In an ideal world, you would roll up your garden hose after each use and store it neatly away. But life, full of children, pets, and countless other chores, can sometimes get in the way. In this article, we’ll answer whether it is safe to drive over a garden hose and what steps you can take to protect it.
Can you drive over a garden hose: Garden hoses are made from different durable materials so if you drive over one with your car, it shouldn’t break. However, repeatedly driving over a garden hose will weaken it and can cause it to crack or break. If you are worried about driving over a hose, use a ramp as a barrier or place a protective sleeve over your hose.
Types of garden hoses
Let’s have a quick look at the different types of garden hoses available. This way you can choose the best one for your needs and budget.
Vinyl hoses
Often found on the cheaper end of the spectrum for garden hoses, vinyl hoses are strong thanks to their nylon mesh reinforcements. However, they have plenty of downfalls, so you might be better off spending a few extra dollars for an upgrade.
Vinyl hoses have very thick material so it is hard to coil them after use. Furthermore, they are the most prone to kinking, which can weaken the material and result in rips.
Rubber hoses
While sometimes forgotten when dealing with garden hoses, rubber options provide long-lasting results. They are very pliable and won’t kink.
Polyurethane hoses
These types of hoses have both benefits and negatives. While they are more lightweight than vinyl hoses, and thus easier to coil, they are also very stiff.
The diameter of polyurethane hoses can also be smaller. Although this means more durability, it also means less water flow.
Expandable hoses
This category of garden hose has exploded in popularity recently, and with good reason. They are more compact in size when not in use and they won’t kink when you unroll them.
Expandable hoses are made up of a rubber tube that is then wrapped in stretchy fabric. You can take a 100-foot hose and when it is not full of water, it will be compact enough to fit in a 5-gallon bucket.
These hoses basically put themselves away, so all you need to do is move one end of the hose to the other and it will almost coil up all on its own.
Soaker hoses
When you have a large garden, a soaker hose can drastically reduce the amount of work you need to do. These hoses have tiny holes throughout them, and once water is turned on, the hose will gradually soak water into your garden.
A major benefit of soaker hoses is that the water is slowly released directly into the soil of your garden. This results in less water waste and more efficiency.
What happens if you run over a hose
Flatten
If the water is turned off and isn’t flowing through your hose, this is the best-case scenario. Your hose will simply flatten as there is nothing but air inside the hose.
Driving over an empty hose once won’t cause much damage but if you repeat this action, it can cause wear on the hose.
Break
Unfortunately, a hose with water coursing through it can result in more damage, including actual breaks, if you run over it. This is especially true if there are already kinks or weak spots in the hose.
Leak
Older hoses will naturally have some wear and tear on them, from kinks, the sun, and general rubbing over the ground. These areas are weak points and driving over them can result in leaks.
How do I protect my garden hose
Put your hose away
We all know that putting your garden hose away after use is the easiest way to avoid mistakes like running over your hose. The more you get into the habit of this, the easier it will be.
Make it a rule for everyone in your house so that everyone has the same expectation. Then, you won’t accidentally run over a hose that is still laying on the ground.
Protective sleeve
A protective sleeve is made from polyester or nylon and goes right over the hose. You can purchase different sizes and cut them down to fit the size of your hose.
Spring Guard
You can purchase a spring guard which is made from steel wire and goes over your garden hose. Not only do spring guards protect from accidentally driving over the hose but they will also protect from abrasions and cuts from regular use.
Use a ramp
A simple ramp can protect your garden hose and give your vehicle a way to maneuver over it. You can purchase pre-built ramps made out of metal or plastic, or you can make a wooden one.
The material should be thick enough to transfer the weight of your vehicle and have enough space for the hose to lay under, even if it is at full water capacity.
How much PSI can a garden hose handle?
Garden hoses come in different varieties and with this selection comes not only options for durability but options for pricing. Basically, the sky’s the limit with hose PSI.
A budget hose can withstand a water PSI of 200. However, you can find premium hoses that have a rating of 600 PSI.
Is there a crush-proof garden hose?
There are some heavy-duty hoses that state they are crush-proof. This statement is put out by the manufacturer and should indicate that if you run over your garden hose, it won’t be ruined.
However, many factors are in play in this scenario. While a smaller car may not cause damage to a crush-proof garden hose, a large truck will have a lot more weight to it.
We suggest using the crush-proof statement as a backup and not testing it out, just in case.
Conclusion
Even though hoses are built to be tough, if you accidentally drive over one, you can cause it to crack or leak. Be sure to put your hose away after every use but if you know there is a chance you will be moving your vehicle, invest in a protective sleeve or use a ramp.
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