![Garden hose](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cd/Garden_hose.jpg)
A garden hose, hosepipe, or simply hose is a
flexible tube used to convey
water
Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as a ...
. There are a number of common attachments available for the end of the hose, such as
sprayer
A sprayer is a device used to spray a liquid, where sprayers are commonly used for projection of water, weed killers, crop performance materials, pest maintenance chemicals, as well as manufacturing and production line ingredients. In agricult ...
s and
sprinklers (which are used to concentrate water at one point or to spread it over a large area). Hoses are usually attached to a hose spigot or
tap.
Terminology
The alternative term "hosepipe" is a chiefly British, South African, and southern US usage; "hose" or "garden hose" is the predominant term in other English-speaking areas. The term "
hose" is also used for other types of flexible, water-carrying tubes such as
fire hose
A fire hose (or firehose) is a high-pressure hose that carries water or other fire retardant (such as foam) to a fire to extinguish it. Outdoors, it attaches either to a fire engine, fire hydrant, or a portable fire pump. Indoors, it can perma ...
used by
fire departments
A fire department (American English) or fire brigade (Commonwealth English), also known as a fire authority, fire district, fire and rescue, or fire service in some areas, is an organization that provides fire prevention and fire suppression se ...
.
Description
Garden hoses are typically made of
extruded
Extrusion is a process used to create objects of a fixed cross-sectional profile by pushing material through a die of the desired cross-section. Its two main advantages over other manufacturing processes are its ability to create very complex c ...
synthetic rubber
A synthetic rubber is an artificial elastomer. They are polymers synthesized from petroleum byproducts. About 32-million metric tons of rubbers are produced annually in the United States, and of that amount two thirds are synthetic. Synthetic rubbe ...
or soft
plastic
Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that use polymers as a main ingredient. Their plasticity makes it possible for plastics to be moulded, extruded or pressed into solid objects of various shapes. This adaptab ...
, often reinforced with an internal web of
fiber
Fiber or fibre (from la, fibra, links=no) is a natural or artificial substance that is significantly longer than it is wide. Fibers are often used in the manufacture of other materials. The strongest engineering materials often incorporate ...
s. As a result of these materials, garden hoses are flexible and their smooth exterior facilitates pulling them past trees, posts and other obstacles. Garden hoses are also generally tough enough to survive occasional scraping on rocks and being stepped on, without damage or leaking.
Each male end of a typical garden hose can mate with the female connector on another, which allows multiple garden hoses to be linked end-to-end to increase their overall length. Small
rubber
Rubber, also called India rubber, latex, Amazonian rubber, ''caucho'', or ''caoutchouc'', as initially produced, consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene, with minor impurities of other organic compounds. Thailand, Malaysia, and ...
or
plastic
Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that use polymers as a main ingredient. Their plasticity makes it possible for plastics to be moulded, extruded or pressed into solid objects of various shapes. This adaptab ...
washers
Washer most commonly refers to:
* Washer (hardware), a thin usually disc-shaped plate with a hole in the middle typically used with a bolt or nut
*Washing machine, for cleaning clothes
Washer may also refer to:
*Dishwasher, a machine for clean ...
(often confusingly called "hose washers") are used in female ends to prevent leakage, because the threads are not tapered and are not used to create a seal.
Most garden hoses are not rated for use with hot water; even leaving certain hoses in the sun while pressurized can cause them to burst.
Hoses used to carry
potable water are typically made of
NSF International
NSF (an initialism for National Sanitation Foundation) is a product testing, inspection, certification organization with headquarters in Ann Arbor, Michigan. NSF also offers consulting and training services worldwide.
History
NSF Internatio ...
-listed polymers tested and shown not to leach harmful materials into the drinking water, such as the
plasticizer
A plasticizer ( UK: plasticiser) is a substance that is added to a material to make it softer and more flexible, to increase its plasticity, to decrease its viscosity, and/or to decrease friction during its handling in manufacture.
Plasticiz ...
s (
phthalates
Phthalates (, ), or phthalate esters, are esters of phthalic acid. They are mainly used as plasticizers, i.e., substances added to plastics to increase their flexibility, transparency, durability, and longevity. They are used primarily to soften ...
) used in
polyvinyl chloride (PVC, or vinyl) hoses.
Use
![Garden hose pistol](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/Garden_hose_pistol.JPG)
As implied by the name, garden hoses are commonly used to transport water for gardening, lawn care, and other landscaping purposes. They are also used for outdoor cleaning of items such as vehicles, equipment, building exteriors, and animals. NSF-approved hoses may be used for connecting drinkable water to
recreational vehicles
A recreational vehicle, often abbreviated as RV, is a motor vehicle or trailer that includes living quarters designed for accommodation. Types of RVs include motorhomes, campervans, coaches, caravans (also known as travel trailers and camper ...
and trailers.
Whenever a flexible hose is connected to a drinkable water supply, the spigot or tap should be fitted with an approved
backflow prevention device, to prevent contaminated water from being
siphon
A siphon (from grc, σίφων, síphōn, "pipe, tube", also spelled nonetymologically syphon) is any of a wide variety of devices that involve the flow of liquids through tubes. In a narrower sense, the word refers particularly to a tube in a ...
ed back, in the event of a pressure drop. Many water suppliers require this, and
plumbing code A plumbing code is a code that provides regulations for the design, installation and inspection of building plumbing and sanitary systems. In the United States, jurisdictions enact their own codes, some of which are based upon model plumbing codes. ...
may legally require permanently installed backflow preventers.
Porous or perforated soaker hoses
Special hoses designed to leak throughout their length are sometimes used to gently distribute water on a lawn or garden. These hoses have either many small holes drilled or punched in them, or are made of a porous material, such as
sintered rubber particles. These "soaker hoses" are a simple, low-cost, substitute for a
drip irrigation
Drip irrigation or trickle irrigation is a type of micro-irrigation system that has the potential to save water and nutrients by allowing water to drip slowly to the roots of plants, either from above the soil surface or buried below the surface. ...
system.
Expandable hoses
These differ from traditional hoses in that the inner membrane expands when filled with water, much like a balloon. An outer cover protects the delicate expandable membrane from punctures. Such hoses "grow" when pressurized, and shrink back down when the pressure is released, allowing for easier storage.
Standards and connectors
![Brass hose bipp with standard and GHT threads](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/Brass_hose_bipp_with_standard_and_GHT_threads.jpg)
Garden hoses connect using a
male/female thread connection. The technical term for this arrangement is a "hose
union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
".
Spigots or sillcocks have male hose connectors only, and the mating end of a hose has a captive nut which fits the threads there.
The thread standard for garden hose connectors in the United States, its territories, and Canada is known colloquially as "garden hose thread" (GHT), but its official designation is NH ("National Hose"):
*-11.5NH designates full form threads as produced by cutting material such as the brass spigot outlet or hose male or female end fitting found on more expensive hoses.
*-11.5NHR designates thin-walled couplers produced by rolling thin material, usually brass, typically found on less expensive hoses.
*-14NPSH designates female hose ends that mate a hose to a tapered pipe thread without a spigot.
The US standard was defined by NFPA 1963, "Standard for Fire Hose Connections", then later by ANSI-ASME B1.20.7, which specifies diameter straight (non-tapered) thread with a pitch of 11.5
threads per inch
A screw thread, often shortened to thread, is a helical structure used to convert between rotational and linear movement or force. A screw thread is a ridge wrapped around a cylinder or cone in the form of a helix, with the former being called a ...
(TPI). The female thread is abbreviated FHT (for "female hose thread"), and the male part is abbreviated MHT (for "male hose thread"). This fitting is used with -inch, -inch, and -inch hoses.
In other countries, a
British Standard Pipe
British Standard Pipe (BSP) is a set of technical standards for screw threads that has been adopted internationally for interconnecting and sealing pipes and fittings by mating an external (male) thread with an internal (female) thread. It has b ...
(BSP) thread is used, which is and 14 TPI (male part outside diameter is ). The GHT and BSP standards are not compatible, and attempting to connect a GHT hose to a BSP fitting, or vice versa, will damage the threads.
Various adaptors made of metal or plastic are available to interconnect GHT, BSP,
NPT,
hose barb
Hose barbs are cylindrical pieces or parts for attaching and securing of hoses (tubing). The barb-like rings on the cylindrical piece allow for an easy push-connection of flexible-plastic or rubber tubing that is not so easily disconnected. Hose ...
, and quick connect fittings.
Quick connectors
In the 1980s, the use of quick-connector systems became increasingly popular. These are fittings that attach to the hose and or screw into common hose connectors and equipment, allowing hoses and accessories to be easily connected together using a snap-fit type system.
The first plastic connector was invented in the UK by
Hozelock
Hozelock Ltd was originally set up by Sydney Codling in 1959 to sell hoses and garden equipment including the first plastic quick-connector hose connector. As well as manufacturing the equipment in the Haddenham factory they also designed many ...
in 1959
and the style has now become the de facto standard throughout Europe and the wider world, compatible with and imitated by many other manufacturers. Some connectors incorporate an 'autostop' feature. This is an internal valve that is shut off by water pressure coming from the hose; it is opened by connecting a fitting or appliance, so that a disconnected hose using this adaptor will stop the flow of water. This eases connecting and changing appliances without the need to shut off the water first.
Health risks from aerosols
In 2014, it was reported that use of common garden hoses in combination with spray nozzles may generate aerosols containing droplets smaller than 10 μm, which can be inhaled by nearby people. Water stagnating in a hose between uses, especially when warmed by the sun, can host the growth and interaction of ''
Legionella
''Legionella'' is a genus of pathogenic gram-negative bacteria that includes the species '' L. pneumophila'', causing legionellosis (all illnesses caused by ''Legionella'') including a pneumonia-type illness called Legionnaires' disease and a mil ...
'' and free-living
amoebae
An amoeba (; less commonly spelled ameba or amœba; plural ''am(o)ebas'' or ''am(o)ebae'' ), often called an amoeboid, is a type of cell or unicellular organism with the ability to alter its shape, primarily by extending and retracting pseudopo ...
(FLA) as
biofilm
A biofilm comprises any syntrophic consortium of microorganisms in which cells stick to each other and often also to a surface. These adherent cells become embedded within a slimy extracellular matrix that is composed of extracellular ...
s on the inner surface of the hose. Clinical cases of
Legionnaires' disease or Pontiac fever have been found to be associated with inhalation of garden hose aerosols containing ''Legionella'' bacteria. The report provided measured microbial densities resulting from controlled hose conditions in order to quantify the human health risks. The densities of ''Legionella spp.'' identified in two types of hoses were found to be similar to those reported during legionellosis outbreaks from other causes. It was proposed that the risk could be mitigated by draining hoses after use.
Gallery
File:Herten - Kurt-Schumacher-Straße - Rathaus 05 ies.jpg, Garden hose in use (Germany)
File:Gardenhose.JPG, Closeup of a garden hose shows the crisscrossed fiber reinforcements
File:Gardena hose pistol.jpg, Gardena quick-connect hose fittings
File:Garten Schlauchwagen 5749.jpg, Hose cart and some quick-connect fittings
File:Great Swamp Greenhouse photos coiled watering hose close in.JPG, This greenhouse
A greenhouse (also called a glasshouse, or, if with sufficient heating, a hothouse) is a structure with walls and roof made chiefly of Transparent ceramics, transparent material, such as glass, in which plants requiring regulated climatic condit ...
is equipped with a hose suspended on pulley
A pulley is a wheel on an axle or shaft that is designed to support movement and change of direction of a taut cable or belt, or transfer of power between the shaft and cable or belt. In the case of a pulley supported by a frame or shell that ...
s
File:Elastikvandslange (9074754591).jpg, Special expandable hose can be stretched to reach farther
See also
*
Drip irrigation
Drip irrigation or trickle irrigation is a type of micro-irrigation system that has the potential to save water and nutrients by allowing water to drip slowly to the roots of plants, either from above the soil surface or buried below the surface. ...
*
Fire hose
A fire hose (or firehose) is a high-pressure hose that carries water or other fire retardant (such as foam) to a fire to extinguish it. Outdoors, it attaches either to a fire engine, fire hydrant, or a portable fire pump. Indoors, it can perma ...
*
Hose coupling
A hose coupling is a connector on the end of a hose to connect (or ''couple'') it with another hose or with a tap or a hose appliance, such as an irrigation sprinkler. It is usually made of steel, brass, stainless steel, aluminium or plastic ...
*
Outdoor water-use restriction, or "hosepipe ban"
References
External links
{{Garden tools
Gardening tools
Hoses