Regulating water pressure in a garden hose

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neb

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#318422 16-Jan-2025 02:12

I'm using an irrigation system that hooks up to a garden hose and needs to have the water pressure set fairly precisely, too low and nothing flows, too high and it starts blowing out couplings. ATM I'm using the tap to control things, but it's a lot of faffing around each time I hook it up to find just the right setting.

I thought a much easier way to do it would be to connect an inline regulator between the tap and the hose, which remembers its settings between uses so I can just connect it up and it'll be set correctly. However it looks like such things don't really exist, there's plenty of pressure reducers but no pressure regulators. The best I've found is something like this on Amazon, but who knows what it would take to go from "3/4" garden hose thread" to standard 12mm hose fittings.

Does anyone know of anything that'll sort this out, or do I just have to keep fiddling with the tap?

Tinkerisk

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#3332043 16-Jan-2025 06:34

Maybe this?

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#3332044 16-Jan-2025 06:36

Are you using one of those two way splitters at the tap? (One leg for the hose and the other for the irrigation)?

when you say pressure will blow couplings, are you talking about the irrigation risers popping out or are you talking about the “nylex” coupler’s?
- if the pressure is busting the nylex couplers, is the issue the type of coupler and or its age? (Worn).

Bung

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#3332075 16-Jan-2025 08:30

Irrigation suppliers have fixed output devices. There is a TradeMe seller with an adjustable regulator similar to the RV device you posted but with 20mm connections.

johno1234

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#3332087 16-Jan-2025 09:02

or this?

https://www.irrigationexpress.co.nz/product/bermad-pressure-reducing-valve-adjustable-20mm-40mm/

dimsim

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#3332180 16-Jan-2025 10:25

johno1234:

or this?

https://www.irrigationexpress.co.nz/product/bermad-pressure-reducing-valve-adjustable-20mm-40mm/

this is what my irrigation guy has used on our system for the smaller areas and drippers.

mentalinc

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#3332200 16-Jan-2025 11:16

Do all the connections have proper pipe ratchet clips in place to keep the pipes connected.
I found bunnings had an adapter to convert the US pipe connector.
Maybe see if you can source one of those then order the Amazon version?

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#3332343 16-Jan-2025 14:32

https://www.irrigationexpress.co.nz/product/wetta-plastic-pressure-reducer-hose-connector/

one of those?

or one of these with the appropriated fittings to connect it together

https://www.irrigationexpress.co.nz/product/senninger-pressure-regulating-landscape-valves/

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neb

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#3332346 16-Jan-2025 14:46

Tinkerisk:

Maybe this?

Is that available in NZ? I wasn't able to find it when I looked yesterday... if it's an overseas order then presumably the 1" thread will be something weird like NPT or GHT that won't work here.

neb

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#3332347 16-Jan-2025 14:47

Goosey:

Are you using one of those two way splitters at the tap? (One leg for the hose and the other for the irrigation)?

when you say pressure will blow couplings, are you talking about the irrigation risers popping out or are you talking about the “nylex” coupler’s?
- if the pressure is busting the nylex couplers, is the issue the type of coupler and or its age? (Worn).

It's actually a PIR-triggered sprinkler that irrigates the birds off the fruit trees. Everything is near-new, we just have extremely high water pressure.

neb

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#3332350 16-Jan-2025 14:57

Jase2985: or one of these with the appropriated fittings to connect it together

https://www.irrigationexpress.co.nz/product/senninger-pressure-regulating-landscape-valves/

That's looking like the best option so far, adjustable to what I need and I can thread-lock it once it's at the right setting, then just have it inline with the hose.

Jase2985

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#3332353 16-Jan-2025 15:00

neb:

Jase2985: or one of these with the appropriated fittings to connect it together

https://www.irrigationexpress.co.nz/product/senninger-pressure-regulating-landscape-valves/

That's looking like the best option so far, adjustable to what I need and I can thread-lock it once it's at the right setting, then just have it inline with the hose.

they are a set PSI, 20, 30 or 40.

3bar (45Psi) is generally what's recommended for lawn irrigation systems, drip lines and misters etc are lower but should still work ok on 3 bar.

neb

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#3332354 16-Jan-2025 15:05

johno1234:

or this?

https://www.irrigationexpress.co.nz/product/bermad-pressure-reducing-valve-adjustable-20mm-40mm/

That looks about right, and it's adjustable (several of the others linked to are fixed-pressure only). However there's multiple pressure ranges, does anyone know which of those correspond to a reasonably steady flow from a hose?

neb

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#3332355 16-Jan-2025 15:06

Jase2985: they are a set PSI, 20, 30 or 40.

Yeah, I saw that on digging through the PDFs, the variable flow figure that's given is the input, not what you can set the output to, which is fixed. I need to adjust the output flow.

tweake

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#3332818 17-Jan-2025 17:49

neb:

Yeah, I saw that on digging through the PDFs, the variable flow figure that's given is the input, not what you can set the output to, which is fixed. I need to adjust the output flow.

output flow is set by size of hose, size of outlet, or you can use a tap as a flow restrictor. so you have a pressure reducing valve to drop the pressure and a flow restrictor to set the flow rate.

keep in mind that nothing in that sort of price range will ever be accurate or consistent. they all have pressure/flow curves to take into account. if you really want closer to perfect, use two pressure regulators. that helps even out the curves, helps with accuracy, but costs twice as much.

neb

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#3332823 17-Jan-2025 18:41

Near enough is fine, it means I won't have to keep running back and forth between the tap and the PIR sensor fiddling with it a dozen times in a row and getting hit at least half of those times.