Flexibore Hose
Easy hi-tech Bore water pumping
Bore water is an important source of agricultural, industrial and mining water supply. For many years retrieving bore water has been a difficult procedure. This in not the case anymore when using the revolutionary Flexibore. Now your bore water pumping headaches are over. This flexible yet resilient layflat hose can be installed with great ease compared with rigid pipes. Furthermore, when the pump needs to be retrieved from the bore, it is very easy to lift using Flexibore.
Flexibore is constructed from high tenacity polyester, producing a layflat hose that can handle the weight of most submersible pumps. With this heavy duty internal fabric, the pump plus water weight is handled by the hose so no safety cable is required. The polyurethane lining resists iron bacteria build-up and is easy to maintain over a long period of use.
Flexibore comes complete with stainless steel or high tensile polymer couplings and will suit many borehole applications ranging in size from 40mm to 200mm diameter and up to 250m depths.
We recently partnered Thinkwater Bunbury in extracting groundwater from depths of 245m. In this case a 90kw submersible pump was suspended without safety cable. More on this in the hi-tech bore water pumping case study.
Advantages of Flexibore as a riser hose:
- Easy handling (lightweight & flexible)
- Reduced costs (transportation, installation and handling)
- Long service life – totally corrosion resistant and free from scaling (up to 20 years)
- Quick and easy installation and retrieval
- No safety cable is required as per Safety Cable instructions
- Reduced head losses and improved flow rates due to swelling under pressure
- Potable water approved: AS 4020
- Hydrostatically tested
- Continuous woven high tensile polyester integrated with thermoplastic polyurethane
- Stainless steel or HT polymer couplings (for smaller diameters only)
- Lifting clamps and installation rollers (if required) are easy to use
- Guaranteed high tensile load rating
- Non stretch woven fabric
It is mainly used for:
- Bore water retrieval on farms, municipalities and mines
- Ground water projects
- Mine de-watering (keeping the water table down)
- Municipal water supply
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You can read more specific information regarding Flexibore in the following sections:
| Flexibore 200 series |
| Nominal size (inches) |
1½ |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
8 |
| Internal Diameter (mm) |
40 |
51 |
76 |
102 |
126 |
152 |
204 |
| Burst Pressure (bar) |
38 |
74 |
58 |
50 |
57 |
44 |
45 |
| Max. recommended operating pressure (bar) |
15 |
30 |
22 |
20 |
20 |
20 |
20 |
| Peak Tensile Load (tonnes) |
2.1 |
3.2 |
8.3 |
10 |
14 |
16 |
19.0 |
| Max. recommended Tensile Load (tonnes) |
0.9 |
1.3 |
3.3 |
4 |
5.6 |
6.4 |
8 |
| Weight of Flexibore (kg/m) |
0.27 |
0.56 |
0.91 |
1.24 |
1.76 |
1.96 |
2.75 |
| Outer diameter of coupling (mm) |
70 |
90 |
115 |
140 |
170 |
190 |
270 |
| Weight of coupling stainless steel (kg) |
2 |
2.8 |
5.2 |
7.1 |
11.0 |
12.1 |
20 |
| Weight of coupling HT polymer (kg) |
0.3 |
0.6 |
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| Weight of water at 10% swell (kg/m) |
1.52 |
2.38 |
5.49 |
9.89 |
15.09 |
21.96 |
31.05 |
| Maximum flow rate (l/sec) |
4 |
6 |
18 |
40 |
55 |
90 |
150 |
| Further Technical Specifications |
| Max operating temp |
45° C |
| Water pH range |
4 to 9 |
| Max recommended pump setting |
250 m |
| Maximum diametric swell |
15% |
| Average extension |
2% |
| Safety factor |
2.5:1 |
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View our Flexibore hose installation instruction guide to see pics and details for installing your submersible pump and securing power cable. The Flexibore instructions detail how to secure the power cable to the flexible hose.
There are three typical methods for installing Flexibore.
1. Vehicle assisted
2. Crane assisted
3. Hand assisted
Depending on the bore depth, pump weight and access space, a decision must be made on which installation method will be used.
The equipment required for a typical vehicle assisted installation includes the following;
1. 2 off Flexibore hose clamps
2. Roller
3. Tripod with chain block attached
Steps to follow;
A. Erect the tripod and chainblock directly over the borehole at height sufficient for the suspended pump to clear the top of the casing.
B. With pump positioned alongside the borehole, connect the coupling and riser. If there is sufficient room, the riser and power cable can be fully unrolled.
C. Fit the first clamp just above the coupling and raise the pump into position above the borehole. Use the chainblock to lower the pump into the casing until the clamp is supporting the pump on the borehead or on clamp supports. Connect cable to riser.
D. Position and secure the roller assembly above the borehole. Lay the riser and cable over the roller then fit cable along the riser with the straps provided. Allow minimum 5% extra cable to cover riser stretch under maximum load. Leave electrical cable 'snaked' between strapping points as per Flexibore installation instructions.
E. With your winch or installation vehicle at the end of the riser, connect your top coupling, attach to the vehicle and slowly reverse to take the weight of the installation. Remove the borehead clamp and lower the assembled pump and ancillaries into the bore until the vehicle is as close as is practical to the borehole.
Secure the riser with the second clamp, remove the clamp from the vehicle and transfer it to the chainblock. Ensure the chainblock has the weight support before lowering the pump to its final setting.
F. Fit the final borehead discharge assembly.
Note 1. A combination of methods can be used to achieve the installation where space is limited please contact the manufacturer for details.
2. To remove an installation, simply reverse the procedure.
Power Cable Attachment
There are 2 methods to secure the power cable to the Flexibore hose.
1. Polyurethane straps with cam-locking nylon buckles
2. Heavy duty 55kg rated nylon electrical cable ties
Loops along the length of hose, from which to attach the straps, are at 1m ( 2m for 1½ & 2 inch hose) intervals using Flexibore's unique retainer tab.
The strap should wrap around the riser and the electric cable securely. See the Installation Instructions and Power Cable Attachment for information on how to secure the power cable.
Important Due to Flexibore's extension and swell characteristics, allow a minimum of 2% extra electrical cable. This extra slack in the power cable compensates for the stretch in the hose due to the weight of the pump. The precise extension of the hose can be predicted accurately. For this figure to be determined, the weight of the pump, cable and pressures need to be forwarded to us.
As a general rule, the extension will not exceed 2% overall, within normal operating conditions. However, it is important that the power cable is snaked correctly. See the installation instructions and power cable attachment document which shows the correct amount of slack (average 5%) along the length of the hose.
Note
If too little slack is put along the hose (i.e no snaking), the cable can pull out of the pump.
If too much cable slack is put along the hose, the cable can get jammed between the pump assembly and the bore casing.
Heavy Duty Nylon electrical cable ties
Note:It is imperative that only the approved nylon electrical cable ties are used or the warranty will be void.
When fitting this type of tie, 2 ties must be used for each loop along the length of the hose.
Pull the tie up tightly ensuring that the cable cannot slide through.
Remember to keep the cable snaked along the length of hose to compensate for the stretch in the hose. See note above. |
Flexibore couplings are high quality engineered fittings consisting of a double rib tailpiece with 2 x 3 part clamps locking the hose immovably to the tailpiece.
Couplings are constructed of 316 stainless steel, zinc free bronze or high tensile polymer. Threads are standard B.S.P. male tapered with other types and sizes. available on request.
Thread sizes on couplings correspond to hose size. i.e. the 4inch coupling has a 4 inch thread
Adaptors from the standard B.S.P. male coupling thread to alternative configurations are also available on request.
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No safety cable is required
Flexibore has an exceptionally high tensile strength due to the woven jacket and polyurethane construction. It is thus able to support the weight of most submersible pumps, plus the electrical cable and weight of water in the riser. (Refer to specifications)
The tensile load that Flexibore can handle is given in the specification sheets. We have had independent tests carried out by Melbourne Testing Services a NATA approved laboratory to determine the ultimate breaking load. A copy of this report is available upon request.
If a safety cable is to be attached for added security, (e.g. maybe couplings not securely attached), the pump must not be suspended from it during operation or retrieval. |
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Due to the stretch properties of the textile sock, Flexibore has a built-in swell characteristic. This swelling gives good hydraulic performances thus keeping pumping costs down.
Click here to view Flexibore friction loss curve diagrams. |
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Another major benefit of using Flexibore is that the hose is potable water approved.
We have had testing carried out by the Australian Water Quality Centre and have certified AS4020
approval. |
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Flexibore has been independently tested by a NATA accredited laboratory for tensile tests to desctuction. |
Our friendly staff will guide you in selecting the most appropriate layflat hose for your individual needs. Please use the contact us form or call our head office on (03) 9720 1100.
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