5.1

General Principles

5.1.9

Setting Flow Rates

DO NOT apply high pressure directly to Leeaky Hose, as this will damage it. If you see a lot of little spurters, the pressure is too high. Leeaky Hose is a slow soaker system and is not designed for high flow rates. Leeaky Hose may be used if you have a high pressure water supply, however you will need to regulate the flow of water running into the Leeaky Hose by means of pressure reducing valve before an in-line tap set to no more than 75kPa (10.5psi).

If using an in-line tap you need to do the following calculations in order to set the flow rate:

The nominal rate of leakage is 2 litres per metre per hour. If, for example, you are running a 30 metre length of Leeaky Hose, the amount of water required to be delivered to the soil in an hour over the length of the hose would be 60 litres. Divide the total volume (in this case 60 litres) by 60 (to get the rate per minute). This gives you a flow rate of 1 litre per minute.

Now run water through the in-line tap where it is to join the hose and adjust the flow rate until a 1 litre container is filled in 1 minute. The position of the in-line tap is now set, and can be left connected with the hose. This only needs to be approximate.

Caution: Notwithstanding the above calculations, as stated elsewhere, there is a finite amount of water that can be carried by Leeaky Hose. If after setting the flow rates to the above calculation you notice that the hose is spurting or spraying in its early sections and starving at the other end, then you are putting too much water into it. Reduce the flow until the spurts cease and the hose begins to leak uniformly.