How To Turn Your Garden Hose Into A Pressure Hose
Things Needed
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Flat-head screwdriver
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New rubber washer (optional)
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New garden hose (optional)
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Fireman-type nozzle with 250 psi rating
Tip
A large-diameter hose delivers more water than a hose with a smaller diameter, resulting in higher water pressure when a nozzle is attached. For example, more water moves through a 5/8-inch-diameter hose than through a 1/2-inch-diameter hose during the same time period.
Some firefighter- or fireman-type hose nozzles have adjustable spray patterns. Choose the right kind for your project.
Warning
Prevent your garden hose from bursting by matching its psi rating with that of the nozzle attachment. If, for instance, the nozzle is rated at 250 psi, then use a garden hose with a burst rating slightly higher, such as 300 psi. Most low-quality garden hoses have a burst rating of 200 psi, and medium-quality hoses typically have a burst rating from 275 to 350 psi.
Avoid losing your balance or falling onto the ground when operating a high-pressure hose. Stand with your feet slightly apart to brace yourself.
Never aim water under high pressure at people or animals. It can cut through skin.
Water under high pressure can remove paint from house siding. Test an inconspicuous area before spraying an entire house with water from a high-pressure hose.
Generating higher water pressure from your garden hose allows it to power away muck from automobiles and mold from house siding. Although you can increase the garden hose's water pressure by adding a high-pressure nozzle, it won't create the high level of water pressure generated by a pressure washer. The reason is that a pressure washer has a pump that produces 500 pounds or more per square inch of water pressure. You can increase the water pressure of your garden hose, however, by attaching it to a firefighter- or fireman-type nozzle that has a 250 psi rating. Wear eye protection to avoid injury when using a high-pressure hose.
Step 1
Inspect the end of the garden hose that is designed to screw onto a faucet. It must contain a rubber washer that is not cracked. A cracked rubber washer causes a hose end to leak and reduces water pressure. Pry out a cracked rubber washer by using a flat-head screwdriver. Push a new rubber washer, sized to fit your garden hose, in place with your finger.
Step 2
Examine the entire length of the hose for cracks and holes. Areas such as those leak and can blow out when the hose is under pressure. If you find cracks, holes or other weak areas, replace the hose with a new one. Using a hose that is only long enough to reach the area where you want to use it is best because the less distance water travels in a hose, the greater the water's pressure is.
Step 3
Screw one end of the hose onto a faucet. Attach a fireman-type nozzle with a 250 psi rating onto the hose's other end.