The superflex hose is a transparent PVC hose with braided nylon reinforcement, used to convey water, low-pressure compressed air and mildly aggressive liquids. It is sold in diameters from 1/4 in to 2 in (6.3 to 50.8 mm), with a working pressure of 87 to 250 psi depending on diameter, in 50 m and 100 m rolls.
The point that causes the most confusion: superflex is not a corrugated hose. In the Colombian market the name designates a smooth, braided, transparent hose for fluid conveyance; the corrugated hose that protects electrical cables is a different product (flexible conduit) governed by NTC 2050:2020 and the RETIE regulation. This guide explains exactly what superflex is, its sizes and pressures, what it is for, what it is not, and how it compares with corrugated conduit and with rubber pressure hoses.
"Superflex" is a trade name adopted by several hose manufacturers and distributors in Colombia; it is not a technical standard designation. The product the market identifies by that name has a three-layer construction:
The transparency of tube and cover lets you see the fluid in circulation: air bubbles, sediment or blockages are detected without disconnecting the line. For that reason the same product is also offered as a "transparent braided hose with nylon reinforcement", which is how the data sheet of the TECTUL superflex hose describes it.
Before buying, pin down which of these three products you are looking for, because the name is used differently depending on the sales channel:
| What is offered as "superflex" | What it actually is | Where it is used |
|---|---|---|
| Superflex hose from hose manufacturers (primary use of the term) | Smooth transparent PVC hose with braided nylon reinforcement, 1/4 in to 2 in | Water, low-pressure air and liquid transfer in industry, commerce and homes |
| "Superflex" from some irrigation retailers | Smooth black polyethylene hose for outdoor water conveyance | Agricultural and garden irrigation, temporary water lines |
| Frequent confusion with corrugated hose | Corrugated flexible conduit of PVC or polyethylene: an electrical raceway, it does not convey fluids | Protection of electrical conductors in service entrances and installations |
This guide covers the first product. For the second, the equivalent in the TECTUL catalog is the black polyethylene potable-water hose in rolls, with UV protection. The third is explained in the section "What the superflex hose is not".
Data sheets from Colombian manufacturers of this type specify a working pressure of 87 to 250 psi (6 to 17 bar) and a burst pressure of 232 to 750 psi (16 to 52 bar), with one constant rule: the larger the diameter, the lower the admissible pressure. The declared continuous service temperature runs from −5 °C to +50 °C. The roughly 3-to-1 margin between burst and working pressure is a safety factor, not an operating reserve: system pressure, peaks included, must stay below the working pressure of the chosen diameter.
| Nominal diameter | Equivalent | Typical commercial presentation |
|---|---|---|
| 1/4 in | 6.3 mm | 100 m roll |
| 5/16 in | 7.9 mm | 100 m roll |
| 3/8 in | 9.5 mm | 100 m roll |
| 1/2 in | 12.7 mm | 100 m roll |
| 3/4 in | 19.0 mm | 50 m roll |
| 1 in | 25.4 mm | 50 m roll |
| 1-1/4 in | 31.7 mm | 50 m roll |
| 1-1/2 in | 38.1 mm | 50 m roll |
| 2 in | 50.8 mm | 50 m roll |
For compressed-air service, the normative reference for textile-reinforced thermoplastic hoses is ISO 5774:2023 (Plastics hoses — Textile-reinforced types for compressed-air applications — Specification), which defines four classes by maximum working pressure at 23 °C: 7 bar (light duty), 10 bar (medium), 16 bar (heavy) and 25 bar (mining); at 60 °C those pressures drop to 4.5, 6.5, 11 and 13 bar. A commercial superflex hose should be assigned to compressed air only if the manufacturer's data sheet declares the working pressure of the specific diameter and it covers the compressor discharge pressure with margin.
Raceways for electrical conductors in Colombia require certified products: the RETIE regulation (Resolution 40117 of 2024 of the Ministry of Mines and Energy) requires products used in electrical installations to hold a certificate of conformity, and NTC 2050:2020 (Colombian Electrical Code, second update) defines the admitted raceways, including corrugated flexible nonmetallic tubing. A fluid hose is not certified as an electrical raceway: running cables inside superflex in an installation subject to inspection can cause the installation to be rejected. For service entrances and wiring, the correct product is certified corrugated flexible conduit, not a hose.
With 87 to 250 psi working pressure depending on diameter and a +50 °C thermal limit, superflex sits below industrial air and water services that call for reinforced rubber: for those points there is the 300 psi rubber air-and-water hose. Selection by fluid and pressure is covered in the guides types of industrial hoses and types of water hoses.
Braided reinforcement works in tension: it resists internal pressure but does not prevent wall collapse under negative pressure. Suction requires a hose with a rigid reinforcement helix (plastic or steel wire) that keeps the bore open when the pump pulls vacuum.
| Criterion | Superflex hose (braided PVC) | Corrugated flexible conduit | Rubber air-and-water hose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Function | Convey water, low-pressure air and mildly aggressive liquids | House and protect electrical conductors; does not convey fluids | Convey compressed air and water in industrial service |
| Construction | Smooth PVC tube + braided nylon reinforcement + transparent cover | Corrugated PVC or polyethylene wall, no textile reinforcement | Rubber tube + textile reinforcement + rubber cover |
| Working pressure | 87 to 250 psi (6 to 17 bar) depending on diameter | Not applicable: it is not a pressure conduit | Up to 300 psi (20.7 bar) in the industrial reference |
| Service temperature | −5 °C to +50 °C continuous | Per the product certificate | Higher than PVC; check the compound's data sheet |
| Technical framework | Manufacturer's data sheet; ISO 5774:2023 if assigned to air | NTC 2050:2020 and RETIE (Resolution 40117 of 2024): certified product mandatory | Manufacturer's data sheet with working and burst pressure |
| Do not use it for | Electrical cables, steam, suction, pressures above working pressure | Conveying water, air or any fluid | Installations where the fluid must be visible |
No: the superflex of the Colombian market is a smooth-walled, transparent hose with braided nylon reinforcement. The ring-walled corrugated hose is flexible conduit for protecting cables, an electrical raceway product that does not convey fluids.
No. NTC 2050:2020 and the RETIE regulation (Resolution 40117 of 2024) require certified raceways for electrical conductors, and superflex is a fluid hose without that certificate. Use certified corrugated flexible conduit for service entrances and wiring.
Between 87 and 250 psi (6 to 17 bar) working pressure depending on diameter: small diameters withstand more and large ones less. Declared burst pressure runs from 232 to 750 psi, but the system must always operate below the working pressure.
For hot water only up to +50 °C continuous service, per the data sheets of manufacturers of this type. For steam, never: saturated steam exceeds 100 °C even at low pressures and destroys PVC; that service requires a rubber hose built specifically for steam.
The difference is the reinforcement: superflex incorporates nylon braiding to work under pressure, while the clear braided hose is reserved for less demanding visual conveyance. If the line carries sustained pressure, specify superflex.
For water, low-pressure air and liquid transfer with visual flow control, order the superflex hose with nylon reinforcement in the diameter of your barb, from 1/4 in to 2 in. For low-demand lines where you only need to see the fluid, the clear braided hose; for irrigation and outdoor water lines, the black polyethylene hose with UV protection; and for industrial air or water at high pressures, the 300 psi rubber hose. Before ordering, confirm four items: barb diameter, maximum system pressure against the working pressure of the diameter, fluid temperature (up to +50 °C) and chemical compatibility. TECTUL ships the 50 m and 100 m rolls throughout Colombia.
