FAQ's - We Hope This Helps You Answer Typical Questions

Yes we offer free standard delivery on all UK mainland orders over £10. The discount is applied automatically at checkout; no code is needed. For orders under £10, a small delivery charge applies which is shown at checkout before you pay.

Orders placed before 2pm on working days are typically dispatched the same day. Orders placed after 2pm, at weekends or on bank holidays are dispatched the next working day. During our peak season (May–Sept) dispatch may occasionally take one extra day due to high demand.

Most UK mainland orders arrive within 1–3 working days of dispatch. We use Royal Mail for smaller orders and DHL or similar tracked couriers for larger ones. Delivery to Scottish Highlands, Northern Ireland and remote postcodes may take 2–5 working days.

As soon as your order is dispatched, you'll receive a shipping confirmation email with your tracking number and a link to track your parcel with the courier. If you haven't received this email, check your junk/spam folder first. If you still can't find it, contact us with your order number and we'll resend it.

Yes, we deliver throughout the UK. However, free delivery applies to UK mainland addresses only. Delivery to Northern Ireland, Scottish Highlands and Islands, Isle of Man and Channel Islands may attract a surcharge which will be shown clearly at checkout. Delivery to these areas may also take a little longer typically 2–5 working days after dispatch.

We process orders quickly, so please contact us as soon as possible if you need to amend or cancel. Call us on 0333 335 6295 or email info@gardenwatering.co.uk with your order number. If your order has already been dispatched, you'll need to accept delivery and then use our returns process.

First, check your tracking link (in your dispatch email) for the latest status. If your tracking shows no movement for 3 or more working days, or if the estimated delivery date has passed, please contact us with your order number and we'll investigate with our courier straight away.

We don't currently offer a guaranteed next-day delivery service as standard. However, most orders placed before 2pm on working days are dispatched the same day and typically arrive the following working day via our standard tracked service. If your requirement is urgent, call us on 0333 335 6295 and we'll do our best to help.

We offer a 30-day no-quibble returns policy for unwanted items. Items must be unused, in their original packaging, and include all accessories. Full details are on our Returns & Refunds page.

Contact us first at returns@gardenwatering.co.uk or call 0333 335 6295 with your order number. We'll guide you through the process. Returns should be sent to: Garden Watering. The Dutch Marketplace, Great North Road, Brookmans Park, Hatfield, AL9 6ND. We recommend using a tracked service as we cannot accept responsibility for items lost in return transit.

Once we receive and inspect your return, refunds are processed within 5 working days. Refunds are always issued to your original payment method. Allow a further 3–5 working days for the refund to appear on your bank statement depending on your card provider.

Please photograph the damage and contact us within 14 days at returns@gardenwatering.co.uk. For items purchased within 3 months, we'll arrange a free returns label. We'll then repair, replace or refund whichever is most appropriate. See our Returns Policy for full details.

Unfortunately we can't accept returns on items that have been installed or used, unless they are faulty. Our 30-day returns policy applies to unused, unopened items only. If an item develops a fault through normal use after installation, please contact us and we'll assess it under our faulty goods process.

Drip irrigation delivers water slowly and directly to plant roots via micro-tubing and adjustable drippers. It's the most water-efficient method every drop goes exactly where it's needed. Ideal for pots, containers, raised beds and borders with individual plants.

Micro-jets and sprayers distribute water over a wider area via small sprayer heads on stakes typically covering 30–60cm radius each. They're quicker to install over large areas but use more water than drip. Best for dense planting, borders and greenhouse benches.

Important: never mix drip and micro-jets on the same pipe run they operate at different flow rates and one type will starve the other. Run them on separate branches.

We strongly recommend one. A pressure reducer brings mains water pressure down to the correct operating level for drip systems without it, drippers can pop off the pipe, fittings can leak, and flow rates become uneven across the system. It's a low-cost component that prevents a lot of problems. Hozelock's universal pressure reducer fits directly onto the tap or onto a standard hose connector.

The easiest way to calculate this is to use our free Drip System Designer it lets you map your garden, place drippers and automatically calculates the pipe and fittings you need. As a rough guide, measure the distance from your tap to the furthest watering point and add 20% for corners, bends and slack.

Yes with a water butt pump. A standard gravity-fed water butt doesn't have enough pressure to run a drip system, but a dedicated pump boosts the pressure to the right level. Hozelock make a range of water butt pumps compatible with their irrigation range. Using rainwater in your irrigation system is a great way to save on metered water costs.

Early morning between 5am and 8am is ideal. Water soaks in before the sun causes evaporation, and foliage dries out before nightfall which reduces fungal disease. Avoid watering in the heat of the day as much of the water evaporates before reaching plant roots. If you can't water in the morning, early evening is the next best option.

Check the soil an inch below the surface it should feel moist but not waterlogged. If it's dry, increase your watering duration or frequency. If plants are wilting in the morning (before the heat of the day), they're underwatered. Yellowing leaves combined with wet soil usually indicates overwatering. Start conservatively and adjust over the first two weeks of running your system.

In most cases, yes. Drip irrigation systems that deliver water directly to plant roots are generally exempt from hosepipe bans in the UK, particularly when used with a pressure reducer. This was confirmed during the 2012 hosepipe ban. However, exemptions can vary between water companies and ban conditions, so always check with your local water company if a ban is in effect.

Yes we sell only 100% genuine Hozelock products. We are an authorised Hozelock retailer and source all products directly through official Hozelock UK distribution channels. You can shop with confidence that every product is authentic and covered by Hozelock's manufacturer guarantee.

Hozelock is a British brand founded in 1959. The majority of their products are designed and manufactured in Birmingham, UK, where they still have their main factory. This commitment to UK manufacturing is one of the reasons Hozelock is trusted by millions of gardeners across Britain.

Yes Hozelock has kept their click-connect standard consistent for over 30 years. Old and new connectors, guns and accessories all work together. You can replace individual components or gradually upgrade your system without needing to replace everything at once.

The most common UK garden hose size is 12.5mm (½"), which is suitable for most domestic gardens. Larger 15mm (⅝") hoses deliver more water per minute and suit bigger gardens or situations where high flow is needed. For irrigation micro-tubing, Hozelock uses 13mm for main supply pipes and 4mm for runs to individual drippers these are different from garden hose sizes.

For standard Hozelock connectors, we recommend bringing them indoors or storing in a frost-free location over winter. If you want to leave connectors on your hose outdoors year-round, the Hozelock Pro range features a zinc die-cast metal sleeve specifically designed to resist frost and UV, and comes with a 3-year guarantee. Always disconnect the hose from the tap before the first frost to prevent tap damage.

We have a full library of Hozelock instruction manuals and technical documents available to download free on our Downloads & Instruction Manuals page. If you can't find the manual you need, contact us and we'll track it down for you.

It depends on how much control you need:

Mechanical (2210) simple dial, one watering session, no batteries. Great for holidays.

Select (2220) up to 3 starts per day, duration 1 min–2 hrs, rain delay. Our most popular choice for most gardens.

Sensor (2212) automatic sunrise/sunset watering, adjusts for weather conditions, no complex programming needed.

Cloud (2216) smartphone app control, weather-linked, manage from anywhere. Best for tech-savvy gardeners.

Start with 20–30 minutes for a drip system and 15–20 minutes for micro-jets, once per day. Monitor your plants for the first week and adjust if they look dry, increase the duration; if they look waterlogged or are yellowing, reduce it. Pots dry out faster than borders and may need watering twice daily in a heatwave.

Yes that's exactly how it's designed to work. The timer screws onto the tap and controls the water flow electronically. You leave the tap turned fully on, and the timer opens and closes the valve automatically according to your programmed schedule. The tap should remain on at all times while the timer is in use.

Work through these checks in order:

1. Check the battery level most Hozelock timers display a low battery warning, but try replacing the batteries first if in any doubt.

2. Confirm the tap is turned fully on.

3. Check your programmed schedule is correct particularly the start time and duration.

4. Try the manual "Water Now" function to confirm the valve is opening.

5. Check for debris in the filter at the timer inlet rinse if blocked.

If none of these resolve the issue, contact us for further assistance.

Not directly Hozelock tap timers are designed to work on mains pressure. A water butt doesn't produce enough pressure to operate the timer's valve reliably. To use timer control with a water butt, you'd need a water butt pump between the butt and the timer, which boosts the water to the required pressure. See our water butt pump range.

A standard hose setup needs three connectors: a tap connector (screws onto your outdoor tap), a hose end connector (fits the tap end of your hose), and an Aquastop connector (fits the accessory end). The Aquastop has a built-in shutoff valve that stops water flow the moment you disconnect a spray gun or sprinkler so you don't get soaked when swapping accessories.

The internal click-connect mechanism is identical on both. The Pro range adds a zinc die-cast metal sleeve over the plastic body, making it more resistant to scratches, frost and UV ideal for connectors left on the hose outdoors year-round. Pro connectors also carry a 3-year guarantee versus 1 year for standard. If you bring your hose indoors in winter, standard connectors are perfectly fine.

Leaks at the hose join are usually caused by the connector not being fully pushed onto the hose before tightening. Remove the connector, push the hose-tail fully into the end of the hose (it should reach the internal stop), then secure. If the hose is old and stiff, soften the end by placing it in hot water for a minute first. If the leak is at the tap end, check the tap connector washer isn't worn these are inexpensive to replace.

Anti-leak fittings use a compression-style locking nut the same mechanism as household plumbing to create a seal that won't pull loose over time. Unlike standard push-fit irrigation connectors (which can loosen from heat, pressure or soil movement), anti-leak fittings are safe to bury underground permanently. We stock them for both 13mm supply pipe and 4mm micro-tubing. Read our full Anti-Leak Fittings guide.

For most domestic lawns, an oscillating sprinkler is the most practical choice it covers a rectangular area, adjusts in width and length, and is simple to set up. For larger or irregularly shaped lawns, a rotating impact sprinkler gives wider circular coverage. For a permanent, completely hidden solution, pop-up sprinkler systems are the professional choice heads rise from underground when watering and retract when done.

Pop-up sprinkler systems (such as the Claber range we stock) are designed for DIY installation over a weekend no specialist tools or experience required. You'll need to dig shallow trenches for the supply pipes, position the pop-up heads, and connect to your outdoor tap. Our instruction manuals walk through the process step by step. If you'd like advice on planning your layout, call our team and we'll help.

Coverage depends on the model and your water pressure. Most Hozelock oscillating sprinklers cover up to 250m² at good mains pressure. Rotating and impact sprinklers can cover larger circular areas. Pop-up sprinkler systems can cover any size lawn you simply install as many heads as needed. Our team can help you calculate how many sprinklers and what coverage you need for your specific lawn.

Yes all sprinklers can be used with any Hozelock water timer. Simply connect the timer to your outdoor tap, then connect your hose and sprinkler as normal. The timer will turn the water on and off automatically according to your programmed schedule. This is one of the simplest ways to automate lawn watering without installing a pop-up system.