[gilesm]

Currently I have a range of top-end Hoselock hosepipes feeding water around to various animals, but I'm eyeing up the blue plastic pipes (20mm).

I need to extend our water reach by a few hundred metres and would like it to be fit & forget.

The costs seem to be fairly similar, but should I stick with what I know (decent hosepipe) or is now the time to embrace the blue pipe?

[Scotsdumpy]

The trouble with fit and forget blue pipe is that you can forget where you've laid it and cut through it at an inopportune moment! Also, if not buried deep enough the pipe can be frost damaged and start leaking - it's not always obvious where the leak is... at least with a hosepipe you can wind it up and store safely until needed again - just don't leave it full of water in the freezing weather. All the above from personal experience!!!!!

[cloddopper]

One of our friends a farmer runs his blue pipe along fencing ,  cable tied to a solid straining wire .
Come winter frost warnings he simply turns it off at the stop cock and opens all taps & the drain cock that's situated  just above the stop cock . He them blows compressed air from a portable 12 volt tractor tyre inflator through the pipe for five or so minutes to take out most of the water . 

The stop cock & drain end of the pipe at the supply end are enclosed a polystyrene lined removeable 600 x 600 x 600 ply cover that sits on the ground weighted down with a half breeze block . The soil temperature inside the cover stops it freezing up

 It's been there for over 10 years to my knowledge . Though it came apart this year at a pipe joining union on the fencing .  The pipe had developed a big sag where several consecutive cable ties had failed . The 20 foot long sag stayed filled with undrained water , so the Beast from the East froze it.

 All the cable ties have now been replaced with UV resistant industrial use ones
 Being a blue plastic water pipe  it does have some ability to take up some ice expansion should it be a short mild frost .

[Womble]

Being a blue plastic water pipe  it does have some ability to take up some ice expansion should it be a short mild frost .

We have a 50m run of 22mm blue pipe feeding our polytunnel. Although it's mostly buried now, it certainly wasn't originally. I reckon it must freeze solid every winter, and it hasn't yet caused us a problem.

[shep53]

Maybe 300mt of blue pipe waters the sheep shed and poly tunnel in 3 lines, each line has a tap on the end and when frost is forecast I just let the tap dribble , the ewes have to have water and this system works even this year

[honeyend]

I have hose pipe near the house, just because its more flexible and blue pipe in the paddocks which just lies on the ground.
 We try and turn the blue pipe furthest troughs off in the winter, its not the pipe that breaks but the joints as we have very long runs, it goes under the road. I like the blue pipe because you can add taps, joints and connect to troughs. Hosepipe is just not tough enough I have to replace every two years.