Choosing Hoses and Nozzles
A tube and handle to disperse water should be the simplest piece of yard equipment. And yet nothing causes bigger headaches! It seems like an impossible task to find a hose that doesn’t kink, leak, or unwind and a nozzle that doesn’t break immediately.
Most of this frustration comes from not picking the right watering tools for your property. Every lawn and garden is unique and requires an irrigation set-up that matches its needs. When you then factor in the distance of your spigot and any ergonomic wishes you have, suddenly there’s a lot to consider for buying a simple hose and nozzle!
Different Types of Hoses
Lawn and garden hoses are the standard all-purpose options that are best for general watering and cleaning tasks. Garden hoses come in many materials, sizes, and colors.
Expandable hoses appear small at first but will double or triple in length when filled with water. These hoses are lightweight and ideal for small watering tasks, but generally don’t last for more than a couple seasons.
Coiled hoses reduce fights with your hose when it’s time for storing by retracting into a neat spiral after you’ve watered.
Soaker hoses use small holes along their length to let water seep out slowly. They come in both flat and round options. Sometimes called weeper hoses, their low water pressure sends an efficient flow of water right into the plants’ roots.
Flat hoses look like firefighter hoses and lie flat until you fill with water. These are very flexible, lightweight, and easy to store.
Sprinkler hoses have flat bottoms with holes on top that make a misting effect. They are basically a combination of a sprinkler and hose and are great for saving water. For a freshly seeded area or a raised bed, a delicate watering option like a sprinkler hose can make a big difference.
Drinking water safe hoses are lead- and BPA-free models that you can drink from. Most hoses contain plasticizers that leach into the water and aren’t safe for water consumption.
Factors to Consider Before Buying a Hose
Hose material: The key to picking a hose is making sure it won’t kink or crack quickly. Most hoses are made from rubber, vinyl, or a combination of both and are very durable. Vinyl hoses are less expensive and best for lighter watering tasks while rubber hoses are heavier and more flexible. Hoses made from both vinyl and rubber are great in-between options.
There are other hose material options such as metal, polyurethane, and polymer, but these aren’t as common. Some rubber and vinyl hoses use metal coils between the layers to help prevent the hose from kinking.
Hose length: It’s common sense to buy a hose long enough for your property needs – but be careful not to buy one too long. The longer the hose, the harder it is to move it. Measure the farthest distance you’ll need to water from the spigot and buy a hose only slightly longer than that measurement for a bit of flexibility.
Hose fitting: Also called a coupling, this an end piece where the hose attaches to the spigot, sprinkler, or nozzle. The main choices are metal (usually brass, zinc, or aluminum) and plastic. Metal fittings are more durable but harder to secure on the spigot. The fitting’s shape also matters – octagon fittings are easier to tighten than round fittings.
Keeping Hoses Organized
An easy way to manage a hose is with a hose reel. A hose reel will provide handy, neat storage and allow you to unspool just as much of it as you need for a given purpose. You can get stationery reels that normally mount to the side of your house or outbuilding, or you can choose a wheeled hose reel that gives you more flexibility. Hose reels normally include a short leader hose for attaching to a water source.
Different Types of Hose Nozzles
Pistol grip nozzles are the most common type of hose nozzles. They use pull-style handles that change the water pressure as you squeeze. They're sometimes called spray gun nozzles. There’s are lots of options for pistol grip nozzles, with some only offering one spray pattern and others featuring several spray choices.
Multi pattern or dial nozzles let you select up to 10 different water pressures or patterns by turning a rotating head. The pressures vary from calm mist to strong jet. If you have many types of watering tasks, a dial nozzle is a great choice.
Fan nozzles gently spray water through large mouths with several tiny holes. They're ideal for watering delicate plants or freshly seeded spots.
Watering wand nozzles are long models that help you water hanging baskets, window boxes, the middle of large gardens, and other hard-to-reach spots. Most watering wands are adjustable and enable you to water almost anything.
High flow nozzles push out lots of water at high pressure by using a firefighter style. Many models have sturdy metal control handles rather than twisting heads. High flow nozzles can take care of big irrigation tasks very quickly.
Factors to Consider Before Buying a Hose Nozzle
Durability: The material is the most important part of a picking a hose nozzle. The handle and sprayer are the main nozzle pieces and can be made from several different materials, but they’re usually a combination of metal and plastic.
The sturdiest nozzle sprayers are metal (look for brass, zinc, or aluminum) and will last much longer than plastic sprayers. For the handle, metal and plastic are both durable options. But it’s probably best to go with metal if you have a habit of dropping your hose on the driveway!
Nozzle fitting: There’s nothing more irritating than a hose that constantly kinks. A key nozzle feature that has eliminated this issue is a rotating connector, which secures the nozzle to the hose without twisting the hose. Just pivoting the nozzle around the hose majorly reduces kinks!
Create a Customized Irrigation System
Country Home Products is proud to offer a full array of watering equipment, including hoses, nozzles, sprinklers, rain barrels, and more to fit all your irrigation needs. We continuously add to our collection and you can check back here often or sign up now for product alert emails!
Last updated: 6/30/2022