How to choose a watering hose that will last more than one season?

The owners of summer cottages, before each season, carry out an inventory in their arsenal of tools and equipment for cultivating land and plants. A watering hose is a necessary attribute that not only greatly facilitates the work of a gardener, but is also often used to wash a car or a house facade. A high-quality and convenient product will reduce labor costs and will last a long time.

Selection by material and shape

Today, specialized stores offer a wide range of hoses from various types of materials. Every season, summer residents study reviews of new products offered by manufacturers. The gardener's task is to choose a hose that will not become "wooden" from cold water, will not block its access by constant twisting and will not be "petrified" at the beginning of the next season. It is desirable that the price is also reasonable.

Guaranteed high quality hoses are produced by the following manufacturers:

• Palisad;
• Quttro Elementi;
• Karcher;
• Belamos;

The price depends on the material and manufacturing method. The strongest irrigation hoses are reinforced. They are made of several layers of PVC or rubber, between which reinforcing inserts (power frame) are laid, made of thread cord (polyamide or nylon thread impregnated with a hardener) or steel. The best option is the double mesh weave, which guarantees no deformation. An additional reinforcing element of the hose can be a steel or PFC spiral.

With regard to the tendency to kinks and ease of transfer, the leader is the spiral hose, similar to a large long spring. It hardly gets dirty, since it does not lie on the ground with its entire surface. After finishing work, the spiral compresses the turns. A self-expanding accordion hose is also convenient.

Important!

Loose hose can cause pump breakage.

In addition to the material, it is important to pay attention to the length of the hose, the methods of its extension, the possibility of using standard fittings in the form of adapters-adapters, connectors, irrigation nozzles, as well as withstanding pressure.

Rubber

Rubber hoses are a sturdy, durable yet bulky classic. Over time, they can crack, but they have a lot of advantages:

• durable;
• elastic;
• resistant to ultraviolet radiation and temperature extremes;
• withstand a pressure of about 50 bar;
• serve for about 20 years.

When choosing a rubber hose, you should pay attention to the rigidity of the material. The softer it is, the longer the product will serve.

Polyethylene (LDPE)

Transparent plastic hoses captivate with their budget price and lightness. The last point is especially important for the gardener, since the watering equipment has to be dragged along the entire plot, often the hose is thrown directly over the ridges with plants.

The product will withstand a water pressure of no more than 7 bar, it is sensitive to ultraviolet radiation. Plastic, even corrugated, tends to break, after which cracks form. Such a device will last for a maximum of two seasons, during which it will be covered with bloom from the inside and deformed.

Accordion hoses

Accordion hoses (or "miracle hoses") are known to all from television advertisements. This is the same product that magically unfolds when the water is turned on and curls up when it is turned off, and also easily folds and fits in a handbag. They are really very comfortable, almost weightless and durable. Consist of several layers:

• latex tube;
• durable plastic;
• polyester fiber.

These hoses will not fray, dry out or deform. When water is supplied, they increase in length by 3 times.

Advice

Before supplying water, the "miracle hose" should be placed on a flat surface, since it tends to bounce sharply to the side, which is fraught with injury or damage to landings. Works only with good water pressure.

This product has a lot of fakes from Chinese duplicate manufacturers, so many gardeners complain about the inability to pick up nozzles and adapters, as well as the discrepancy of the inner layers.

The original is produced under the XHOSE brand (Germany). Signs of a quality version:

• rubberized spray handle;
• brass retainer and fittings;
• the sprayer adapter is rubberized from the inside, not inserted into the hose, but screwed into it;
• the upper layer of the hose is dense, thread loss is excluded;
• the inner layer in the original is a dense two-layer latex of a light green shade (for a fake it is white, thin, silicone).

A fake lasts 1-2 years, the original has a 3-year warranty, but you can use it much longer.

Silicone

Silicone hoses have one feature - they expand when heated in the sun. Unlike PVC products, they do not break, but they also cannot stand a large pressure of water, they are easily deformed and burst. You can work with them even in frosts at temperatures down to -20 ° C, but in fact they are mainly suitable for gravity irrigation or for the autumn-spring strait of the garden.

Nylon

Nylon hoses are lightweight, flexible and do not take up much space. But they are made with single-layer walls, so the pressure limit is 5 bar. Even with low intensity of use, these hoses rarely last more than 2-3 years.

From thermoplastic elastomer

Hoses made of this material can be called a novelty, since they appeared on the Russian market relatively recently. In essence, this is a synthesis of PVC and rubber, combining their best properties. Such products do not twist, are resistant to a wide range of temperatures, and are practically indestructible. The disadvantage is the rather high price.

PVC

PVC hoses usually consist of 3-4 layers, and the inner one is light-tight. This is necessary so that unicellular algae do not multiply on the walls. Such hoses are highly durable, hold pressure up to 60 bar, but many summer residents note a significant disadvantage - creases that are difficult to straighten. The enhanced versions do not have this problem.

Normally, it is possible to work with a PVC hose only at positive temperatures, although it is stated that flexibility remains up to -5 ° C. However, in the cold, the product literally becomes "oak", so gardeners are advised to roll up and put it away for winter storage, without waiting for frost.

Selection by purpose

A modern gardener can pick up a garden hose not only in the classic version. Special modifications have been developed to suit different types of irrigation.

• Drip

In fact, this is a classic hose, but with droppers-dispensers mounted in its walls. Selection parameters: distance between droppers (from 20 cm to 1.5 m) and wall thickness. The thicker the hose, the longer it will last. It is better to purchase products with a wall of 0.8 cm. The drip hose is connected to the supply water supply in the same way as a regular one, but at the very beginning a pressure reduction unit is mounted in it. Water consumption when using the device is 4-5 liters per hour.

Advice

If you make holes in an ordinary hose, then the greatest loss of water will be in the first part, and it may not reach the final part at all.

• Porous

The porous hose (aka oozing, or "weeping"), like a drip hose, is designed to constantly keep the soil moist. It is made of porous rubber or propylene, completely dotted with small holes through which water seeps.With drip irrigation, weeds do not grow as quickly as with normal irrigation, since moisture enters only the root zone. It is enough to install the system at the beginning of the season, and you do not have to worry about watering.

• Sprinkler

Many people saw garden sprinklers (fog-forming) on ​​the frames of foreign films, when there were no such devices in private households in Russia. Today they are available to any summer resident. Water under pressure passes through the holes, forming a finely dispersed suspension in the air. Thus, the plants receive water and shower at the same time.

Advice

You can make a primitive sprinkler yourself. To do this, you need a plastic bottle, in which several rows of holes are punched, and a regular hose. The bottle is tied tightly to the hose, when the water is started up, a sprinkling effect is obtained. Minus: such a device will not withstand too much pressure.

Tips for selection and operation

When choosing a hose, you should take into account that a cheap single-layer hose will not last long, after 1-2 seasons you will have to buy a new one. Reinforced with rubber or PVC is the most durable option, but it is more expensive and rather heavy. The Miracle Hose is a relative novelty on the market, but durability and good quality are inherent only in original products. Gardeners are pleased that there are no problems with twists, and after watering, the hose can simply be reeled up on the hand.

If the site is connected to a centralized water supply, then the pressure usually does not exceed 2 bar. The hose should be purchased with a surplus, i.e. approx. 4-6 bar. When supplying water through the pump, consider its capacity.

The length of the hose depends on the distance of the watering site and the total area of ​​the garden. It's easy to estimate with a tape measure. If the water pressure is small, then it is better to choose a smaller diameter of the hose (13-16 mm), otherwise the jet will be "lost" along the walls.

Not everyone has a street tap, in which case you can connect the hose to some models of water pipes. It all depends on what kind of mixer design. If there is a nozzle with a mesh on top, then it can be twisted, and an adapter of a suitable diameter can be screwed onto the exposed thread, the second part of which is put on the hose. When watering, it is convenient to use a multi-mode spray gun attached to the other end of the hose. If it has a retainer, then you can set the required irrigation mode and leave the hose on the site. The nozzle will work like a sprinkler.

A sprayer with multiple hose adapters and connectors can be purchased inexpensively at any hypermarket in the gardening department. It should be noted that in inexpensive Chinese models, the thread is deformed rather quickly, the adapters tend to jump off and separate under high pressure. In the manufacture of more expensive fittings, durable materials are used, seals are added to the threaded connections, some parts are made of brass.

Hoses, except for spiral and "accordion", are conveniently stored on a special reel, protecting them from kinks. For the winter, it is better to clean the products in the house, protecting them from rodents. Previously, it is necessary to drain all the water from the cavity, then carefully roll up the product, avoiding creases. If the material cannot stand low temperatures, then you will have to find a warm place for storage.

A hose from a well-known brand purchased from a specialized store can be used for a dozen seasons or longer. With a high-quality, convenient product, the watering process will come out of the category of troublesome gardening.