Soaker hoses have traditionally been formed from recycled rubber or polyvinyl chloride. But Jeff Thomas, co-founder of Water Right Inc., was not satisfied with the performance of these hoses, and he set out to build a better soaker hose using thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) from Covestro LLC. The home and garden industry has taken notice of this innovation – the Polyurethane Soaker Hose was named one of the Top 100 2016: Best New Outdoor Living Products by “This Old House” magazine.
Soaker hoses are frequently used by nurseries and homeowners to water flower and vegetable gardens. Water slowly drips or weeps out of small holes along the length of the hose so water is not wasted through runoff or evaporation. Thomas was already familiar with the benefits of TPU resin. A number of years ago, he was frustrated with low-quality garden hoses that were made of materials that easily kinked and cracked, and were unsafe for drinking. He turned to Covestro’s Texin TPU as the materials solution for making a lightweight, kink-resistant, long-lasting polyurethane hose that also met standards for potable water.
When looking for a material for the Polyurethane Soaker Hose, Thomas once again collaborated with Covestro to find a material that would satisfy the specific requirements for this application. One of the challenges was ensuring water slowly but consistently weeps out instead of spraying like a geyser. The material of choice was a grade of … .
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