Safe, Easy, Low-Cost Produce Handling: Hoses and Spray Nozzles

Proper selection and management of hoses and nozzles is important to optimize efficient application of water in the wash-pack area, and to reduce the risk of cross-contamination. Using the wrong nozzle can significantly increase the time a task requires, and inferior quality equipment may need frequent replacement, costing time and money. Hoses and nozzles should be selected to safely and efficiently deliver the right pressure and volume of water for a variety of wash-pack tasks, including filling tanks, spraying bunched crops, washing and rinsing crop containers, and cleaning floors and other surfaces. 

misc hoses
This DIY hose manifold at Khelcom Farm, Barre, Vt. illustrates efficient and food safe water delivery.  The left and right poly tubes are dedicated to fill dunk tanks, and shut-off is controlled automatically with float valves.  The middle yellow coil doesn't pinch and stays off the ground, while its' blue "Wash Down Gun" is a high volume-mid-pressure spray great for rinsing bins or produce, with minimum back spray. Photo by Hans Estrin.

Design Goals

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  • Drainable, Durable and food-safe water delivery system a components.
  • Ability to apply water at the right pressure and flow rates for distinct purposes such as filling tanks, rinsing containers and surfaces, and spraying vegetable.
  • Moveable hoses, nozzles, wands, pipes, etc. stay off the ground.
  • When not in use, moveable components are easily stored out of the way
  • Water supply is easy to quickly turn on and off.
  • Condensation that forms on cold pipes or hoses does not drip onto produce or clean surfaces.

Design Elements

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  • Drainable upsized water delivery pipes have 1 to 1.5-inch diameter with 100 to 200 psi rating.
  • Dedicated nozzle(s) optimize tasks: wash pack rinsing (low pressure, high volume), tank filling (high pressure, high volume), and spraying (highest pressure, lower volume)
  • Flexible, durable “garden” hoses are 5/8”, ¾”, to 1 “ diameter,  and with 5/8 “ minimum diameter valves.
  • All pipes and hoses are food-safe (poly propylene, rubber, polyurethane) to prevent contamination from leachate (avoid vinyl hose)
  • Quick-connect fittings support fast and easy nozzle changes on individual hoses
  • For multiple hoses, a trunk line splitter, or drainable valve manifold, allows independent control of each hose
  • Hands-free nozzles optimize efficiency and ergonomics when spraying crops (e.g. ceiling drop filling hose, adjustable spray nozzle arm)
  • Back-spray is managed to prevent cross contamination, and keep workers dry (e.g. outside spray station with over-hang back splash deflecting panel)
  • Water-delivery is secured overhead, along walls or ceiling edges, avoiding areas directly over produce wash /pack zones.
  • If needed, make-shift “gutters” are hung under sweating pipes to catch condensate over produce wash pack areas.

Benefits

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  • Risk of cross contamination reduced by keeping nozzles and hoses off the ground and by managing where condensate may drip
  • Optimizing water pressure and volume for specific tasks increases wash-pack efficiency
  • Hands-free water delivery increases efficiency and employee comfort

Photos

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Hose trolley
Most growers agree:  Two highest priorities for heavy-use mobile hose (e.g. for wash-pack, green house) is to first, invest in high-quality, heavy duty rubber hose, and second, find a way for hose to stay out of the way, or off the ground, and not underfoot.  Hose hangers, coils, and trollies (shown above), are the most common affordable options.  Durable hose reels are expensive, but often worth the investment for high-volume wash pack spaces with multiple work stations.  More on hoses HERE. Photo by Andy Chamberlin.
manifold
this DIY manifold is made from heavy duty parts and lines are labelled to avoid confusion and save time managing valves.  Photo by Andy Chamberlin.
low pressure hose head
Here is an affordable and versatile hose valve and head used by many growers:  The one hand-quarter turn controls this full-volume, lower pressure watering head.  It is good for filling dunk tanks and rinsing surfaces. Photo by Andy Chamberlin.
footprint sprayer
This affordable foot-controlled hands-free bunch sprayer at Footprint Farm in Starksboro, VT, is controlled with an inline, $40 foot pedal; and the hardware-store spray nizzle is wire over a metro rack spray surface.  The foot valve increases efficiency (hands-free) and conserves water resources (spray on-demand).   One improvement would be to better shield the operator from back-spray.  Photo by Hans Estrin.
lamp arm sprayer
Zip-tie a sprayer and hose to an old spring-loaded lamp arm, mount it, and call it a "hands-free" root and bunch crop sprayer!  Although it has some limits, it is used and loved by a hand-full of small-scale market growers.  This one from Gildrien Farm, Leicester, VT.  Historic photo by Ginger Nickerson.

Authors: Hans Estrin and Vern Grubinger, UVM Extension

This work is supported by the Food Safety Outreach Program Name, project award no. 2023-70020-40688, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and should not be construed to represent any official USDA or U.S. Government determination or policy.

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