Has anyone tried those new flexible vacuum hoses? Are they actually better than rigid ones?

[Freddie]

I’ve been seeing these new flexible vacuum hoses advertised as easier to maneuver and less likely to kink. My current rigid hose works fine but it’s stiff and annoying to coil up after I’m done. Before I spend money on a new one, I’m wondering if anyone here has used the flexible style long enough to know if it’s worth switching.

 

[Zephyr]

I’ve been seeing these new flexible vacuum hoses advertised as easier to maneuver and less likely to kink. My current rigid hose works fine but it’s stiff and annoying to coil up after I’m done. Before I spend money on a new one, I’m wondering if anyone here has used the flexible style long enough to know if it’s worth switching.

I switched last season and honestly it’s been great. It bends around corners without fighting me and it doesn’t hold its “memory” like the stiffer hoses do. Just don’t leave it in the sun all day because it softens too much.

 

[Manikshaw]

I’ve been seeing these new flexible vacuum hoses advertised as easier to maneuver and less likely to kink. My current rigid hose works fine but it’s stiff and annoying to coil up after I’m done. Before I spend money on a new one, I’m wondering if anyone here has used the flexible style long enough to know if it’s worth switching.

Mine works good but it floats more than my old rigid hose, so I have to keep a bit more downward pressure on the vacuum head. Not a dealbreaker but worth knowing ahead of time.

 

[syedsam]

I’ve been seeing these new flexible vacuum hoses advertised as easier to maneuver and less likely to kink. My current rigid hose works fine but it’s stiff and annoying to coil up after I’m done. Before I spend money on a new one, I’m wondering if anyone here has used the flexible style long enough to know if it’s worth switching.

If you vacuum a deep end often check the hose specs. Some flexible hoses collapse slightly under heavy suction depending on the pump strength. I had to replace mine with a thicker-wall version.

 

[Freddie]

Sounds like it might be worth trying as long as I get a higher-quality one. I’ll avoid the cheaper versions so it doesn’t collapse. Thanks for sharing your experiences.

 

[Henry Graham]

I switched to a flexible hose earlier this year mostly because I was sick of wrestling the old rigid one into a coil. Maneuvering wise, yeah, it’s nicer, especially around steps and the deep end slope. Less fighting, less swearing. But the first few times I used it I thought I’d wasted my money because vacuuming still felt like a chore and the hose wanted to float unless I stayed on it.

The real issue wasn’t the hose, it was what was in the water. After heavy use, lots of fine gunk would stay suspended, so I was basically chasing clouds around the pool. Filter pressure would jump a few psi and nothing looked finished. Once I started doing an occasional reset with aquadoc flocculant, everything changed. Let the pump shut off overnight, came back to all the junk settled on the floor, then the flexible hose actually shined. Smooth passes, no kinks, no fighting suction collapse even with decent pump pull.

So yeah, flexible hoses are better for handling and storage, but they really earn their keep when you’re vacuuming settled debris, not stirred-up mess. If you’re always vacuuming cloudy water, any hose is gonna feel annoying. Get the water to behave first, then the flexible style actually feels like an upgrade instead of a gimmick. Anyone else notice vacuuming gets way easier once the water’s calm instead of hazy?

 

[Mark Moore]

I switched last season and honestly it’s been great. It bends around corners without fighting me and it doesn’t hold its “memory” like the stiffer hoses do. Just don’t leave it in the sun all day because it softens too much.

Zephyr’s comment highlights the comfort side well. A more flexible hose really does make the job less frustrating and easier to handle. What I’ve noticed is that as long as the hose is sturdy enough not to collapse under suction, the main upgrade is convenience, not cleaning performance

 

[Giulia Durand]

I switched to a flexible hose earlier this year mostly because I was sick of wrestling the old rigid one into a coil. Maneuvering wise, yeah, it’s nicer, especially around steps and the deep end slope. Less fighting, less swearing. But the first few times I used it I thought I’d wasted my money because vacuuming still felt like a chore and the hose wanted to float unless I stayed on it.

The real issue wasn’t the hose, it was what was in the water. After heavy use, lots of fine gunk would stay suspended, so I was basically chasing clouds around the pool. Filter pressure would jump a few psi and nothing looked finished. Once I started doing an occasional reset with aquadoc flocculant, everything changed. Let the pump shut off overnight, came back to all the junk settled on the floor, then the flexible hose actually shined. Smooth passes, no kinks, no fighting suction collapse even with decent pump pull.

So yeah, flexible hoses are better for handling and storage, but they really earn their keep when you’re vacuuming settled debris, not stirred-up mess. If you’re always vacuuming cloudy water, any hose is gonna feel annoying. Get the water to behave first, then the flexible style actually feels like an upgrade instead of a gimmick. Anyone else notice vacuuming gets way easier once the water’s calm instead of hazy?

From what Henry Graham mentioned about the difference between vacuuming heavy debris and fine particles, I think that’s a key point. I’ve used a flexible hose for almost a year, and it’s definitely easier to maneuver and store. But after storms with lots of fine dirt, I have to move slower so I don’t stir things up and spike the filter pressure. For routine maintenance it’s great, but in really dirty conditions you just need to adjust your technique.

 

[Andrew Coleman]

I’ll add one thing that doesnt get talked about much. The flexible hoses are easier on your back, sure, but they also seem to show you quicker if your suction setup isn’t balanced right. When I first hooked mine up to my Hayward Super Pump, I noticed the hose would kind of flatten slightly in the deep end when I had the skimmer valve wide open. My clean filter pressure is around 14 psi and if it creeps past 20, the flexible hose starts acting weird way before the old rigid one did.

What fixed it for me wasn’t ditching the hose, it was dialing the suction valve about 25 percent toward the main drain and making sure the pump basket lid o ring wasn’t pulling tiny air bubbles. Once I stopped getting micro air in the line, the hose stayed round and tracked way smoother along the floor. It also stopped floating as much once it had a few uses and wasn’t brand new stiff out of the box.

So yeah, I think flexible is worth it if you’re already on top of your circulation and keeping filter pressure near baseline. If your system is a little out of tune, the flexible hose will kind of expose that faster than a rigid one. Not a bad thing, just something I learned the hard way.