Which watering hose is better to choose: popular views + what to look at when choosing

Summer promises to be arid, but you absolutely do not want to lose the harvest of homemade strawberries, tomatoes, cherries and apples because of the heat? Agree that timely feeding of tender plants with life-giving moisture can save the situation. If you have lost the old watering hose, then we are ready to help in choosing a replacement.

We will help to deal with a diverse range of products for irrigation. The article discusses the main types of hoses and provides criteria for choosing the best option. Themed photos and video recommendations were selected for future buyers.

Varieties of watering hoses

Of course, without additional irrigation it is difficult to obtain the desired result - it is rarely what kind of culture is able to withstand the whims of nature, whether it be a tree, shrub, vegetable plant or ornamental flower.

The range of products for irrigation from various manufacturers is impressive - a huge number of hoses, connectors for connecting to garden pumps, adapters, adapters, nozzles, spray guns and more.

In order to understand all this diversity and understand which hose is best to irrigate plants on a personal plot, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with their main varieties. They differ in color, appearance, technical characteristics, material of manufacture and features of use.

For watering, most often buy hoses made from rubber, PVC, silicone and thermoplastic elastomer (TEP).

As for the structural design, the watering hoses may consist of one or more layers. The first option is prone to fractures, resulting in cracks and tears. But the second type has two or more layers in its composition: it is precisely such products that summer residents most often buy for domestic use.

The structure of such a product is additionally reinforced with reinforcing polymer threads. And on top of the braid, another layer is applied, designed to protect from the harmful effects of sunlight, precipitation.

Also, hoses designed for irrigation differ in design. Which one is best for you depends on your specific goals. They are ordinary, spiral, corrugated, stretchable.

Watering hoses also differ in the way they are used: some allow you to point water directly to the root system, while others allow you to arrange a real shower from a million splashes. Moreover, for the first option, hoses of a classic design are suitable, equipped with a manufacturer of holes of a certain shape. Or made in the form of a tape.

But for plentiful irrigation, types of sleeves of various designs are suitable, which have to be preliminarily supplemented with a watering can or spraying device of another shape.

Rules for choosing the best hose

If the numerous offers of goods for the garden and the garden have completely confused you, and you don’t know which hose or watering pipe it’s better to replenish the cottage arsenal, we advise you to focus on the main selection criteria and product characteristics. And which ones are more important, now we’ll figure it out.

Criterion # 1 - Technical Parameters

Significant characteristics of the watering sleeve, most manufacturers indicate the packaging.

Among them are the following:

1. Diameter. Measured in inches, 1 unit of which is 25 mm. In the water supply system, ½, ¾, 1 is most often used. You need to buy a hose whose diameter corresponds to the pipe summer water supply.
2. Operating pressure. Reinforced products are more durable and able to withstand from 5, 6, 8 atm or more, but single-layer - up to a maximum of 2 atm. The first to purchase is preferable if the water is pumped into the hose pumping stationsecond - if the hose is connected to plastic containerinstalled on a flyover.
3. Wall thickness. This indicator depends on the number of layers - the more there are, the thicker the sleeve will be. It is advisable to use hoses with a wall thickness of 1.5 mm or more.
4. Availability of reinforcement. Almost all modern watering hoses are reinforced by encasing in a polymer braid. The thicker the pattern of reinforcing threads, the more durable and resistant to bending will be the final product.
5. Material used. Depends on it wear resistance, weight, softness, flexibility and cost of the product. The most expensive is TEP. But such a product is characterized by enhanced performance, minimum weight and a long warranty period.
6. Length. Watering hose can be bought "cut" or a finished bay. In the first case, the desired footage of the sleeve corresponding to the size of the area to be watered is cut off at the store, and in the second case, the specific footage of the hose is already packed and the manufacturer indicates this value on the package.
7. Temperature mode for operation. It all depends on the type of material, for example, rubber withstands from -30 to +90 ° C, PVC - from -5 to +50 ° C, TEP - from -50 to +90 ° C, silicone - from -20 to +40 ° C.

By the way, with the diameter the situation is as follows - domestic manufacturers prefer to indicate the inner, but foreign ones write the outer diameter of the product on the package. This fact should be considered when selecting hose nozzles and connection details.

When using non-standard devices, an adapter may be required, which is desirable to immediately pick up and buy with a new hose

As for pressure, many manufacturers sin by indicating large values ​​on the package - 20, 30, 40 and more Bar (1 Bar is approximately equal to 1 atm). The fact is that this is the most withstand pressure preceding the rupture. And to get the normal working pressure from this figure, you need to divide it by 3. For example: 20/3 = 6.67 Bar.

Preferably, the result is 6 atm or slightly more. This indicator is considered the maximum for autonomous water supply pressurein which there is pumping station or automatic pump. Experts do not recommend to exceed this value to extend the life of the domestic water supply.

Another important characteristic is safety. Before buying, you should make sure that the product is made of non-toxic compounds that are not able to harm health. When watering plants from a safe hose, you can be sure that no harmful chemical elements get into the water.

Now almost all multilayer products are covered with a layer designed to protect the product from penetration into the ultraviolet rays. And some manufacturers, for example, Hozelock, apply a special protective layer inside the product - against the formation of algae

Criterion # 2 - configuration features

Before buying, you should pay attention to the configuration, especially if you like the exclusive version. Often, manufacturers offer connectors along with the product to simplify the process of connecting to the user. water pipe.

When buying the latter, it is advisable to pay attention to a rather useful function - “Aquastop”. This function prevents the flow of water when the supply of the latter is stopped.

Watering hoses can be equipped with nozzles or multifunctional spray guns having 3-5 or more irrigation modes. To install them, you will need a special device - a connector

If we are talking about a small-diameter hose, for example, a spiral one with d = 8 mm, then it will not be out of place to check the presence of an adapter, because the tap from the water pipe is most often made with a larger diameter pipe.

In addition, when buying a 100-meter bay or an even larger footage, it is advisable to immediately take care of your own convenience. To do this, take a closer look at the reel for storing the product in the unwound state, and the trolley for its transportation.

If the site is large and the length of the hose is 30 meters or more, it is more convenient to stock up with a coil twisting it. Some manufacturers offer a ready-made irrigation system, equipped with a trolley, reel, directly a hose roll of a certain meter, connectors and nozzles

Criterion # 3 - product life

To buy the best hose, oddly enough, you should not save. If you plan to use it for a long time, you should buy durable goods, paying attention to the manufacturer's warranty.

For example, Karcher recently released products with a 12, 15, or even 18-year warranty. Such long lines and the possibility of free replacement already speaks in favor of product quality.

A manufacturer's warranty confirms the reliability of the product. If something happens before the end of the line with the hose, the company is obligated to exchange it for a new one.

Therefore, when calculating the benefits of buying an expensive hose, you need to take into account the guarantee - the price tag of the product will be divided into years of warranty and the result will be equal to the cost of one meter.

Then compare this value with the price tag of a cheap plastic hose, which is enough, at best, for 1-2 years. And at worst - for a month or two of operation. The benefits will become apparent.

Rehau products also deserve special attention.

Among companies with a reputation for manufacturing reliable products, in addition to Karcher and Rehau, Gardena, XHOSE (only original products with direct delivery from Germany), Palisad, ZUBR, Green Apple, Fitt, Hozelock and others should be noted.

Care and maintenance recommendations

To ensure trouble-free operation of the hose, it is advisable to take into account your needs when choosing it. If your personal plot is divided into zones - a garden, raspberry, the area under strawberries or tomatoes, flower beds, shrubs, then for irrigation of such a variety it is better to stock up on several options.

If it was necessary to wash the car, then in the presence of various options for hoses, you do not have to untwist a 30-meter huge. You can use a convenient stretchable product, the capabilities of which are quite enough to wash the car

Also, regardless of the temperature regime indicated on the packaging, the watering sleeve must be stored correctly. To do this, it is recommended to twist it when the irrigation work has been completed and conservation is being carried out. summer water supply. Pre-checking for blockages inside and rinsing with clean water.

Crying systems and drip irrigation pipes it is also undesirable to leave in / on the ground for the whole winter - such hoses, as usual, are best rinsed, twisted and stored in a garage.

An inexpensive reinforced watering sleeve, despite the declared characteristics, does not tolerate frosts and sudden changes in temperature. In the spring, you can see how from flexible and elastic it became oak and brittle

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

The first video clip will familiarize you with the guidelines for choosing a hose depending on operating conditions:

Watering hoses and recommendations for their use are discussed in the video:

Expert video recommendations for future buyers:

Having determined the main goals of using a new watering hose, you need to measure the diameter of the water pipe where it will be connected. And also the length of the site that he will have to maintain - that’s the exact meter you need to buy.

When buying, you should not save money and take the cheapest option, it is better to choose a multilayer reinforced product from a reliable manufacturer with a guarantee of 10 years, with protection from UV rays, and which can withstand pressure up to 6 atm.

Want to talk about which hose you chose to water green spaces in your own suburban area? There is information on the topic of the article, which is worth sharing with visitors to the site? Please write comments in the block below, post a photo and ask questions about controversial and obscure points.