Installation Guide

Step 7.
Turn on the faucet only about ½ to ¾ of a turn.
Start with a very small amount of water and
adjust the pressure until the water drips slowly
but steadily along the entire length of the
soaker hose. The blue restrictor disc mentioned
previously will maintain a water pressure of 20–25
pounds per square inch (PSI). Higher water
pressure can create a hydraulic dam effect
at the blue restrictor disc, which actually
causes a reduction in water flow.
Step 8.
Leave the water running for about 40 minutes; then dig a spot in the garden with a garden
trowel to determine the depth of soaking. The water should cover about half of the plants’
root zones. If not, one adjustment you can try is to look for any elevation changes in your garden.
Even them out either by cutting small valleys or building up areas in the garden so the soaker
hose lies as flat as possible for balanced watering.
Also consider that some houses have incredibly high water pressure and flow rates, while
others (such as those with well systems) have very low water pressure and flow rates.
The soaker hose will only deliver the water that’s available: It weeps at an average of .5 gallon–
1 gallon of water per foot per hour.
For homes with high-pressure, high-flow systems (as high as 125 PSI in some cases), you might
need to install a pressure regulator (sold separately). This will help balance the soaker hose system
and make it less sensitive to how far open the faucet is.
For homes with low-pressure, low-flow systems (as low as 30 PSI in some cases), you might benefit
from removing the blue restrictor disc altogether. If the soaker hose system is not working correctly
when the faucet is fully open, remove the blue restrictor disc and start again by gradually
increasing the water.
Step 9.
Once your soaker hose system is set, you can use metal garden stakes to hold the soaker hose in place. Then, if desired, cover the soaker hose
with about two inches of mulch to camouflage the hose, retain moisture and prevent soaker hose deterioration as a result of prolonged sun
exposure. Remember to leave accessible the end of the hose that connects to the water source.
Step 10.
Water the garden at least once a week for the amount of time determined in your test run. Alternatively, you can water the plants twice weekly
for half the amount of time. During warmer periods of the year, watering time can be increased.
Items You Might Also Need:
•
Garden hose
•
Garden trowel
•
Metal garden stakes
•
Mulch
•
Backflow-prevention device: Newer faucets come equipped with a backflow-prevention
device. If you have an older faucet, however, you must connect a backflow preventer
to prevent dirty water from flowing back into the drinking water supply.
•
Pressure regulator
•
Timer: Turns off the faucet after watering for the designated amount of time
•
T-shaped female feeder connector
•
Additional soaker hoses, female connectors, male connectors with end caps, garden hoses
Soaker hoses and additional EZ-Connect® pieces available at swanhose.com