When it’s time to replace your garden hose,
it’s tempting to just pop into the nearest big box home improvement
store and buy the cheapest hose on the shelf. If you do that, prepare
yourself to make that trip an annual pilgrimage. A cheap garden hose may
not even last out the entire season. If you wnt to get the most out of
your money – and the best for your garden and outdoor chores – take the
time to find the best kind of garden hose for your needs. Here are a few
of the important things you should consider when buying a new garden or
water hose.
Environmental Conditions
Will your new hose
be baking in the sun for hours and hours? Keep in mind that heat and
ultraviolet rays contribute to the decay of most materials. Look for a
polyurethane garden hose or a drinking safe garden hose that is
guaranteed not to leach chemicals and heavy metals – used to treat many
garden hoses – into the water you use to water your vegetables and fill
your swimming pools.
Likewise, if you’ll be expecting your garden
hose to deal with temperatures that routinely fall below freezing,
choose a heated garden hose. They come in all sizes from a 1/2 inch
garden hose to 1 inch water hose, and lengths from 25 to 100 feet, so
that you can get exactly the size heated garden hose you need to water
your animals, hose down vehicles and outbuildings and handle all the
other outdoor winter tasks for which you require a hose.
Garden Hose Size
Pick
the right size for your garden hose, both width-wise and diameter. Keep
in mind that every foot your water has to travel from the faucet to the
nozzle decreases the water pressure you’ll get at the business end of
the hose, so it makes sense to buy a garden hose that is just as long as
you need and no longer. In fact, many experts recommend that if you
occasionally need to reach a further distance – say that once a season
patio pressure washing – it’s better to buy two shorter hoses and attach
the second one when you need more length. It will save you maneuvering
an oversize garden hose most of the time to have that convenience once
during the summer.
In
most cases, a 1/2 inch garden hose to 3/4 inch garden hose will be the
right diameter. Keep in mind that a 3/4 inch garden hose delivers twice
as much water in the same time as a 1/2 inch water hose, and pick the one that works best for your needs.
Pick the right garden hose this year and you won’t have to buy another one next year.
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