Best Measurement for Expandable Hose in Your Backyard

Expandable hoses are one of a gardener’s favorite tools because they make everything so much easier, from watering your plants to washing your car. When you get a shrinking hose, you no longer have to deal with heavy hoses that tangle, twist and does not move smoothly.

There have been a lot of positive reviews for expandable hose, but you have to buy the right to have a good experience with it.

The expandable hose may be a lot lighter than the average garden hose and weigh about the same, but they vary in length, and it is essential to get the right length for your backyard and the right type of hose.

There are different brands available in the market as with most other products so choosing the best hose for your garden or backyard depends on your prior knowledge of the product and knowing what to watch out for in an expandable hose.

The Diameter and width of the hose

The average garden hose you will find has a three-quarters inch diameter or a five-eighths inch or a half inch, and these are all measurements for the inside diameter of the shrinking hose. It also follows that a big diameter means more water can pass through the hose. The best option out of the three widths is the five-eighths inch as you will get enough water pressure and water flow without having to deal with a weighty hose. However, if you want the hose to be as light as possible, you can go for the half-inch hose, but the catch is that you won’t get as much water flow thanks to the small diameter. This diameter or type of hose is ideal for small tasks like hanging baskets, watering containers or light gardening and the most suitable length would be about fifty feet or less. If you want to wash your car or use your hose for sprinklers, you will do much better with a larger hose that can handle more water pressure.

Hose material

The majority of gardening hoses are made of vinyl, rubber or a combination of both elements. If you are on a low budget or looking for a hose for light gardening tasks, then a vinyl hose strengthened with a radial cord would be the ideal choice for you as these types of shrinking hose are generally inexpensive. They are also lightweight, but they are not as reliable as their counterparts because they are more likely to kink, split and crack and they depreciate fast when you expose them to extreme weather or leave them out in the sun.

If you need an expandable hose for more heavy-duty gardening or washing your car and you want something durable and sturdy, then a hose made out of rubber is the ideal choice.

Unlike their vinyl counterparts, hoses made out of rubber tend to be more expensive and much more cumbersome. But they are also able to carry and withstand hot water, they don’t kink as easily as vinyl, and there is little to no risk of ozone degradation or cracking.

Some hoses are strengthened by adding a mesh lining between layers of rubber and vinyl, and they are also quite strong, can withstand high water pressure and don’t kink or split easily.

Although you have to watch out for hoses made out of weak layers, many layers do not translate to a stronger exopandable hose. It is also essential to be careful with the hoses and not to drink from them as they usually leach chemicals into the water they carry.

Watch out for the burst pressure

Investing in a hose that can withstand high water pressure is essential, but it is also necessary to know just how much water pressure your shrinking hose can take before it bursts. The stronger the hose, the more pressure it can withstand so you should be on the lookout for a hose with pressure over three hundred and fifty psi especially if you will use a sprinkler or a hose nozzle.

Do a kink test

Regular garden expoandable hose tends to kink often, they are also bulky and hard to move around and store, but with expandable hoses, you do not have these problems.

However, there are different grades of expandable hoses, some are more flexible than others, and you can store them easily. If you twist your garden hoses often, even the expandable ones, they will kink eventually, and you don’t want that, so your best bet is to go for rubber hoses or the strengthened ones to reduce the chances of kinking.

Length

The length of garden hose you buy should depend on the size of your garden., some people think the longer the hose is, the better it is, but this is not the case. Most garden hoses are about twenty-five, fifty, seventy-five or hundred feet long.

It is understandable that a long hose means less movement on your part but longer hoses are more expensive, and they are heavier, they are also more challenging to move around, and they require more storage space. Draining them can also be quite difficult, and it may affect the level of water pressure that the shrinking hose can withstand.
You want a hose that goes just beyond the farthest distance from your faucet because when you tug on the hose often, it may result in cracks or leaks. If you have an average size garden or yard, chances are you won’t need more than a fifty-foot hose. If you only have a deck or a balcony, then you should consider a twenty-five-foot hose.