Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

Pressure washer suction hose for a water butt

Updated: October 2026

The outside tap does not reach the car, or there is no tap, and the water you do have is in a butt. A pressure washer suction hose for a water butt only helps if the manual says that machine can draw from a container. Keep the strainer under the surface, off the silt, and weighted if it floats, and stop before the container runs dry. The ten hoses, with prices, are on the [suction hose comparison](/hub/garden-watering/suction-hose). Products Compared used amazon.co.uk listings from 15 October 2026. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Priming steps are on [how to prime](/hub/garden-watering/suction-hose/sub/suction-hose-how-to-prime).

The outside tap does not reach the car, or there is no tap, and the water you do have is in a butt. A pressure washer suction hose for a water butt only helps if the manual says that machine can draw from a container.

Our top picks

YUET YUET washer kit

Best overall

YUET YUET washer kit
6.8/10about £14.43
View offer
WASH IT! WASH IT! 2.5 m kit

Alternative

WASH IT! WASH IT! 2.5 m kit
5.2/10about £13.95
View offer
TOPWAYS TOPWAYS 3 m washer kit

Rank 3

TOPWAYS TOPWAYS 3 m washer kit
8.0/10about £11.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Where the strainer has to sit
  2. 2.When the intake floats
  3. 3.Bucket, butt, and how long the water lasts
  4. 4.Length, lift, and a full butt

Where the strainer has to sit

STIHL UK’s rainwater advice says to use the filtered kit, keep the strainer under the surface and off the bottom, and stop before the butt runs dry. That page limits that STIHL kit to 1 m of depth. The 1 m line is that kit’s limit, not a depth for every washer. A strainer on the floor of the butt pulls the grit the mesh was meant to stop. Hang or prop the intake so it stays covered and clear of the base. If the water level falls to the strainer, switch off. Seven listings are washer inlet kits for a bucket or a butt. VEATON is a garden-pump inlet. PATIKIL and Meksular are bare tubes with no washer strainer. Which type you needed is on the buying guide.

When the intake floats

A filter full of air sits on the surface and sucks air, even when the butt is full. TOPWAYS lists a self-sinking block with the mesh, and UK reviews still say the intake floats unless you weigh it down. Hierbla’s instructions, in one UK review, tell you to put a stone in the black filter if it floats. NAMOTEK’s intake needs a weight as well. A stone is a buyer workaround, not a tested accessory, and it has to stay out of the pump. NAMOTEK, YUET, Hierbla and SSEHCWAN each say both “50 micron” and “50 mesh”. Those are different apertures, and neither was measured here.
YUET YUET washer kit

Testsieger

YUET YUET washer kit
6.8/10about £14.43
View offer

Bucket, butt, and how long the water lasts

UK reviews name containers, not litres per minute, so there is no flow rate to quote. YUET reviews mention emptying a barrel or a paddling pool. WASH IT reviews mention 25 litre containers and 220 litre barrels. A 25 litre container is a short job. A 220 litre barrel still runs out if you keep the lance open. Stop when the intake is about to break the surface. A live water-company notice has to be read. A suction hose does not make every mains-fed wash lawful, and this page does not set out the ban. Water Regs UK describes a Type AA or AB air gap for alternative supplies. Do not cross-connect a butt to the drinking-water pipe.

Length, lift, and a full butt

Length only helps where the title and the catalogue agree. WASH IT is 2.5 m on both, enough for a bucket beside the washer. TOPWAYS is 3 m on both. Hierbla’s title says 3 m and the catalogue says 500 cm. One reviewer’s “about 200 feet” is the distance to the house, not the hose. YUET’s title says 15 m and the catalogue length is 20 cm. One YUET review says a new Kärcher K2 on a full butt starved the pump. A full butt does not fix a machine that cannot draw. Raising the container is a gravity-feed idea from a helpline note, not a reason to buy a longer hose.

Common questions

Can the strainer sit on the bottom of the butt?
No. STIHL UK tells you to keep the intake off the bottom so it does not pull silt, and to stop before the butt runs dry. A strainer in the sludge blocks the mesh the kit was sold with. Prop it clear of the base and still fully under the surface. The 1 m depth on that STIHL page applies to that kit, not to every washer.
Why does the filter float?
The filter housing holds air, so it rises unless something weighs it down. TOPWAYS claims a self-sinking block, and UK reviews still report a floating intake. Hierbla’s reviewed instructions say to put a stone in the black filter. NAMOTEK needs a weight too. A filter on the surface feeds the pump air, which looks like a failed prime.
Is “50 micron” the same as “50 mesh” on these listings?
No. NAMOTEK, YUET, Hierbla and SSEHCWAN print both phrases. They describe different apertures, and this comparison did not measure either one. Treat them as seller wording. Silt control still depends on where you hang the strainer, not on which of those two numbers you prefer.
How much water does a bucket job use, from the reviews in this set?
The reviews do not give litres per minute. They name the container. WASH IT reviewers mention 25 litre containers and 220 litre barrels. YUET reviewers mention emptying a barrel or a paddling pool. TOPWAYS and NAMOTEK reviewers mention a bucket or a butt when there is no tap. A small bucket is a short wash. It is not a full car if you keep spraying.
Is 2.5 m enough to reach a bucket beside the washer?
WASH IT is 2.5 m on the title and in the catalogue, which matches a bucket next to the machine. It will not reach a butt at the other end of a patio. Use a length only where title and catalogue agree. Hierbla’s “about 200 feet” in one review is not the hose length.
Does a suction hose make a mains-fed wash lawful during a ban?
No. The ban tracks the water company’s supply. Rainwater already in a butt is discussed as a different source on water-company pages, and a live notice can still restrict how you use stored mains water. Read that notice. This hose page does not replace it.

Related pages

Best suction hose

Suction hose

Pressure washer suction hose buying guide for the UK

How to prime a pressure washer suction hose safely

Wire reinforced suction hose vs a pressure washer kit

Sources

Sources checked for this comparison; last retrieved on 15 October 2026.

  1. Water Industry Act 1991, section 76 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  2. Thames Water, temporary hosepipe ban FAQs (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  3. Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999, Schedule 2 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  4. Water Regs UK, backflow protection for alternative water sources (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  5. Kärcher GB, SH 5 suction hose (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  6. Bosch DIY, self-priming kit (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  7. STIHL UK, how to use a pressure washer on rainwater (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 (retrieved 15 October 2026)