Hoses for irrigation: reviews of gardeners. How to choose the best watering hose?

As we know, plants consist mainly of water. Due to this they live, receiving hydrogen and oxygen. However, after analyzing the situation with the amount of precipitation that has developed in recent years, one can draw a disappointing conclusion: the volume of life-giving moisture that the soil receives is clearly insufficient for the normal life of plant organisms. That is why every horticulturist must have his own irrigation system in the garden or at least a few tens of meters of rubber gut. In today's article, we'll talk about how to choose hoses for irrigation. Feedback and expert advice will help us make a truly right choice.

Armored or unarmored - which is better?

Depending on the conditions available on the site, the gardener may need either a sampling or irrigation hose. The first is used in the event that a well is drilled nearby , and there is a well in the vegetable garden. As a rule, in the manufacture of intake hoses, rigid reinforcement is made. Due to this, the product lasts longer and does not deform.

Watering hose can also be reinforced. In such a case, the risk of creasing the product is reduced to a minimum. With armored hoses it is much more convenient to work. Compared to their counterparts, they never crack and sustain a lot of pressure inside the system. Often, these products can withstand loads of up to 40 bar. At the same time, it is very difficult to deform them.

As for the design, the reinforced hoses have 4 inner layers, which ensure the hardness and durability of the product. True, they have their own flaw. He is in weight. Such hoses are several times heavier than their unreinforced competitors, which makes it very difficult to carry them over long distances. Therefore, these products are used most often in small household plots.

Unreinforced analogs

And what are special non-reinforced hoses for irrigation? Comments gardeners first note their small weight (the thickness of the walls is not more than 3-4 millimeters), as well as low cost. Such products are very light and flexible, and therefore compact. True, they are used only in the case when the water pressure level does not exceed the mark of 5 bar. Also, unreinforced hoses are very afraid of temperature changes. Therefore, in winter they need to be stored in some kind of warm room, so that a thin layer of material does not crack before spring.

There are also plastic hoses for irrigation. Comments gardeners very often criticize such products, because they are very fragile and unstable to mechanical damage. But that is not all. Over time, a deposit of lime is formed on their walls. After that, they become simply unusable.

So what to choose?

Proceeding from the above, the best option will be reinforced hoses for irrigation. Reviews say that such products do not practically require care and can not be cut. In terms of service life, such hoses are at times superior to their vinyl (unarmored) competitors. Depending on the intensity of use, these products can withstand up to 10 or more operating seasons, while vinyl analogs last for a maximum of 1-2 seasons.

About length

How long should a stretching hose be for irrigation? Reviews say that the optimal length should be selected for each gardener individually, due to the large difference in the area of the infield. Choose the required size is very simple - just measure the distance from the tap (or other source of water) to the last point of watering. The resulting value and will be the most ideal length (it is desirable to round it up to tens, mostly in the larger side). Today in the markets you can buy products from 7 to 100 meters, so there will not be any problems with choosing the right option.

Hose spiral for watering - reviews of gardeners about the choice of diameter

If there are no special problems with the choice of the required hose length, then in the case of selection of its diameter, several rules must be memorized. First, these parameters are interrelated. That is, the longer the length of the product, the greater its diameter should be. Otherwise, you will reduce the amount of water supplied, accordingly, the time of staying in the garden will increase several times. Secondly, if your pressure system is not able to provide a normal flow, it is worthwhile to pay attention to the hoses with a smaller diameter. Thus, it is necessary to take into account not only the length, but also the pressure level. Most often in the markets there are products with the following values of the diameter:

• 13 millimeters.
• 19 millimeters.
• 25 millimeters.

Operating pressure

As we said earlier, reinforced hoses can withstand pressures of up to 40 bar. But is there any sense in overpaying for an unnecessary number of layers, if the pressure in your system is, for example, 10 bar? Of course not. Therefore, before buying, be sure to ask the seller how many layers this or that hose has. With each new coating, the product can withstand a pressure of 5-6 bar more. Compare this figure to what pressure your pump gives out, and choose the most optimal option. But what if this is a single-layer plastic hose for drip irrigation? Comments gardeners say that such products are very vulnerable to water pressure, so when using them you need to vary the position of the handle of the crane, so as not to break their walls.

Temperature Range

When selecting, pay attention to the maximum and minimum temperature that the hose can withstand in order not to lose its performance. And if you think that in the winter his storage in the barn will protect the product from deformations and cracks, you are deeply mistaken. Some (as a rule, poor-quality and cheap) hoses already crack at minus 10. And with each new temperature drop, the strength and elasticity of the layer (s) falls. Therefore, we should choose a product with a wide range of uses. A good vinyl and silicone hose for irrigation (reviews about them, though quite ambiguous in terms of durability and reliability) tolerate temperatures from minus 20 to plus 40 degrees Celsius. The reinforced ones also hold steadfastly and at a 30-degree frost.

Degree of transparency

Very few people know, but transparent hoses that do not have special light-reflecting pigments are often bloomed inside. Sun rays easily penetrate inside such a product and contribute to the formation of algae on the remains of water after use. Soon such a tube is clogged and begins to emit an unpleasant smell. Therefore, when choosing, it is necessary to pay attention only to non-transparent options.

Food products

Feedback on hoses for irrigation contains information that not all products can be used simultaneously for watering and pumping drinking water from a well. For the latter case, you will need a special, food hose. Rubber, from which it is made, does not contain tar, paint and other chemicals that penetrate into the water under the sun's rays and then enter our body. But for simple irrigation it is not necessary to use products made exclusively from environmentally friendly materials.

So, we found out what the hoses represent for watering the garden and the backyard, what are their main characteristics. The choice is yours.