We've had the same problem over the years. DH says it is the result of too much pressure. When we run four hoses at once from a splitter/manifold, we run full pressure, but if we run only one hose at a time we shut the faucet part way off to reduce pressure.

there is a small plastic washer in the end of most soaker hoses, some come with more than one washer. The washer will have a small hole in it to limit the volume of water going through that hose. If you have several hoses there is no problem because the pressure is split up among the hoses.

You can close the valve to reduce the water volume, or , you can buy or make a washer with about a 1/8" hole in it and install between the feed hose and the soaker hose and the feed hose. A 5/8 dia. feed hose can over power a 1/2" soaker hose, especialy one that is in the sun in this heat. The dia. of the hole in the regulating washer is not too important, it just reduces volume, which reduces pressure. If you run your soaker hoses in parallel rather than in series you will get more even flow.

I have a soaker hose but seldom use it because it is harder to tell the volume of water going through it, plus it is harder to adjust for different water flow in different areas.

Larry

Ahh, thanks for the info. Maybe I misunderstood the directions, thinking the washer/disc thing was increasing pressure, not decreasing pressure. Those diameters are the same as my feeder and soaker hoses, so I must be overwhelming it. I will mend again and re-insert the washers and hope that fixes the issue. I usually keep the faucet set at a constant open pressure because the timer has a valve in it that shuts it on and off, and I run the sprinkler off a different manifold in the same timer, so need the pressure for that.

Thanks again!

I've had three brand new soaker hoses split this Summer. Never had it happen before, and I have used soaker hoses for many years. Could the heat be making them brittle?

Jeanie

My husband says it is the heat. I wasn't thinking last yr & rolled up soaker hoses & put in my greenhouse (greenhouse wasn't being used for any plants at the time so vents were closed). Pulled them out to use them & some broke in half, others had tears in them. Not a single hose was any good.

Lesson learned. Green house is too hot to keep your soaker hoses in!

Wow, that's dedication! I usually leave them installed under the mulch all winter, and have some that are at least 7 years old that haven't ever split. I am a pretty heavy mulcher, though.

I suspect it is the material they are using to make them now. The old ones will probably last longer.