Electric water gun: where does the range actually come from?
Electric water guns have become popular over recent summers, and the differences between models are bigger than the photos suggest.
Range comes from two things
Pressure pushes the water out, but the nozzle decides how the stream behaves. A wide opening gives lots of water and little distance. A narrow one gives distance but empties faster and feels thinner.
Most manufacturers quote maximum range, measured with a full tank, fresh battery and the nozzle angled up. In practice you get about two thirds of that. Not a problem as long as you know that 10 metres on the box means roughly 6 to 7 in the garden.
Tank size versus weight
Here you have to choose. A litre of water weighs a kilo, so a 1.5 litre tank makes the whole thing quite heavy for a child. A bigger tank means longer play but also tiring sooner.
For children up to around eight a smaller tank is often nicer, even though it sounds like less value. A gun that is too heavy stays on the ground.
What to look for
- Filling. A wide opening you can hold a garden hose into saves a lot of patience. Small caps are a source of irritation.
- Battery type. Rechargeable is cheaper over time and gives steadier pressure. Disposable batteries weaken as they drain and the range visibly drops.
- Sealed electronics. Sounds obvious on a water gun, but not every model seals the switch properly. Look for experiences on this.
- Suction hose. Some models draw straight from a bucket or paddling pool. That saves endless walking back and forth.
The 42 cm electric water gun is in the automatic feed category, so continuous spraying without pumping.
Practical use
Fill with clean water. Ditch water or water from a butt contains sand, and sand wears the pump out within a season. Drain the tank afterwards and let the gun dry open, because standing water in a pump starts to smell and can seize things up.
And keep it away from faces and ears during play. The pressure of an electric model is higher than a pump action one, and that gets underestimated.