Garden Hose Facts and Information

The garden hose is such an everyday item that few homeowners stop to think about the job that it does until it fails them. Nor do most garden hose owners realize that many of those failures – leaky garden hose couplings, splits in the hose and poor water pressure among them – could be completely avoided by purchasing the right garden hose from the start. These simple garden hose facts can help you make the right choice the next time you have to replace this basic garden staple.

Garden Hose Capacity

The number of gallons a hose will carry and the pressure at which it will deliver that water are determined by three factors. One of them – available water pressure – has nothing to do with the hose. The others are an intrinsic part of the garden hose – the hose’s diameter and its length. While it’s simple logic that a garden hose with a larger diameter can carry more water, most people underestimate just how much difference that simple thing makes.

The diameter you read on the label refers to the inside diameter of the hose. The cheapest hoses are usually ½-inch diameter garden hose. They’ll deliver 9 gallons of water per minute. A 5/8 inch diameter garden hose will deliver water at 17 gallons per minute. The increase of 1/8 of an inch nearly doubles the carrying capacity of the hose. A ¾ inch garden hose delivers water at 23 gallons per minute.

It’s also simple logic that the longer the water has to travel through the hose, the more pressure it loses on the journey. Most people don’t realize, however, that water loses more pressure in a narrow hose than it does in a larger garden hose. According to hardware store experts, if your water pressure at the faucet is under 40 psi, or if the garden hose is extra long or is running uphill, you should use the largest size hose available to maximize the amount of water pressure you have for washing your car, sprinkling the lawn or watering the garden.

Garden Hose Care and Storage

A good garden hose can last for many years if you care for it properly. One of the most important things you can do to preserve your garden hose is to avoid kinks, either while you’re using the hose or while the hose is in storage. During the season, store your hose on a garden hose reel or hanger that allows you to coil the hose loosely and avoid sharp bends or kinks.

If your hose does get kinked while you’re using it, don’t yank on it to loosen the bend or you might permanently set the bend. Instead, work it free by hand.

In cold weather areas, drain the water from your garden hose at the end of the season and clean out the threads in the garden hose couplings and store it indoors in a loose coil. If you need a hose outdoors during the winter, consider a heated garden hose, which will not crack or freeze.

Choosing a high-quality garden hose might set you back a few more dollars, but it will pay off in the long run because you’ll get far more years of use from it.

Things to Know When Choosing a Garden Hose

The garden hose you choose may see more use than almost any other outdoor tool you purchase. The same garden hose can water your roses, wash the car, hose down the driveway, fill the swimming pool and provide a water fountain to cool off the kids on a hot summer day. In fact, you may use your garden hose several times a week – or even daily – in warm weather. Understanding the different parts of a garden hose and types of garden hoses available can help you make the best choice of outdoor hose for your needs.

Materials

Most hoses are made with either vinyl or rubber. Vinyl hoses are lighter in weight and easy to handle, and generally less expensive than rubber hoses. Rubber hoses are heavier and more durable than vinyl garden hoses, and thus usually cost more. Look for reinforced hoses – either rubber or vinyl – which are less likely to kink and stand up better to temperature changes.

Size

The larger the diameter of your hose, the more water it can deliver at once. A ½ inch garden hose delivers half the water power that a one inch garden hose does. Most people split the difference with a 5/8 inch or ¾ inch garden hose, the most popular garden hoses sold.

Length

The best garden hose for your use is one that’s just long enough to reach where you need it to go. The further the water has to travel, the lower the water pressure will be when it gets there, so you’ll be trading convenience for efficiency if you choose a garden hose that’s longer than you need.

Garden Hose Fittings

Brass couplings are more durable than plastic garden hose fittings. Choose a hose that has a hexagonal fitting to make it easier to tighten. The best garden hoses are reinforced just behind the coupling to prevent kinking at the faucet.

Specialty Garden Hoses

Water Safe Drinking Hose

If you tend to grab a drink from your hose – and who doesn’t on a hot summer day? – invest a few extra dollars in a drinking safe garden hose. Generally, hoses designated for boat, marine or recreational use have a lining made of plastic that’s approved by the FDA for use with food.

Heated Garden Hose

If you require the use of a garden hose throughout the winter, invest in a heated garden hose or thermal hose. Thermal hoses remain pliable and usable in freezing temperatures and keep your outdoor water available for feeding animals or other uses even on the coldest days.

Invest in a garden hose reel to help protect your hose when it’s not in use. A good reel will reduce exposure to damaging UV rays and prevent kinking and coiling that can weaken the structure of even the best garden hose.

Choosing the Right Garden Hose

A rose by any other name may still be a rose, but a garden hose is more than just a hose if you’re depending on it to get water to those roses. If you’ve ever had to fight a cheap garden hose when watering your garden, you know that any old hose just won’t do. Your gardening life will be so much easier and more pleasant when you’re not spending a hefty chunk of your time trying to un-kink your hose or wrapping it with tape to bandage yet another leak. Consider these factors the next time you go shopping for a replacement garden hose and you won’t have to replace it for years.

Materials

Rubber hoses may have a place in folklore, but today’s garden hoses are generally made of many different materials and rubber is only one of them. The best hoses on the market are made of multiple layers of vinyl and rubber, reinforced with nylon, rayon or even steel. The higher the quality of the materials, the more you can expect to pay for your new garden hose – but quality can be worth paying for. Don’t be led into believing that number of plies or layers is a good gauge of quality. While more plies may mean a sturdier hose, it’s more important to consider the materials from which the hose is made than the number of layers that make up its bulk.

Fittings

Hose couplings are a good indicator of quality in garden hoses. The best hoses feature garden hose fittings made of brass – the thicker, the better. The swivel – the piece that attaches the coupling to the hose – should be hexagonal for easier gripping and attaching to a faucet and made of heavy-duty brass. The best garden hose will feature a protective collar just below the coupling to prevent the hose from kinking at the faucet.

Drinking Safe Garden Hoses

Most garden hoses are not designed for drinking safety, but there are a few that are constructed of materials that are considered drinking-water safe by the FDA. This may be a  concern for you if you use your garden hose to water edibles or fill drinking containers from your hose. It can be especially important if your garden hose lies in the sun for long periods of time, since the heat of the sun may soften the plastic or vinyl material and make it more prone to leaching into any water left in the hose.

Size

The most typical sizes for water hoses range from ½-inch to 1 inch in diameter. Obviously, a 1-inch garden hose will deliver more water more quickly than a ¾-inch garden hose or a ½-inch garden hose. If you need higher water pressure, choose a larger garden hose. Smaller garden hoses are likely to be less expensive, and often are of lower quality than larger ones.

As with anything else, you get what you pay for when buying garden hoses. Even the most expensive garden hoses will only cost you about $50 for a 50-foot garden hose, so there’s no real reason to skimp on quality. A high-quality garden hose will last you for years, making it a reasonable investment for years of service.