Regular use, dragging the hose over rough surfaces, or storing it improperly can weaken the material over time. This wear and tear can lead to tiny cracks and weak spots that eventually might lead to a burst. Preventive Tip: Regularly inspect your hose for signs of wear and replace it when necessary.
-- Shut off the water at the faucet and bleed off the water in the hose before you coil it. It reduces the stress on the hose, minimizes the chances of bursts or bulges (as the water heats up and expands inside it), and makes it more flexible and easier to coil.
Worn or Damaged Hose: Hoses can deteriorate over time due to exposure to sunlight, extreme temperatures, or physical damage. Look for cracks, splits, or weak spots. Kinks and Bends: If the hose is kinked or bent sharply, it can create pressure buildup in that area, causing it to burst.
If unprotected, corroded or otherwise weakened over time, the pipes and their connections can go bang. Corrosion causes the pipes to slowly get thinner until finally bursting open at the weakest point due to pressure. The solution: Regular maintenance and checks.
Typically, a good-quality garden hose can last anywhere from 5 to 10 years. These hoses are usually exposed to the elements, dealing with heat, UV rays, and sometimes, freezing conditions, which all can impact their longevity.
A good garden hose should last five to 10 years with proper care, but you'll need to replace that hose a whole lot sooner if you don't maintain it the right way.
The length of your hose can seriously affect the garden hose flow rate, as the longer the hose, the less water pressure there will be. This is because as water travels down the hose, it can lose pressure and offer far less flow rate, commonly referred to as friction loss.
Causes of Water Main Breaks
Temperature changes or overly dry or wet weather can cause the ground to shift. This results in breaks to the water main pipes. The age of the main or sudden fluctuations in the pressure may also cause a break. Older pipes may break due to corrosion.
Accidental water damage that occurs as a result of a sudden, unexpected occurrence like a burst pipe is often covered by a homeowners insurance policy. In addition, cleaning, repair or replacement of wood flooring, drywall and even furniture due to water damage as a result of a burst pipe typically is covered.
Water Pressure
The most common cause of garden hose bursts is excessive water pressure. Most residential water systems produce a pressure of 40 to 60 pounds per square inch (psi), but a garden hose typically can handle up to 200 psi before it bursts.
It's important to disconnect garden hose in summer to prevent it from fusing to spigot this winter. It is summertime, and it is dry, which means you are using your hose a lot. It also means it is important to disconnect that hose from the spigot and any watering nozzles to prevent them from fusing.
If your leak is within a foot of the male or female end connectors, simply cut off the end of the hose and replace the garden hose connector with a new one. If your leak is more in the center of the hose, trim out the damaged section and splice the hose back together with a repair hose coupling or mender.
Exposure to the sun can dry your hose out, leading to cracks. Extreme cold can lead to bursting or splitting. Left on wet ground, it may grow mold or rot. If you drop the hose in tall grass or weeds, you risk running over it next time you mow the lawn.
Light-duty hoses may have a rating of around 200 PSI. Heavier-duty garden hoses can feature ratings up to 600 PSI. A lower rating is suitable for most use around the home and yard. Typical residential water pressure is around 45 to 80 PSI.
If you forget to disconnect your hose before temperatures begin to drop, your hose can freeze, and suddenly you have ice in the spigot and pipes inside your home. Left unattended, the frozen water can continue to expand until it bursts the supply pipe leading to the spigot itself.
As the ground around a pipe freezes and heats, the pipes expand and contract – sometimes causing a rupture. Pressure changes can also occur when fire hydrants are either opened or closed too quickly. This is called water hammer. When the pressure inside a water main changes, it can cause the pipe to burst.
Hire a professional: If the location of the water service line break is on your property, you will likely be responsible for the repair. Depending on the complexity of the situation, you will likely want to hire a professional plumber for the specialized equipment and expertise to safely handle the repair.
Breaks to the main water line are more common than one might think, with an estimated 240,000 happening every year in the United States.
Running a typical sprinkler from a standard garden hose (5/8”) for one hour uses about 1,020 gallons of water; if you run it three times per week, that is about 12,240 gallons per month.
It all depends on if you are using it for the inlet or outlet of the pressure washer. If you are using it on the inlet side, the answer is yes you can use a 100 ft garden hose. But there are going to be some drawbacks compared to using a shorter hose.