Peristaltic pumps are simple, efficient, reliable, accurate, and suited for a wide range of media. A hose peristaltic pump drives fluid alternately by passive hose decompression to form a seal and by hose relaxation to withdraw liquid in. To ensure the pumping objective of your pump, choosing appropriate hoses is essential. The following factors should be seriously considered when selecting hoses.

  • Consider materials of the inner layer in the hose in terms of chemical property, application temperature, abrasion, and FDA requirements. These factors are essential for conveying specific fluids.
  • The hose should have an appropriate wall thickness (2-fold) to match the fixed gap width between the rollers and the hose track wall encased in a peristaltic pump head. Otherwise, the hose decompression may not seal the tubing, which would lead to inefficient pumping or no pumping.
  • Choose an appropriate inside diameter (ID) of a hose for your specified flow rates. The hose ID and the rotor speed, in most extent, determine the pump flow rates. A flow rate range is often defined by a specific peristaltic pump with a selected hose.
  • The outside diameter (OD) of a hose should also be appropriate for the head. If the hose is oversized, it may cause excessive stress on the pump head and the gearbox, resulting in shortened life of the hose, the gearbox, and/or the pump. On the other hand, an undersized hose will work well if the wall thickness matches the pump head.
  • The outside surface finish might also be considered. If incorrect, the higher friction between the roller/shoe and hose will result in accelerated wear and increased energy consumption.
  • Cost, cost, cost! Some hoses are expensive because they may be specially designed and manufactured for special applications, for example FDA requirements. For general use, low-cost hoses should be first considered.