Burst Pressure vs. Working Pressure: Reading a PVC Hose Datasheet at 23°C and 60°C

Time：2026-10-17 16:23:04

A 1/4-inch food-grade steel wire hose is rated 33 bar at 23°C and 16 bar at 60°C on the same datasheet. That is not a typo. It is the single most overlooked number when buyers compare PVC hose quotations.

Two numbers, two different questions

A burst pressure figure answers one question only: at what internal pressure does this hose physically rupture? In a burst test the pressure is raised steadily until the wall fails, and the peak value is recorded. It is a destructive test, and it is measured on a sample, not on the hose you will receive.

The second number, working pressure, is the pressure you are allowed to design to. It is derived from the burst value by applying a safety factor, and which factor applies depends on your own engineering standard, the medium, the temperature and whether the hose is fixed or dragged. A hose supplier who quotes a working pressure without stating the factor is telling you half a story.

Why the datasheet gives two temperatures

PVC is a thermoplastic. As temperature rises, the material softens and the wall loses stiffness, so the pressure it can hold falls with it. This is why a hose that passes 33 bar at room temperature will fail at roughly half that figure in hot water or under summer sun.

Our food-grade steel wire range is therefore published at both 23°C and 60°C. The table below is taken directly from our current datasheet:

Size (inch)	I.D. (mm)	O.D. (mm)	B.P. at 23°C	B.P. at 60°C	Roll length
1/4	6	11	33 bar	16 bar	100 m
1/2	12	18	30 bar	15 bar	100 m
1	25	32	23 bar	13 bar	50 m
1-1/2	38	48	20 bar	13 bar	50 m
2	50	61	15 bar	9 bar	50 m
4	100	116	10 bar	6 bar	40 m
6	152	168	10 bar	6 bar	20 m
8	200	220	10 bar	6 bar	20 m

Read the two pressure columns against each other and a pattern appears: across this range, the 60°C figure sits at roughly 45 to 60 percent of the 23°C figure. Diameter barely changes that ratio. Temperature does.

What this means when you compare quotations

Check the temperature, not just the bar. A 30 bar hose quoted without a temperature is not comparable with a 30 bar hose quoted at 60°C. One of them may be half as strong where you actually use it.
Ask whether the burst figure is measured or calculated. Both are common in the trade; only one comes off a test bench.
Match the hose to the hottest condition, not the average. In food processing the hose is usually cleaned with hot water, so the 60°C column is the real one.
Do not confuse burst with working pressure in your own specification. If your line runs at 8 bar and you buy on the burst figure alone, you have no margin left for surge or temperature.

Where the difference bites

Beverage plants, dairies and food-powder transfer lines are the classic case. A hose that looks comfortably rated on paper at room temperature becomes marginal once hot CIP water runs through it. The practical fix is not a thicker hose by default: it is selecting from the 60°C column and then checking the bend radius at the temperature you clean at, because a hot hose also softens and collapses more easily on a tight bend.

Our food-grade steel wire hose is rated for -5°C to 65°C, phthalate-free, with a smooth bore and cover, and it is tested to EU 10/2011 A-B-C-D1 and FDA 175.300. Full size and pressure data are in the downloadable datasheet.

Need the complete pressure table in one file, including sizes down to 1/4 inch and roll lengths? Request the food-grade steel wire hose datasheet.