How long should I water my lawn with my garden hose?
The length of time to water your lawn is based on a couple of variables: the size of the hose and the sort of water pressure you have. Generally, most people have a water pressure of 50 PSI. We’ve done the math for you! Just look below and find the diameter of the hose you have and you can gauge the times from there:
5/8” Hose – Flows about 17 gallons per minute, 37 minutes to water 1000 square feet.
3/4” Hose – Flows about 31 gallons per minute, 24 minutes to water 1000 square feet.
1/2” Hose – Flows about 10.5 gallons per minutes, one hour and 3 minutes to water 1000 square feet.
How do I use my soaker hose to its best effect?
Soaker hoses are one of the most cost effective and efficient ways to water. Just place your hose where watering is needed. You can lie the hose directly on the ground or bury in the soil about 1/2” (you can bury deeper if you want the water to only be at root level).
Attach the soaker hose directly to the faucet or, if you need additional length, attach a standard hose to faucet and other end to the soaker hose.
If you will be connecting soaker hoses in a series for a larger area, keep in mind that it’s best not to exceed 150’. Typically, a soaker hose will have a disk inside the hose to help restrict the flow of water so it “soaks” more than drenches. If using more than two soaker hoses in a series, you may need to remove the restrictor disk and replace with standard washers, so the water flow is stronger to reach the end of the hose series.
Is my hose safe to drink from?
If your hose has brass couplings (the hardware that attaches the hose to the faucet), you shouldn’t drink from your hose. Brass does have trace amounts of lead (added to help make the brass easier to form). Added to this is the factor that garden hoses may come in contact with harmful chemicals such as fertilizers, weed control products, animal droppings, etc. Because of these possibilities, we recommend you never drink from a garden hose.
What is the proper way to coil my hose?
The easiest and quickest way to coil up your hose is to buy a coiled hose (when you are finished using it, it snaps back into its original coil shape). If you use your hose frequently, it might be a good idea to invest in a hose reel, either a wall-mount version or stand-alone unit. This takes a lot of the work out of coiling and re-winding hoses.
Otherwise, just take the hose about 2’ away from the faucet, place hose in a large loop on the ground, take another 2’-3’ feet of hose and keep making loops until entire hose is coiled. Be careful the hose isn’t kinked when you coil it, or it may crack if you turn the faucet on without uncoiling it.
My hose has a hole in it. Can it be saved or must I purchase a new hose?
If your hose has more than two holes in it, you should probably just consider buying a new hose. If not, you can purchase a hose repair kit at your local hardware store. Basically, the steps to repair a damaged hose are as follows:
Cut off both sides of the leaky portion of the hose. Soak the remaining sections in hot, soapy water. This helps make the hose more malleable and the repair fittings will be easier to slide onto the hose. Tighten the plastic clamps on the hose to fit snugly.
If the hole is small enough, you can get by with that old standby, duct tape!
If all else fails and the hose can’t be repaired, cut up the hose and use as durable tree-ties.
