Have you ever thought on how to decrease water pressure in the garden hose? Presumably, there is a good reason for that. And this article is really about decreasing water pressure in garden hoses.
In fact, it’s about reducing pressure in all kinds of hoses and pipes, not just garden hoses. How to do it? There are several ways. Keep reading to learn more.
How to Decrease Water Pressure in the Garden Hose
1. Install a Pressure Regulator
The easiest method to decrease the water pressure in your garden hose is to install a pressure regulator. These are inexpensive, and they do a great job of limiting the amount of water that flows through your hose.
Pressure regulators are available at most home improvement stores and connect directly to your faucet. They allow you to adjust the water pressure coming out of your hose. Simply install a pressure regulator on your faucet and turn the dial until you reach your desired pressure level.
2. Attach a Hose Nozzle
Water pressure is typically measured in pounds per square inch. To decrease the water pressure, you can add a hose nozzle.
While using a couple of nozzles at once is possible, having more than one or two nozzles on the hose is not recommended. Simply because it increases the force on the attachment point, making the hose burst.
You can easily install a nozzle by simply screwing it directly into the end of the hose. Once it is attached, the nozzle will reduce water pressure considerably.
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3. Pressure Reducing Valves
You can easily reduce the water pressure in your garden hose by installing a pressure-reducing valve. On most occasions, it is typically installed on the main supply pipe of the house, although you can also do the same on the outside tap.
The former will reduce the water pressure for the entire house, while the latter will only affect the single outside tap.
4. Reduce Water Pressure From Faucet
To reduce the water pressure from your faucet, try the following:
- Clean the aerator.
This is probably the easiest way to reduce your water flow. The aerator restricts and regulates the amount of water that flows out of your faucet, so if it’s clogged with debris or minerals, it may be operating at a lower capacity than normal. A quick scrub will eliminate any build-up and restore the flow to its normal rate.
- Check the water pressure.
If cleaning doesn’t help, you may need to check your home’s water pressure coming into the house via an external valve on your mainline (you’ll need a hose bibb gauge for this). You should see somewhere in 40 to 60 psi (pounds per square inch) for typical residential use.
Suppose you see a figure higher than that. You can adjust it using the other valve inside on each line until it reaches the range—which is usually below 30 psi for most residences in America today (a bit higher in some states).
- Replace washer or washer seat
Washers and seats that have worn out from regular use might not be able to regulate as much water flow as they once could, which means less restriction overall across your entire system—and more pressure coming through your faucet when turned on. So replacing them may be your best bet.
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5. Increasing Outlets
You can decrease the water pressure in your garden hose by increasing the number of outlets. You can do this with a simple sprinkler head device, which is essentially a hollow cylinder with many tiny holes drilled around it.
The size of the holes affects the amount of water that comes out at one time, so you will have to adjust them as per your preference. You can also install a hose bib. A hose bib—also known as a sillcock—is an outdoor faucet that you can use to connect up to two hoses. They are easy and inexpensive to install, especially if you already have existing plumbing.
In case the water pressure coming out of the hose bib exceeds your expectations, try adding a shut-off valve onto the facet. Ultimately, it will help control water flow and lower the connected hoses’ pressure.
6. Use a Hose Splitter
A hose splitter is a simple device with one inlet and two outlets. It allows you to split one water source into two, decreasing water flow through one of the outlets.
To reduce the pressure in your garden hose, attach the hose splitter to the end of your garden hose.
Attach an additional hose length to one outlet on the splitter and connect it to your sprinkler or other watering devices. Then connect the second hose length to the remaining outlet on the splitter. Using a splitter will ultimately decrease water pressure going into your sprinkler or any watering devices.
Read: How to keep pressure washer hose from kinking
7. Use a Long Hose Pipe
The length of the garden hose can also play a key role in lowering water pressure. You will want to get a long enough hose but not too long.
A good length would be 50 feet, which provides you with the best balance of both cost and effectiveness. If you use a hose that is too short, it will not properly distribute the water on your lawn which is inconvenient.
In contrast with a long medium-sized hose, the pressure will drop as soon as it flows through while also reaching out the whole circumference of your lawn.
8. Talk With Your Local Water Supplier
If you live in a city, odds are you’re using a municipal water supply. So, in this case, your water pressure will be controlled by your local water supplier. Your local municipality can tell you how much pressure is delivered to your home and the normal level for your area.
So if you notice a serious concern about the water pressure in your home, call them immediately to find out. The supplier can also tell you what tools effectively reduce the water pressure and if there are other cheap alternatives.
There are many ways to decrease water pressure in your garden hose, and most of them are pretty simple. Since the overall aim of decreasing water pressure is to help when watering plants and shrubs, it would be most helpful to change the nozzle to deliver less pressure.
Simply attach different nozzles on the hose end, usually found in most hardware stores or home improvement stores and watch out the results.
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