Voltiera
Water & Drainage

LDPE Polyethylene Hose — Metric and Inch Sizes

Black low-density polyethylene pipe for general use, manufactured to NTE INEN 1744. Two families: metric from 16 to 63 mm, sized by outside diameter with several wall thicknesses per diameter depending on working pressure, and inch sizes from 1/2" to 2", type SIDR 5.3, sized by inside diameter.

It is flexible and low pressure: the metric line works between 36 and 91 psi depending on wall, and the inch line at 125 psi across the range. For irrigation, landscaping, and on-farm conveyance it is exactly the right thing. For a pressurized potable water main the product is a different one. Factory Direct by the container.

Request a Quote
Coil of black LDPE polyethylene hose

At a Glance

Material
LDPE — low-density polyethylene
Standard
NTE INEN 1744
Metric
16 · 20 · 25 · 32 · 40 · 50 · 63 mm (by outside diameter)
Inch
1/2" to 2" — SIDR 5.3 (by inside diameter)
Working pressure
36 to 91 psi (metric) · 125 psi (inch)
Application
General use — irrigation and low-pressure conveyance

Hose Line Specifications

Material
Low-density polyethylene (LDPE), black
Standard
NTE INEN 1744
Metric hose
16 · 20 · 25 · 32 · 40 · 50 · 63 mm — sized by outside diameter
Inch hose
1/2" · 3/4" · 1" · 1 1/4" · 1 1/2" · 2" — type SIDR 5.3, sized by inside diameter
Metric pressures
36 psi (0.25 MPa) · 46 psi (0.32 MPa) · 58 psi (0.4 MPa) · 91 psi (0.63 MPa), depending on wall thickness
Inch pressure
125 psi (0.86 MPa) across the range
Behavior
Flexible; it lays off the coil and follows the ground without direction-change fittings
Application
General use — irrigation, landscaping, low-pressure conveyance on the farm
Manufacturing
Produced under an integrated management system

Metric Hose — LDPE, NTE INEN 1744

The same outside diameter is made in several wall thicknesses. The outside diameter does not change, the wall does, and with it the working pressure and the usable bore.

DN (mm)Outside dia. (mm)Wall (mm)Working pressureMPa
1616,0–16,31,0–1,336 psi0,25
1616,0–16,31,1–1,446 psi0,32
1616,0–16,31,2–1,558 psi0,4
2020,0–20,31,2–1,446 psi0,32
2020,0–20,31,5–1,958 psi0,4
2525,0–25,31,2–1,536 psi0,25
2525,0–25,31,5–1,846 psi0,32
2525,0–25,31,9–2,358 psi0,4
3232,0–32,32,4–2,858 psi0,4
3232,0–32,33,6–4,291 psi0,63
4040,0–40,43,0–3,558 psi0,4
4040,0–40,44,5–5,191 psi0,63
5050,0–50,53,7–4,358 psi0,4
5050,0–50,55,6–6,491 psi0,63
6363,0–63,64,7–5,458 psi0,4
6363,0–63,67,1–8,191 psi0,63

Outside diameter and wall are given as minimum–maximum manufacturing ranges. An order has to state diameter and working pressure: diameter alone does not define the hose.

Inch Hose — LDPE, SIDR 5.3

This family is sized by inside diameter: the bore holds the nominal size and the wall grows outward. Working pressure is 125 psi (0.86 MPa) at every size.

SizeInside dia. (mm)Wall (mm)TypeWorking pressure
1/2"15,54–16,052,97–3,48SIDR 5,3125 psi · 0,86 MPa
3/4"20,54–21,183,93–4,44SIDR 5,3125 psi · 0,86 MPa
1"26,14–26,895,02–5,63SIDR 5,3125 psi · 0,86 MPa
1 1/4"34,54–35,306,60–7,39SIDR 5,3125 psi · 0,86 MPa
1 1/2"40,38–41,277,72–8,63SIDR 5,3125 psi · 0,86 MPa
2"51,99–52,889,90–11,09SIDR 5,3125 psi · 0,86 MPa

Where LDPE Hose Operates

The underlying job is the same everywhere: move water at low pressure along a layout that changes, without building a rigid network.

Agricultural irrigation

Laterals and submains at 16, 20, and 25 mm, which is where the volume on an irrigation season gets decided.

Landscaping and nurseries

Runs that get moved around: the flexibility of LDPE is the real advantage over rigid pipe.

Livestock and poultry

Lines to drinkers and troughs, where pressure is low and the route follows the ground.

On-farm conveyance

Tanks, reservoirs, and farm pumping at 32 to 63 mm, or the inch line when the 125 psi is needed.

Temporary works

Provisional water lines on site and dewatering runs that get set up and pulled back out.

Ag supply and hardware

Counter turnover on 1/2", 3/4", and 1", plus the metric irrigation sizes.

Buying LDPE Hose Wholesale — FAQ

Are LDPE and HDPE the same thing?

No, and it is worth not mixing them up. This hose is LDPE, low-density polyethylene: flexible, low pressure, general use. HDPE PE 100 pipe is high-density polyethylene, rigid, for pressurized potable water, and it is joined by heat fusion. Two products with different resins, pressures, and joints. If the project is a pressurized potable water network, the answer is not this hose.

Why is the inch hose measured by inside diameter and the metric one by outside?

Because they are two sizing systems. Metric is controlled on the outside diameter: the outside holds and the wall grows inward, so at higher pressure the usable bore shrinks. The inch line is SIDR 5.3 — Standard Inside Diameter Ratio — where the bore holds the nominal size and the wall grows outward, which is what allows 125 psi without giving up flow. It matters because fittings from the two systems are not interchangeable.

What is the actual working pressure?

On the metric line it depends on wall, not diameter: 36, 46, 58, or 91 psi (0.25 to 0.63 MPa). A thin-wall 25 mm gives 36 psi and a thick-wall 25 mm gives 58 psi. On the inch line it is 125 psi (0.86 MPa) across the range. Those are the product working pressures under normal conditions, and as with any polyethylene they drop with water temperature and direct sun. This is not hose for a high-pressure line.

Why does one diameter come in several wall thicknesses?

Because wall is the pressure variable. The 16 mm comes at 1.0–1.3 mm for 36 psi, 1.1–1.4 mm for 46 psi, and 1.2–1.5 mm for 58 psi; 32, 40, 50, and 63 mm each come in two walls, for 58 and for 91 psi. That is why an order that only says "25 mm" is incomplete: it has to state the working pressure too, or the wrong hose shows up.

Can it be used on a potable water main?

It is not the product for that. LDPE hose is general use, irrigation, and low-pressure conveyance, and household main pressure sits above much of its range. For pressurized potable water the line is HDPE PE 100 or PVC pressure pipe, which is where the pressure class, the joint, and the certification for that service actually live.

How does it ship and what is the minimum order?

In coils; the footage per coil depends on diameter and pressure and we confirm it by size when quoting. Coverage is by the container: on metric irrigation hose a container holds a lot of footage, so the mix gets built off real season consumption. If it does not fill one on its own, it combines with the rest of the water and drainage line. Send the size list with pressures and the destination.

Request a Wholesale Quote

Tell us what you need. We come back with a firm quote with incoterms — the team that builds it is the same team that answers your questions.