Hose Pipes

About Hose Pipes

A dependable hose pipe is essential equipment for anyone maintaining gardens, outdoor spaces, or tackling professional landscaping and construction projects. Whether you're watering vegetable patches, cleaning patios and driveways, filling ponds and water features, or keeping building sites dust-free, the right hose pipe transforms time-consuming tasks into quick, efficient work. The selection at Tooled-Up.com includes garden hose pipes from trusted manufacturers such as Gardena, Hozelock, Draper, Kärcher, and Faithfull, covering everything from lightweight domestic hoses to heavy-duty reinforced options built for professional trade use.

Modern hose pipes are available in various materials, diameters, and lengths to suit different applications and budgets. Standard PVC garden hoses work perfectly for everyday watering tasks around the home, whilst reinforced rubber and multi-layer polymer hoses offer superior durability for building sites, commercial landscaping, and demanding professional environments. Specialist options include expanding hoses that contract when not in use for compact storage, soaker hoses designed for efficient border irrigation, and recoil hoses ideal for workshops and vehicle cleaning. Quality hoses typically feature anti-kink and anti-twist technology, ensuring consistent water flow even when the hose is bent around obstacles or wound on a reel.

Selecting the appropriate hose diameter and length is crucial for achieving adequate water pressure and coverage area. Available options range from compact 15-metre lengths suitable for small gardens, patios, and courtyard spaces, through to 50-metre professional hoses for large properties, allotments, and commercial sites. Many hose pipes are supplied as complete kits with connectors, spray nozzles, and fittings included, whilst others can be purchased separately and combined with accessories from the extensive range of spray guns, adaptors, hose reels, and quick connectors to build a customised watering system tailored to your specific requirements.

Jargon Buster

• Hose Diameter: The internal measurement of the hose (typically 12.5mm, 15mm, or 19mm) which determines water flow rate and delivery volume. Larger diameters deliver more water per minute but require higher mains pressure to function effectively.
• Burst Pressure: The maximum water pressure a hose can withstand before failing, measured in bar. Professional and heavy-duty hoses typically offer burst pressures of 20-30 bar, whilst standard domestic garden hoses are rated around 10-15 bar.
• Reinforcement Layers: Internal mesh or braiding (usually polyester or nylon) that strengthens the hose structure, prevents kinking and twisting, and extends working life. Multi-layer reinforced hoses are more durable and resistant to abrasion but slightly heavier to handle.
• Soaker Hose: A porous or perforated hose that weeps water along its entire length, designed for efficient ground-level irrigation of borders, vegetable beds, and planted areas whilst minimising water wastage through evaporation.
• Quick Connectors: Push-fit or click-together coupling systems (such as Hozelock-compatible fittings) that allow tool-free connection and disconnection of hoses, taps, spray guns, and accessories for quick system reconfiguration.
• UV Stabilisation: Chemical treatment or material additives that prevent degradation from prolonged sunlight exposure, essential for hoses stored outdoors year-round in gardens, yards, and on construction sites.

Who Uses Hose Pipes?

• Gardeners and Landscapers: Professional groundskeepers requiring durable hoses for daily watering, irrigation system setup, and maintaining large planted areas across multiple properties
• Homeowners and DIY Enthusiasts: Domestic users caring for lawns, borders, vegetable patches, and performing general garden maintenance, patio cleaning, and car washing tasks
• Builders and Construction Workers: Tradespeople using heavy-duty hoses for dust suppression, concrete mixing, cleaning tools and equipment, and providing water to site welfare facilities
• Vehicle Valeters and Detailers: Professional cleaners needing flexible, kink-resistant hoses for washing cars, vans, commercial vehicles, and fleet maintenance operations
• Facilities Managers: Maintenance teams responsible for cleaning outdoor areas, car parks, bin stores, pathways, and maintaining commercial premises and public buildings
• Agricultural Workers and Smallholders: Farmers and growers using hoses for livestock watering, greenhouse irrigation, equipment cleaning, and general farm maintenance tasks
• Caravan and Motorhome Owners: Touring enthusiasts requiring compact, easily-stored hoses for filling water tanks, cleaning vehicles, and general campsite and pitch maintenance use

How to Choose the Right Hose Pipes

Length Requirements: Measure the distance from your outdoor tap or water source to the furthest point you need to reach, adding 3-5 metres for comfortable manoeuvrability. Avoid purchasing unnecessarily long hoses as excess length reduces water pressure and creates storage challenges. For larger gardens and sites, consider using hose connectors to join multiple lengths rather than dragging one extremely long hose across obstacles.

Hose Diameter: Standard 12.5mm hoses suit most domestic applications including watering plants, flower beds, and light cleaning tasks. Upgrade to 15mm or 19mm diameter hoses if you need stronger flow rates for pressure washers, sprinkler systems, or covering large areas quickly. Remember that larger diameters require adequate mains pressure (typically 3-5 bar in UK homes) to perform effectively.

Material and Construction: PVC hoses offer an economical choice for occasional domestic use and light gardening tasks, whilst reinforced rubber or multi-layer polymer hoses provide superior durability for frequent use and professional applications. Consider anti-kink technology if you'll be working around garden furniture, obstacles, and tight corners, and look for UV-stabilised materials if the hose will be stored outdoors year-round.

Operating Pressure: Verify that the hose's burst pressure rating comfortably exceeds your mains water pressure to ensure longevity and safe operation. Professional and builder's hoses should offer higher ratings of 20 bar or more to withstand demanding site conditions, rough handling, and connection to high-pressure equipment.

Connector Compatibility: Most UK garden hoses use standard Hozelock-compatible quick connectors for tool-free attachment, but always verify fitting sizes and thread types before purchasing. Some professional hoses feature BSP threaded connections requiring different adaptors. Consider purchasing complete hose kits if you're starting from scratch, as these include all necessary connectors, spray guns, and tap fittings.

Storage Considerations: Think about where you'll store your hose when not in use and how you'll transport it around your property or site. Compact coil hoses or expanding hoses work well in small sheds, garages, and limited storage spaces, whilst longer traditional hoses benefit from dedicated hose reels, carts, or wall-mounted hangers to prevent tangling, kinking, and prolong working lifespan.

Popular Accessories

• Hose Reels and Carts: Wall-mounted or freestanding storage solutions that keep hoses organised, prevent kinking damage, and make transportation easier across large gardens and sites
• Spray Guns and Nozzles: Adjustable spray patterns from fine mist for delicate plants to powerful jet streams for cleaning, essential for controlling water delivery for different tasks
• Quick Connectors and Adaptors: Push-fit couplings, tap connectors, hose joiners, and Y-splitters for creating versatile watering systems without tools or complicated installation
• Hose Repair Kits: Replacement fittings, repair connectors, and coupling sets for fixing leaks or damaged sections rather than replacing entire hoses
• Water Timers: Automated controllers that regulate watering schedules and duration, particularly useful for holiday periods, greenhouses, or irrigation systems
• Sprinklers: Oscillating, rotary, or static sprinklers for automated lawn and border watering over large areas without manual supervision
• Hose Hangers and Brackets: Wall-mounted brackets, hooks, and storage reels for neat, space-saving storage in sheds, garages, or outdoor areas
• Pressure Washers: High-pressure cleaning equipment from Kärcher, Bosch, and other leading brands that connect to hoses for intensive cleaning tasks

Frequently Asked Questions

What length hose pipe do I need for my garden?
Measure from your outdoor tap to the furthest point you need to reach, then add 3-5 metres for flexibility and comfortable working. For small gardens and patios, 15-25 metre hoses are usually sufficient. Medium gardens typically require 25-40 metres, whilst large properties, allotments, and commercial sites may need 50 metres or more. Remember that excessive length reduces water pressure noticeably, so choose the shortest practical option for your space.

How do I prevent my hose pipe from kinking and twisting?
Choose hoses with anti-kink technology and multiple reinforcement layers, which maintain their shape under pressure. Avoid sharp bends by using gentle curves when laying out the hose, and never leave it twisted or tightly coiled during use. Store hoses properly on reels or wall-mounted hangers rather than leaving them in tangled heaps on the ground, and always drain water out after each use to reduce weight stress on the material structure.

Are expanding hoses as durable as traditional garden hoses?
Expanding hoses offer excellent portability and storage benefits but typically aren't as robust as reinforced rubber or multi-layer PVC hoses. They're ideal for light domestic use, small gardens, and occasional watering but may not withstand the rough handling, abrasion, and dragging over rough surfaces common in professional landscaping or construction environments. For trade use and demanding applications, stick with traditional reinforced hoses rated for heavy-duty professional work.

Can I leave my hose pipe outside during winter months?
It's best practice to drain, coil, and store hoses indoors or in sheds during winter months to prevent frost damage and extend working life. Water left inside hoses can freeze and expand, causing splits, cracks, and weakening the material structure. If outdoor storage is unavoidable, ensure the hose is completely drained, disconnected from taps, and ideally stored in a protective reel box or covered area away from direct weather exposure and standing water.

What's the difference between a soaker hose and a regular garden hose?
Soaker hoses are designed specifically for irrigation, featuring porous walls or regular perforations that allow water to seep out gradually along the entire length. They're laid on soil surfaces or buried beneath mulch for efficient, water-saving irrigation of borders, vegetable beds, and planted areas. Regular garden hoses deliver water only from the end outlet and are designed for general-purpose watering, cleaning, filling tasks, and use with attachable spray nozzles or pressure washing equipment.