How to Increase Water Pressure in Garden Hose?

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Low water pressure within your garden hose or inside the house can be a very big problem to fix. Sometimes identifying the cause of low pressure could quickly rectify the issue with little to no cost. Others might not be so lucky and would require you spending some money on specialized equipment to fix it.

Steps to Increase Water Pressure in Garden Hose Pipes

Steps to Increase Water Pressure in Garden Hose Pipes

There are a lot of misconceptions about the use of the right hose to increase water pressure. People often fill using a smaller diameter hose, or shorter hosepipes can increase water pressure. This is very far from the truth because they confuse flow rate with pressure.

Here are some truths about water pressures in your garden hose

  • Using smaller pipes would increase water pressure. While this statement seems logical, it is not true. It does make sense that squeezing water into a smaller pipe would increase the pressure but water will reach the end of the hosepipe with zero pressure.
  • If for example, you have 60 PSI of pressure at the faucet. Water will travel through the garden hose in such a way that it uses up all 60 PSI by the time it exits the pipe.
  • Regardless of the pressure, by the time water leaves the pipes most of the pressure is used up.
  • Water’s nature is to reach a perfect balance between flow rate and pressure.

These statements point us in the right direction. In order to increase pressure in a hosepipe we must find a way to increase pressure at the faucet. This will help improve the balance of pressure within the garden hose and the flow rate observed at the sprinkler region.

Firstly, let’s try to observe if the pressure within the pipe is hindered by increased friction.

1. Check Your Garden Hose For Dirt

Check Your Garden Hose for Dirt

Clogged areas in hoses are the biggest suspects of low water pressure within the hose and subsequent low flow rates at the sprinklers.  Irregular hose maintenance is the major cause of dirt clogging within the hose.

A dirty garden hose will reduce water pressure. If you want to make sure water pressure is optimized, carry out regular hosepipe maintenance.

2. Check if the Valves Are Fully Open

As insignificant as this might seem, people are quick to search for answers on “how to increase the pressure of a garden hose” when the answer stares them at the face. Double check the faucet region and all other places where valves are connected to see if they are fully open.

3. Check the Entire Length of Your Hose

Long garden hoses covering long distances are prone to bending. This increases the friction and reduces the opening within the hose. Check your hose to rectify these pressure drop areas.

4. Use a Water Pressure Tester

Use a Water Pressure Tester

If you are still experiencing low flow rate as a result of low pressure, buy a pressure tester to check the pressure from the mains water supply. Pressure testers are cheap and readily available in retail outlets and departmental stores.

Most home use pressure tester are accurate to about 200 psi of pressure. They can be connected easily with your garden hose pipe and mains water supply.

How to Boost Pressure within the Garden Hose Using a Pump?

How to Boost Pressure within the Garden Hose Using a Pump

The best way to boost pressure within your metal garden hose is to buy specialized garden hose pressure booster equipment. Price range would differ according to the required pressure needed and ease of set up.

Some cost a little above $20 while others can set you back by hundreds of dollars. It all depends on the amount of pressure you need, efficiency, materials used and the quality of the equipment.

Home water booster equipment is the safest to use if the mains water supply can’t give you the required pressure needed to water your garden effectively. They work by taking water coming from the streets and boost the pressure with the help of a specialized pressure tank or electric pump.

A quality booster like the Shurflo water pump comes with a pressure dial gauge that allows you the independence of adjusting the pressure to suit your requirements.

Contact Pump Experts

Pumps are specialized equipment that must be handled with care and might need installation by a professional. Eliminate the guesswork of doing it yourself if you are not sure about it. Contact your local plumbers or experts to do the job for you.

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