Best Hose For Soft Washing

image comparing 2 different style of hoses — The Best Hose For Soft Washing

Tampa Bay Soft Wash & Pressure Cleaning would like to share our opinion on the best hose for soft washing. When browsing various online forums it seems like someone is always interested in learning about what is the best hose for soft washing.

Sometimes it can be confusing with all of the different opinions people pepper you with. Hopefully we can clear some of that up with a few basic principles. In the end, it all boils down to preference.

Bigger Hose is better

3/8″ is typically too small for a soft wash system unless you are using a very small pump, such as a 1 GPM pump. 1/2” hose or larger is recommended for 5 GPM pumps, and 5/8” or larger for 7 GPM pumps. 3/4″ hose is pretty much where the size stops because anything larger becomes a bit to strenuous to use in the field.

Which brings me to my next point, garden hoses. Garden hoses are typically 5/8″ to 3/4″ for a reason. Don’t get me wrong, you can find 1/2″ water hose but it does not provide the flow that we have all grown accustomed to.

Just remember, the bigger the hose the better. It does not matter if you are only using a 2 GPM pump, the bigger the hose the better it is for the life and efficiency of the pump. The only negative from having a large hose would be the weight. the difference in weight from a fully filled 1/2″ hose and a 3/4″ hose is significant.

Garden Hoses Will Work For Soft Washing

On a budget? Get yourself some garden hoses and mend 200′ feet together using hose mend kits. You can even link a 5/8″ hose to 3/4″ hose. While garden hoses may not be the best option for soft washing, they can get the job done.

I do not recommend connecting garden hose heads utilizing garden hose threading. If you are transferring gallons and gallons of chemicals around a clients property, you should minimize the possibility for leaks. Garden hose fittings tend to leak. I suggest using a double sided hose barb and 2 stainless steel hose clamps.

Non-Collapsible Hose

When plumbing the intake, do not use the same flexible hose that you plan on using to actually soft wash with. You should use at least 3/4″ non-collapsible hose. Do not confuse poly-braid hose for non-collapsible hose. Non-collapsible hose is very sturdy and designed for suction.

Yes, you can get away with using regular hose, but you run the risk of the hose collapsing and restricting the flow. If there is one thing you don’t want, it is any flow restrictions, especially if you plan on hooking up a chemical blend manifold.

The same logic applies on the size of the intake hose, the bigger the better. If you can feed your pump with 1″ non-collapsible hose, that would be even better!

Alternative Drop sticks

Instead of making a standard drop stick, I would go about it a little different. Instead of plumbing a PVC drop stick to a bulkhead and then that bulkhead to hose with a hose clamp, I would suggest eliminating the possibility for air leaks and just drop the hose directly into the tank. To hold the hose in place, I would run it through a piece of PVC. If you downstream, you probably already understand. If not, I will share a few pictures to illustrate what I am saying.

90 degree fittings

One last thing on that pertains to plumbing, you want to avoid all 90 degree fittings when possible. If you have to make a turn, sweep your hose into the turn instead of having it abruptly turn. Also, don’t use any extra hose, winding it up in loops. You want to create the path of least resistance for your fluid to travel.

The Best Hose For Soft Washing

All of these hoses will get the job done, it just depends on your preference and budget.

The short and sweet on Flexzilla vs. braided PVC hose. I personally feel braided PVC is more durable but is more prone to kinking (especially in the same exact spot that has been compromised) while Flexzilla is better at flexing and resisting kinks, but don’t be fooled, all hoses kink.

The vast majority of soft washing veterans will tell you the 1/2″ Kuri Tec is the “best” all around choice. While this is generally true, it doesn’t take into account what size pump, and at what length of hose is needed. A small rule of thumb, the further you go, the larger diameter you would want. It would not be a bad idea to run the first 100′ at 3/4″ and the 2nd 100′ at 5/8″ or even 1/2″.

While I feel 200′ is enough to do the vast majority of jobs, it is always a good idea to have an extra 50′ to 100′ of hose. Similarly, you always want to have a hose mend kit just in case your hose bursts. If something can go wrong, it will go wrong. Don’t believe otherwise.

Our Soft Washing Hose Choice

We ended up choosing the 5/8″ braided PVC hose for a few different reasons. First, durability. Braided PVC hoses tend to be more durable and less prone to puncturing when dragging them over and around sharp edges. Second, it’s clear. I can see what is going on in the hose if need be. Third, after almost 10 years, the exterior of our PVC hose is not dirty, sticky, or failing from UV. After only 3 years the exterior of our Flexzilla hose is actually dirty, sticky, and failing from UV rays. Last, but not least, it was very cost efficient. At the time of writing this, I can get 300′ of 5/8″ braided PVC hose for under $160. That is amazing value!

Thank You For Visiting

Hopefully, this blog helped you! If it did, we would really appreciate a like on Facebook! Check back here at www.tbsoftwash.com to learn more about professional soft washing and pressure cleaning and you can also follow us on all of the major social media platforms @tbsoftwash and don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions!

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