Author Topic: Setting up a soaker hose - what am I missing here?  (Read 2135 times)

gray1720

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Setting up a soaker hose - what am I missing here?
« on: March 24, 2019, 19:09:38 »
Possibly being a bit dim... I'm setting up a soaker hose to water my new hedge in this year. However it's not come supplied with an end cap, which I would have thought is needed otherwise one end ends up very, very wet.

There is also a strange grey fitting with a markng on it that suggests it ought to open and close to regulate the flow, but doing so makes no difference.

Am I missing a fitting, or just missing the bleeding obvious, please?

Add in to that the outside tap leaks furiously under the backpressure from the hose, and I'm a bit peeved. Mind you, outoddr taps are a d**n sight cheaper than the hose was, so I guess it's a bargain resulting in a better tap.

Thanks!

Adrian
My garden is smaller than your Rome, but my pilum is harder than your sternum!

hippydave

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Re: Setting up a soaker hose - what am I missing here?
« Reply #1 on: March 24, 2019, 21:07:42 »
Mine came with small tapered tube with a screw cap on one end and the hose just pushed into the tapered end and stopped water escaping from the end of the hose. You could fold over the end of the hose a few times and tie wrap it up that should work.
you may be a king or a little street sweeper but sooner or later you dance with de reaper.

ancellsfarmer

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Re: Setting up a soaker hose - what am I missing here?
« Reply #2 on: March 25, 2019, 22:15:18 »
Dependant on the hose being 12mm /1/2", a hozelock type female with antiflo would shut off, permitting additional lengths to be added if desired.
See:https://www.diy.com/departments/verve-aquastop-hose-end-connector/1578098_BQ.prd/gallery
If your tap is leaking around the tap spindle, often a 'nip-up' of the small hex nut will reduce/stop leakage. In theory, they can be re-packed with bosswhite/hemp.
Freelance cultivator qualified within the University of Life.

gray1720

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Re: Setting up a soaker hose - what am I missing here?
« Reply #3 on: March 27, 2019, 22:36:12 »
Hmm. I wonder if I'm just looking at the thing back to front in the absemce of meaningful instructions. I shall find out at the weekend when I am home in dayllight to look at it.

Anyway, I have bought a new tap - no telling what the previous owner bodged, I've spent so much time bodging jobs because I have to unbodge the bodge first that I'll just replace it rather than find that the old tap is held together with dog hair or some such. Oh, and blown a mighty £1.99 on an end cap on ebay.

Adrian
 
My garden is smaller than your Rome, but my pilum is harder than your sternum!

ACE

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Re: Setting up a soaker hose - what am I missing here?
« Reply #4 on: April 14, 2019, 10:34:53 »
Taps take a beating and  weathering over the years. A new one is a good investment, another good investment is brass pipe connections just an O ring replacement now and then. Some connectors have a built in stop and will not work unless another is plugged into them making extending easy and no spraying all over you when the sprayer comes loose. If you have a blank end on the feeder just fold it back with a cable tie, a small drip will not hurt in that situation.

gray1720

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Re: Setting up a soaker hose - what am I missing here?
« Reply #5 on: April 16, 2019, 19:01:29 »
Well, the tap was an easy job in the end - nice to have one occasionally! However it doesn't have a check valve, so I must be very careful with it - not sure how legal that is these days. The end plug leaks a bit, but given that the purpose of the hose is to leak a bit, it's not excessive. And yes, I was looking at the d**n thing back to front. Ho hum.

Adrian
My garden is smaller than your Rome, but my pilum is harder than your sternum!

 

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