Hoses Under Constant Water Pressure: Which Hoses Can Handle It?

In some cases, you might find yourself needing constant water pressure in a hose in your yard.   Meaning, you want to run water through your hose an leave it on for an indefinite amount of time. But is that something hoses are ok with?

Unfortunately, standard garden hoses are not designed to withstand constant water pressure due to the thickness of the material used to fabricate them.

There are some water hoses that are better suited than a standard garden hose to sustain constant water pressure.  A contractor/professional grade water hoses or an RV water hose are both thick and durable enough to withstand constant pressure.   Let’s take a look at some products and best practices to get one set up in your yard.

Why Standard Garden Hoses Don’t Work

Standard garden hoses are typically made from either rubber or vinyl with rubber being the more durable of the two.

However, a standard garden hose’s walls, even if made from rubber, are not thick enough to hold up to the elements, especially sustained UV light.   

That’s why it’s recommended that you store most garden hoses on a reel to help protect them from the elements.

Now, some homes have a lower gallon per minute (GPM) water pressure than others. If your GPM is low, you may get away with running water through a hose consistently.

Over time, regardless of the quality of your hose, UV light will break down the material of your hose and cause it to rupture. That’s especially true with constant water pressure running through it.

Contractor Grade Water Hose

Contractor grade hoses are much thicker than standard garden hoses and are thus more suited to constant water pressure.

You may be shocked by how much more expensive a contractor grade water hose is than a standard garden hose.   Rest assured that it will be worth it, saving you the headache of having to replace your standard hose often.

If you elect to go this route, be sure you buy a contractor, commercial, or farm grade hose that is burst resistant up to 500psi of water pressure. 

Pros

• Made from Heavy Duty Rubber 
• 500psi burst resistant hose
• Crushproof brass fittings

Cons

• Heavier due to thickness
• Expensive

If you’re going to go with a contractor hose, we like the Dramm Professional ColorStream.    The lighter colors don’t absorb as much heat as many of the black & grey contractor hoses on the market

RV Water Hose

Another hose option that allows for constant water pressure is an RV water hose.

RV hoses are designed for sustained water pressure as it’s sometimes required for convenience in RV living, especially with larger RVs.  

Most RV hoses also have a meshed reinforcement design to help prevent in from bursting under constant pressure.   This also makes the hose slightly stiffer than standard garden hoses, which is why most people don’t use them in their garden.

However, if you’re looking for a hose to leave unwound in your yard, delivering constant water pressure to another location, the stiffness of the hose won’t be an issue. 

Another bonus with the RV hose is that they will deliver water that is safe for drinking.   That’s not the case for many garden hoses which often contain harmful material that can leak into the water over time.

Pros

• Designed for constant water pressure
• High quality, leak resistant fittings
• Suitable for drinking water
• Lightweight

Cons

• Stiff & hard to wind
• Not as long as some garden hoses.

If you like the RV hose as an option, we like Camco RV hose below.  On top of the glowing reviews from RVers, it claims to be 20% thicker than standard RV hoses, making it better suited to exposure in your yard.

Hose Fittings & Components Under Constant Pressure

You may find that you need to connect two hoses or set up a new spigot to complete your project.  If that’s the case, you’ll want to be sure you use high quality fittings & couplings.  

Most fittings are made from brass, which does not rust, but look for cast brass fitting as opposed to stamped brass fittings, which are less expensive and flimsy. 

You can also run some plumbers tape around the threads that connect your hose to fittings before connecting them to give them an extra layer of leak protection.

Tips on How to Make You Hose Last

Regardless of whether you decide to use an RV hose or a contractor grade hose, extreme weather conditions will reduce its life if left completely exposed.

To help protect your hose from UV light, which breaks down synthetic material over time, consider burying your hose line under a small layer of dirt or laying some ground cover over it to shield it from the sun.

If you  running your hose over concrete, consider taping it down lengthwise with a wide strip of duct tape.

Also avoid running your hose over an area where you’ll have to drive over it. Driving over a garden hose, especially when it is full of water can easily damage it.

You’ll also want to try to turn the water source off when you go on vacation or other instances where there is prolonged non-use. 

You might even consider installing a smart hose valve or timer which will automatically shut the water off at times when you know you won’t need it (like the middle of the night).  Giving your hose & fittings a short daily break from the pressure will make it last longer. 

Helpful video on garden hose water pressure

In Summary

If you’re going to run constant pressure in water hose over time, don’t do it with a standard garden hose.

Try a heavy duty commercial grade water hose or an RV water hose.

Regardless of which option you go with, you’ll still need to take some precautions to keep it out of the sun as much as possible and choose the right components to prevent leaking.

If you have any other thoughts about how to sustain constant water pressure in a water hose, please leave them in the comments below!