Warning:
Aquabarrel.com requires the use of Javascript to view the website, please use a modern web browser with Javascript enabled for viewing.

Weeping Hose for Rain Barrels

Regular drip irrigation hose requires a minimum of 2 PSI to function.

NOT this drip hose! It is designed for NO pressure systems like gravity fed rain barrels.

Included in the kit:

100 feet of rain barrel soaker hose (1)
25 feet of poly tubing (1)
Rain barrel connection Tee with integrated filter (1)
Female connection - Tee to tubing adapter (1)
Elbows (4)
End caps (2)
Couplings (2)
Hose Tee (1)

Tiny perforations allow water out via a sweating action
More porous then standard drip irrigation hose
Rain Barrel Soaker Hose works best when your system is created with a continuous flow. Meaning there are no ends.
Reduce damage to the hose and keep your plants happier - keep the hose covered with a layer of mulch.
The greater the height difference between your barrel and the area to be watered the better your water distribution will be. Try for a difference of 2' or higher for the best results
The hot sun beating on the hose can cause it to expand and restrict water flow.
Flow rate will vary due to topography, height of the barrel, and how clean the filter is.

Choose this alternative method of irrigating your plants without sprinklers. Lay this weeper hose just below the mulch layer.

As the name suggests, the water seeps (or weeps) from the pores of this hose and waters directly at the root level when buried. No burnt leaves from overhead watering, no wasted water going on patios and driveways, less water lost to evaporation.

For new seedlings lay the hose along the seedling line and don't double the hose back. For larger, more mature plants you may want to coil it around the base of the plant.

A lot of plants need an average of 1 inch of water per week. So how do you tell how much water your plants are getting from your weeping hose? Here is a simple experiment you can perform. Get a tuna fish can (clean, empty, ready to be recycled) and connect your weeper hose to a full rain barrel. Stretch out the weeper hose and place the tuna can anywhere along the length of the weeper hose. Open water valve and note the time. Check back often to review the filling of the tuna can. Once the tuna can is filled (about one inch in depth) you now have a good idea as to how long it takes to accomplish your goal of placing one inch of rain water at the roots of your plants from your full rain barrel.

HELPFUL TIPS
Measure and sketch your garden area out on paper. Starting at the water source, layout your design, using heavy scissors to cut hoses to desired lengths. Hose must be on a flat or slightly declining surface away from the rain barrel. Remember water does not run uphill easily. Before initial use, flush system using garden hose. The system is expandable with the purchase of additional kits. Fittings easily thread or push together, no clamps or glue are necessary.

Tips for caring for your rain barrel soakerhose

Things You'll Need:

Large tub or wading pool; Scrub brush; Dish washing liquid; Hose valves and end caps

Each fall, or at the end of the growing season, remove the hoses from your beds and brush off as much soil and debris from the hoses as possible. Inspect for any obvious breaks, tears and/or deterioration.
Find a container large enough to completely immerse the entire hose. Remove any fittings, valves, and caps that are attached to the hose. Coil the hose into the tub. A kids wading pool works the best for this task if you have one but any large "tank" that you have handy will work.
Place all of the removable hardware into a container to be cleaned later.
As you are coiling the hose into the pool, uncouple any hoses that are still coupled together so they are single units.
After the hoses are in the tub or pool, add approximately three or four tablespoons of dish washing detergent. Avoid harsh, chlorinated or ammoniated cleaners. These will deteriorate the rubber.
Add enough water to cover the hoses. Kids love to help with this. You will need to weigh down the hoses because they float. Let the hoses soak for two to three hours to thoroughly loosen the embedded soil that will have seeped into the rubber pores.
After soaking, thoroughly clean both ends of the hoses with a stiff brush. This prolongs the life of threads and swivel connections. Remove the inner hose seals for cleaning separately.
Connect the hose to a water source and flush the inside for two or three minutes to remove any bugs, dirt and debris from the inside of hose.
After flushing the inside of the hose, close off the opposite end of hose with a hose cap and turn the water back on to force water from the inside out. Allow the water to flow through the hose pores for five to ten minutes to clean debris from the pores of the hose. Use light pressure so you will not damage the hose.
With the water still running, thoroughly scrub the outside of the hose with a stiff brush to remove any remaining soil. The running water will flush away soils while you scrub.
As you are cleaning, note and mark any punctures or other repairs that need to be made. A piece of "twist-tie" wire works well for these areas. Repairing soaker hose defects can be done later.
After cleaning and marking defects to repair, stretch the hoses out to drain and air dry. Remember to remove the end cap installed for cleaning the hoses.
After the hoses are dry, coil up and tie the hoses so they are ready for the next use. If your hoses are not going to be reinstalled immediately, store them inside away from sunlight. Ultraviolet radiation from the sun will deteriorate the rubber.
As you coil the hoses, reinstall or replace the hose seal and couple the ends together. This will keep dirt, spiders, dirt-daubers and other bugs out of you clean hose. If for some reason you can not couple the ends together, you can still cover the ends by placing tape over the open ends.
Now is the time to make any repairs needed to the hose. If the hose is damaged, it will need to be cut in two and the damaged area cut out. A "coupling" is used to connect the two pieces back together.
Use must store them inside away sunlight to limit deterioration of the rubber.