump, where the hose must not collapse under vacuum. They are built very differently, though, and choosing the wrong one either wears out a hose in weeks or costs far more than the job needs.
Side-by-side comparison
| Heliflex | Elephant hose | |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | Flexible PVC wall with a rigid PVC helix | Rubber with textile plies and a steel wire helix, plus an abrasion-resistant liner |
| Working pressure | Yellow: 7 bar (50mm) down to 3 bar (200mm). Heavy Duty Green: 10 bar (50mm) down to 4 bar (200mm) | 10 bar |
| Vacuum | −0.8 bar (yellow), −0.9 bar (heavy duty green) | Steel helix holds the hose open under suction |
| Sizes | 50 to 200mm | 4″ and 6″ (150mm) |
| Lengths | 30m rolls or cut to length; heavy duty in 6m, 15m and 30m | 6m lengths |
| Ends | Clamped onto hose tails, or fitted with Camlock couplings | Cuffed ends for clamping, or flanges drilled to SANS 1123 1000/3 |
| Best for | Clean or dirty water, dewatering, agriculture and plant water | Slurry, sand, gravel, tailings and heavy-duty dewatering |
When to choose Heliflex
- You are pumping water, even dirty water, without heavy solids.
- The hose is moved often and weight matters.
- You need longer runs or sizes from 50mm up.
Choose Yellow Heliflex for general duty and Heavy Duty Green Heliflex for continuous pump suction on mines.
When to choose elephant hose
- The pump handles slurry, sand, gravel or tailings that would wear through PVC.
- The hose must bolt to flanged pumps or pipework.
- The line runs continuously in hard service.
For general dewatering with fine solids, a 3mm black liner is enough. For highly abrasive slurry and tailings, the 6mm red liner lasts noticeably longer.
What goes on the other end
On the discharge side, most dewatering setups switch to layflat hose, which is lighter and rolls flat. Add a suction strainer on the inlet to keep stones out of the pump, and size your hose clamps to the hose’s outside diameter.
Shop Heliflex → · Shop elephant hose →
Need bulk quantities, cut lengths or a made-up assembly? Request a quote, call 010 022 4049 or email info@syre.co.za. Same-day delivery in Gauteng and Mpumalanga on orders placed before 12pm, and delivery to other provinces across South Africa.
