The term "hose sprayer" describes any spray nozzle that is attached to a hose. It is most commonly associated with detachable sprayers used in conjunction with garden hoses and with the permanently attached hose sprayers often found in kitchens. The purpose of a hose sprayer is to provide a spray or mist of fluid, usually water.
Part of the attraction of a hose sprayer is the ability to produce a higher rate of pressure. When the water is concentrated and dispensed through a few small holes, it comes out with considerably more force than is typically found in a home garden hose or kitchen faucet. This allows the user to send relatively high-power streams of water at a given surface, a factor that can help make cleaning more efficient. This concentration of pressure also allows the water to travel farther.
A hose sprayer, particularly when attached to a garden hose, can also be used to create lower pressure sprays. Water that is directed through a large number of smaller holes creates a fine mist. This is useful for tasks such as watering flowers because the low-pressure spray is unlikely to damage delicate petals.
In most cases, a hose sprayer is operated by means of a clutch trigger. The water flows into the sprayer, but is not dispensed until the operator pulls the trigger. When the operator lets go of the trigger, water stops spraying.
Often, a garden hose-style sprayer can be adjusted to various rates of spray from fine to course. They are generally detachable and screw onto and off of the threaded end of a standard garden hose. They can usually be purchased at home improvement stores, hardware stores and in the lawn and garden sections of many department stores. Additionally, cleaners and some garden chemicals are sometimes made in bottles that attach to garden hoses and have trigger-style spray nozzles attached.
Usually, the hose sprayer used in a kitchen is not detachable. It is generally affixed to the end of a retractable hose that fits into a special notch next to the faucet. Detachable units that consist of both a hose and sprayer can be affixed to some faucets.
While these are the most commonly seen residential examples, a hose sprayer can be used in many different situations. The term also can be used to describe components of tools such as paint sprayers and pressure washers, for instance. Likewise, industrial versions are seen in commercial kitchens and in other manufacturing environments where materials or products must be sprayed with water or other liquids.