This article is focused on how to increase water pressure in garden hose.
Low water pressure from your garden hose is one of the most frustrating things one has to deal with while watering the garden. Low pressure can turn a chore that is at the best of times tedious, into a time-consuming and increasingly stressful task. You’d have to walk more to hit places the water can’t reach as a result of the lowered water pressure from the hose. Usually, identifying the problem and rectifying is quite easy. But there are rare cases when you’d have to spend time and money getting the issue fixed. This can involve calling in experts and/or purchasing specialized equipment.
In this article, we would discuss some of the common reasons why you might have low water pressure, and how to increase water pressure in garden hose.
How to Increase Water Pressure In Garden Hose
Before you can start to remedy the problem of low water pressure in a garden hose, you have to determine the cause. Sometimes, the issue could just be a case of not turning up the water valve. Here, the fix is simply a matter of turning it on fully.
In reality, though, it might not be as simple as that in the majority of cases. Below are some of the common causes of low pressure in a garden hose and some simple solutions.
The Causes of low pressure in a garden hose and how to fix them
Check for leaks
In the normal course of working with a hose daily, it can develop holes by snagging on something or due to wear and tear as it is dragged along the ground.
When you are experiencing low water pressure from the hose, the initial course of action is to carefully examine the hose. The operative word is ‘carefully’ as you could be a rush and do a shoddy job.
For leaks to cause a significant loss of pressure, there must be lots of them along the length of the hose. Clearly, the leaks have to be small to go undetected since you’ll easily notice the water coming out of bigger holes.
In this case, the solution is quite easy. Mending the holes to stop the leaks is an option if you don’t want to get another hose. But the best advise us to replace the hose with a new one.
Leaking pipes connected to the supply line could also be the problem. If you’ve got a leaking pipe issue, this might also lead to other damages under the house or wherever the pieces are hidden.
To check for leaking pipes, the first thing is to turn off every appliance that uses water and all faucets in the house. Then, check your water meter to see if it’s still reading indicating that water is still being used.
If everything that uses water in the house is turned off but the meter is still reading, then you have a problem with leaks and must find a way to fix it asap.
Like the case of the leaking hose above, you have to check pipes in the house to determine the source of the leak. This might require calling in a professional plumber especially if it involves pipes buried under the ground or in the walls of your home.
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From the water valve
A simple issue as the valve not turned on fully could be the cause of the problem. You’d be surprised the number of water pressure-related queries professional plumbers and handyman get from people only to discover it was just a case of a partly turned on valve. Turning it on fully should rectify the problem.
You should also examine the faucet region and all the places valves are connected to make sure they are turned on all the way.
Contaminants/clogged supply line
If you are using greywater to water your garden, the contaminants present in the water can clog up the hose; significantly reducing the water pressure.
The best way to ensure this doesn’t happen is to regularly check the quality of water. Passing the water through a filter before it gets to the hose is the easiest way of preventing a clogged hose by greywater contaminants.
Check your garden tap
Faulty garden taps, due to obstructions or mechanical failure, are also a common reason for decreased water pressure.
Checking garden taps to see if they are faulty is actually one of the first things to do when checking for reduced pressure in a garden hose. If the tap is faulty, simply replace it. Repairing might be a temporary solution as the fault might reoccur.
So make it a habit to check your garden tap often before using the garden hose.
Length and the inner diameter of the hose
If you are using a new hose for the first time and are not satisfied with pressure, the problem could easily be down to the hose itself. The water pressure in a hose, if all other factors are optimal, depends on the length and diameter of the hose.
Studies have shown that a hose’s water pressure can reduce significantly if the length is beyond a certain threshold. For instance, a hose that is 25 feet long with a flow rate of 24 gallons per minute (GPM) might experience up to a 75% drop in the GPM if the length is increased to 100 feet.
So, obviously, a shorter hose is better.
Garden hoses come with different inner diameters. The common ones are three-quarters of an inch, half an inch, and five-eights of an inch. It is likely your hose is one of these.
The general rule is that if you want better pressure, a hose with a bigger diameter than the one you are currently using would be best. So check the inner diameter of the hose and see what happens if you get a larger one.
Too many users
In some instances, there is nothing you can do about your water pressure because of the number of people using water at a particular time of the day.
Peak water demand times in a community are usually recorded in the mornings and evenings. Changing your watering schedule is the easiest solution here.
To be certain the low-pressure issue is linked to the number of users, you could buy a water pressure tester from hardware stores or order for one online. They are cheap and can be found easily.
Simply connect the tester to the main water supply. You can then compare the pressure at various times to figure out the peak water usage times and vice versa. Use the information to plan your watering schedule.
More Tips On How To Increase Water Pressure in Garden Hose
As you must’ve seen above, the fix to some low-pressure in a garden hose depends on the nature and severity of the problem. Some solutions could be as simple as turning on the water valve all the way, repairing or changing the water hose if it is damaged, changing or replacing the garden tap, or getting a shorter hose with a larger inner diameter to optimize the pressure.
Below are more strategies for fixing the problem.
Adjust the water pressure regulator
Modern homes with normal plumbing usually have a device that regulates the water pressure. This water pressure regulator is located where water from the public supply line enters the house. The water meter is also found there.
For low-pressure issues, adjusting the screw would solve the problem. But this is only done if the regulator consistently shows low pressure no matter the time of day.
Adjusting it to increase the pressure is by simply turning the screw in a clockwise direction.
But if you have to make a big adjustment to increase the water pressure of the hose, you might want to consult with a professional plumber first. Large adjustments can put a strain on old pipes resulting in unforeseen damage to the pipes. At the least, the adjustment would accelerate the rate of degradation, through wear and tear, of water fixtures around the house.
The bottom line is, if the drop in water pressure is very significant and requires a huge adjustment of the regulator, this could be a symptom of a much larger issue only a professional can address.
Get Spray attachments
If all other things have been checked, buying and attaching spray attachments to the hose might be all that is needed. Spray attachments come in different sizes and designs.
They are easy to use and deliver additional benefits in terms of adjusting the pressure depending on the task.
Use water-boosting pumps
Also known as water boosters, they are sold in hardware and garden stores everywhere. The good ones have exceptional water pressure boosting qualities. In some models, you can attach two garden hoses to the pump. The pulp would supply water at high pressure to the hose(s) attached to it.
Pressure washers can also serve in the same capacity. If you already have one, simply attach your garden hose to it and enjoy the jet stream as a result of the boosted water pressure.
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Conclusion
Low garden hose pressure can hit you when you least expect it. And this can be a bummer as it would increase the tedium of watering a garden. A routine task would take up more time to complete and might stop you from doing it well.
Fortunately, getting a solution is not hard in most cases. However, that depends on the root cause source of the issue. For the simple ones, a new hose, turning the garden tap, or turning the water regulator all the way are all that is needed.
But in extreme cases, a professional would be needed to fix leaky pipes that are impacting negatively on the garden hose water pressure.
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