Leaky Pipe Systems Ltd

Leaky Pipe Systems Ltd: porous hose irrigation made in Kent

Leaky Pipe Systems Ltd is a British manufacturer and supplier of porous hose sub-surface irrigation systems, based at Frith Farm in East Farleigh, near Maidstone. The company states that it manufactures its Leaky Pipe porous hoses in the UK so that it can stand behind the quality of what it sells, and it distributes the product both as loose components and as ready-made watering kits.

The business frames its product around water efficiency: the porous hose releases water below the surface, which the company presents as a way to care for expensive or newly planted material while keeping maintenance costs low. Its catalogue is aimed at gardeners as well as at professional users in landscaping and horticulture.

From soft fruit to green roofs: a history since 1985

The company dates its commitment to porous hose watering techniques to 1985. It reports that the product first found use in the 1980s in soft fruit, vegetable and flower growing, where the flexible hose earned a reputation in commercial horticulture as a dependable irrigator for mid- to long-term cropping.

In 1986 the original product appeared at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, which the company describes as its introduction to the keen amateur market. During the 1990s, Leaky Pipe moved into landscape construction and maintenance, used as a discreet and cost-efficient way to water parks and gardens, green roofs, green screens, embankments and large planter areas. The company notes that its simplicity appealed to designers, quantity surveyors and installers, and links it to lower plant losses and faster establishment of soft landscaping.

As a concrete example, it cites the screening mounds at Arla Foods in Aston Clinton, Aylesbury, where plant losses reportedly fell from 70% to virtually zero.

Garden watering kits and system components

The range is organised into several product families, several of which are sold as kits for specific planting situations:

• All-inclusive combination garden irrigation kits.
• Raised garden bed watering kits.
• Hedge irrigation kits.
• Vegetable garden watering kits.
• Hanging basket and pot watering kits.
• Leaky Pipe porous soaker hoses and supply pipe.
• Push-fit, Hosesnap and compression connectors, plus brass fittings and combination compression/push-fit connectors.
• Tap timers, pressure reducing valves and filters, valve boxes, lawn sprinkler pipe clips and stakes.

The company also publishes guidance for choosing equipment by garden size, with selections for small, medium and large gardens, and explains that a basic amateur setup can consist of Leaky Pipe, Polytube, a few barbed fittings and a battery-powered timer. For larger schemes it offers systems that adjust themselves according to weather shifts.

Commercial and landscape applications

Beyond domestic gardens, the catalogue addresses commercial Leaky Pipe systems. The company positions the hose for borders, hedging and trees as well as for the landscape contexts listed above, and maintains a section of questions dedicated to commercial installations. It also sells timers, pressure reducing valves and Leaky Pipe as a combination intended to comply with hosepipe bans.

Advice, guides and customer feedback

The site includes help videos and guides covering the benefits of drip irrigation, automatic watering systems, planning and assembling a system, using different water sources, troubleshooting, and questions about delivery, payments, stock and manufacturing. The company presents itself as offering detailed, practical advice drawn from experience.

Customer reviews displayed on the site include praise for prompt dispatch, next-day arrival and telephone guidance on installation and product choice; one reviewer describes Leaky Pipe as the Rolls Royce of this type of irrigation pipework. These are individual testimonials rather than a verified rating.

Orders, delivery and payment

Leaky Pipe Systems sells through an online shop with a cart and account login. The site lists UK-made products, fast delivery, secure payment and acceptance of all cards via Shopify Payments, with dispatch by first class Royal Mail, DHL and UKMail. It also publishes pages on payment methods, shipping options, terms and conditions, and guarantees.