Garden Hose Trivia Quiz

When you work for a company that sells garden hose, you learn a lot of interesting little tidbits about garden hose history, construction, materials and other garden hose trivia. You may think you know your garden hoses, but how well will you do in this little garden hose trivia quiz?

What Color Is the Most Common Garden Hose Color?

Most garden hoses are either green or black, but they may come in just about any color. One exception is a drinking safe garden hose typically used to fill the potable water tank in RVs or boats. They’re generally white. One of the newest types of garden hose, the coil garden hose, comes in a number of different colors, including blue, red and green.

What Is the Most Common Diameter for Garden Hoses?

You can get a garden hose in diameters ranging from 1/2 inch garden hose to 1 inch water hose, but the most common diameter for household use is a 5/8 inch garden hose.

What Size Garden Hose Delivers Twice as Much Water as a 1/2 Inch Garden Hose?

If you guessed that a 1 inch water hose delivers twice the volume of water as a 1/2 inch garden hose, you’d be wrong. In fact, a 3/4 inch garden hose delivers twice the volume of water as a 1/2 inch hose.

Which Is Better – a 100-foot Garden Hose or Two 50-Foot Garden Hoses?

It depends. If you have to reach a garden between 50 and 100 feet away from your house, the 100-foot garden hose makes sense. If you typically only need a 50-foot hose but occasionally need one that’s longer, you’re actually better off getting a second hose and connecting the two. Here’s why. Water loses pressure as it goes through a hose or pipe. The further the water has to travel, the more pressure it loses. It’s impractical to use a 100-foot garden hose to water garden that’s less than 50 feet from the spigot – and you’ll end up with a tangled, kinked hose more often than not.

What’s the Thread Gauge Garden Hose Fittings?

The standard for US garden hoses is known as Garden Hose Thread, or GHT. It has an outer diameter of 1 1/16 inches, 1.0625 inches (27.0 mm) and a pitch of 11.5 TPI. US garden hose standards are not compatible with the standard used in most of the rest of the world, BSP.

Then again, if you ask for a garden hose in the UK, the shopkeep probably won’t know what you’re looking for. One last bit of garden hose trivia: in the UK, the common garden hose goes by the name hosepipe.

Neat Tricks Your Garden Hose Can Do

If you only use your garden hose to water your plants, you’re missing out on some of the neat tricks it can do. Here’s a short collection of ways you can use your garden hose to do more than water your garden or wash your car.

Siphon Your Pool

A garden hose makes a great makeshift siphon hose if you need to empty water out of a pool or large tub. Use a 1/2 inch garden hose or 5/8 inch garden hose. Drop one end into the pool. Hang the other end over the pool making sure that the other end is lower than the end in the pool. Suck on the hose to start water moving through it. Once the flow of water is established, gravity will do the rest.

Tip: Use a drinking safe garden hose to avoid any issues with lead or chemicals in the inner lining of the hose.

Unclog a Drain

Got a slow-draining tub or sink? You can unclog it with a garden hose. Just hook your hose up to the outdoor spigot and drag it through the house to the clogged drain. Insert the end of the hose into the drain. Wrap a dishcloth around it to prevent water from backing up into the sink or tub. Have a helper turn on the water outside while you keep watch. Within a minute or two, you should hear water flowing freely through the drain.

Hang Your Garden Hose

Contact with the ground will seriously reduce the lifespan of your garden hose. Hang a garden hose reel on the wall near your spigot to make it convenient to hang up your hose after you use it. As a bonus, the act of coiling your hose up will drain it, reducing the damage done by standing water and preventing standing water from picking up lead and other chemicals over time.

Two Garden Hoses Are Better Than One

If you occasionally need to reach your driveway with a garden hose, but your garden is so much closer, don’t invest in a longer hose. Instead, buy a second hose. A longer hose reduces the water pressure available at the business end – something you probably don’t want when you water your garden every day or every other day. It’s a simple matter to couple two shorter garden hoses together when you need the extra length. That way, you get all the water pressure and power you need for your regular chores and still have those extra feet when you need them.

Buy the Right Garden Hose

There are many different kinds and styles of garden hoses on the market, each of them best for a particular use. Instead of buying a cheap, generic garden hose, figure out how you’ll use it most often and choose the best hose for the job. A one inch water hose is ideal for filling pools and pressure washing, for example, and a coil garden hose is perfect for watering chores in enclosed spaces. You can even buy a heated garden hose if you need to use a hose outdoors when the temperature falls below freezing. You’re always better off choosing the best garden hose you can afford. It will last longer and cost you less in the long run.