6mm Barbed Flow Control Tap - Adjustable Inline Valve for Drip Irrigation
Best for: Growers running 6mm micro-bore drip irrigation who need to throttle or shut off flow to individual pots.
Our thoughts
It's a small part, but it's the kind of small part that saves you a headache when one plant in a multi-pot drip line is getting flooded while the others are fine. A quid for a tap that lets you dial down a single line beats replacing the whole manifold. Simple, does exactly what it says.
This is a barbed inline flow control tap sized for 6mm micro-bore irrigation tubing, the tubing commonly used to run individual drip lines to pots in systems like drip feed, top-feed and recirculating hydroponic setups. The barbed ends push into 6mm tube and hold under normal system pressure, while the built-in tap lets you wind flow down or shut it off completely on that one line without touching the rest of the system.
It's a manual adjustment rather than a pressure-compensating dripper, so it won't automatically balance flow if your line pressure changes - but for fine-tuning how much water reaches each pot in a multi-pot setup, it's a quick and cheap fix.
How it compares
This sits at the basic commodity end of irrigation fittings, alongside the small parts bins most hydro retailers stock for systems like IWS, Wilma and Aquavalve.
- Vs fixed drippers with no adjustment: a flow control tap gives you manual control per line, useful when plants in the same system have different water needs.
- Vs pressure-compensating drippers (the type used in commercial Netafim-style irrigation): those self-balance across long runs but cost more and don't let you deliberately choke one line down.
- Vs full inline ball valves: functionally similar, but this barbed version is sized specifically for 6mm tube and fits straight into existing micro-irrigation setups without extra adapters.
It's a cheap, practical way to fine-tune flow on a single line rather than a precision dosing device.
Usage guidance
Fitting and adjustment are both straightforward.
Fitting
Cut your 6mm tube cleanly, push it fully onto the barbed end until it seats, and check it holds under system pressure before leaving it unattended.
Adjusting flow
Turn the tap gradually and check drip rate at the pot end rather than guessing - small adjustments make a bigger difference than they look like at the tap.
Where to use it
Fit one per pot on a multi-pot drip manifold where you need to even out or reduce flow to specific plants, such as smaller clones sharing a line with larger plants.
Technical specifications
- Tube size: 6mm barbed connection (both ends)
- Function: Manual inline flow control / shut-off tap
- Material: Plastic barbed fitting body
- Compatible systems: 6mm micro-bore drip irrigation lines used in most drip feed and recirculating hydroponic setups
- Adjustment type: Manual, non pressure-compensating
Who this is for
- Growers running multi-pot drip systems where individual plants need different flow rates
- Anyone topping up spares for an existing 6mm irrigation setup
- Growers troubleshooting uneven watering across a manifold
A handy spare to keep a few of if you're running any drip-fed multi-pot system.
Our take
It's a small, unglamorous fitting, but it solves a real and common problem - uneven flow across a drip manifold - for next to nothing.
Does exactly what it should, day in, day out. Worth grabbing a handful while you're ordering other irrigation spares.
