Abrasives

Street Sweeper Tube

Coiled Urethane General Purpose Black in Color

Because of the very nature of its work, the sweeper tube needs to be one of the most durable, reliable flexible hoses used. The commonly utilized material handling street sweeper tube is specifically designed for gravity and positive/negative pressure situations. Depending on the machine type and manufacturer, the round duct can be sized accordingly. Common sizes range from 6” to 9” duct to 14” duct, fitting all but the largest and smallest of street or parking lot sweepers. For those rather “hard to find” ducts, contact our ductwork supplies specialists; they should be able to guide you in choosing a hose.

As stated, the primary selling point of the sweeper tube is its durability. Sweeper trucks need to be on the road and if they are not, the contractor doing the work, is not getting paid! Therefore durability is of the utmost importance. Durability is directly associated with wall thickness and the hose material making up the flexible duct. The wall thickness of a sweeper hose will vary with the material that the hose is made from. Generally speaking the thickest walled hoses have a 0.375 inch wall. This being the most common type of round duct sweeper tube made for road sweepers (as opposed to parking lot) are made from hard durometer reinforced rubber. Our brand is called the Rhinoback which are made and inventoried for most large air sweepers.

“Rhinoback”

$397.01$1,517.31
Temperature Range: -40°F to +280°F. Sizes I.D. (in.): This hose is made to specific I.D. and lengths for specific make and models of street and parking lot sweepers.

“Smooth-Tube TPR”

$94.44$940.25
Temperature Range: -60°F to +275°F Sizes I.D. (in.): 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, & 10

“Klear Flex”

$135.42$177.69
Temperature Range: -65°F to +225°F Sizes I.D. (in.): 10 & 12

“Urethane Flex Light-Duty”

$152.88$1,977.00
Temperature Range: -65°F to +225°F Sizes I.D. (in.): 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 16, & 18

Combing the capacity to resist both multitudes of abrasives and extreme temperatures, rubber is a long-lasting and dependable material capable of being incorporated into even the most arduous of street sweeping situations (not to mention the practically unlimited variety of other environments where rubber sees near-continuous usage). Some of the abrasives that street sweeping hoses generally come across include broken glass, torn metal, dirt, gravel, loose refuse, and much more. When you are responsible for handling, absorbing, and discarding these potentially dangerous materials day in and day out, it stands to reason that you are going to want the best, most resilient type of construction for your sweeper tube.

smooth tube tpr

Thinner versions of the rubber hoses are available at a lesser cost. These flexible ducting products tend to be used on parking lot sweepers which see less abrasive environments than their road sweeper brethren. These hoses generally have a wall thickness of 0.030 inch, which is about a 10th of the Rhinobacks noted above. The layering and ribbed surfacing of rubber round duct deflects and withstands the punctures and tears of abrasives with deftness and ease. Additionally, the aforementioned temperature resistance of rubber is especially notable; capable of functioning in temperatures of as low -40 degrees to as high as 280 degrees Fahrenheit, rubber truly is an “all weather” ducting solution.

However, these advantages come with one main drawback: rubber generally offers low levels of elasticity and flexibility, meaning that their applications are going to more rigid in nature than other kinds of collection duct materials (polyurethane, etc.) Nonetheless, because street sweeper commonly operate in fixed positions, it is usually not necessary for rubber sweeper tube to be extraordinarily flexible. As with all things, it is important to review the positives and negatives of any product before making you final purchasing decision, so you know that the product you have is the right one for you. Rubber’ does wear from flex fatigue and if you think you will be flexing your hose more than normal you may want to think about polyurethane.

Polyurethane tend to be more flexible and far more durable than rubber hoses. PU hoses are also available in clear or black, making it easy to identify clogs when they happen. Since polyurethane hoses are the flexible duct of choice in abrasive environments, they tend to be inventoried and available in a larger assortment of sizes, wall thickness and colors. PU hoses are the sweeper tube of choice for more parking lot sweepers. An additional benefit of using polyurethane sweeper tube is that they can be produced with soft cuffs. These offer clamps a great workspace security for street sweepers of all kinds, and allow for easy adjustments of the equipment “on the job.”

smooth tube tpr

If you want a commercial duct product that is trusted by heavy-duty street sweeping companies throughout the nation (and even the world) look no further than hard durometer rubber sweeper tube. Wonderfully affordable, insanely durable, and preeminently available, purchasing a quality set of rubber street sweeper round duct is one buying decision you will not regret! Talk to your local ductwork supplies retailer today to get the best bargain for your dollar and, even more importantly, the right hose for your situation.