Garden hoses make our job as gardeners infinitely easier , and can do so for age to come – when they ’re properly cared for .
Even a musical rhythm - up , veteran one that ’s served you well for a while now can have its tour of duty extended a bit longer with the right treatment .
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As a dude who ’s put in more than a few hr watering athirst landscape plant , I amextremelythankful for the humble garden hose .
Without it , us gardeners would have to make more or less a zillion tripper with a bucket or watering can , each one leaving our leg splashed with enough jostled water to look like we ’ve wet ourselves .
Or mayhap that ’s just me … it ’s what I get for filling up to the lip , I guess .
Regardless , our garden hoses should receive all the TLC we can give , lest they break and squeeze us to go back to those dark , “ tug - all - our - irrigation - around - like - Neolithic - farmers ” mean solar day .
Which would be groovy for building up our traps and forearms , but kinda crummy for irrigate landscapes quickly .
In this guide , we ’ll handle a brief hosiery flat coat , how to foreclose price , and how to sterilize said hurt , if necessary .
We ’ll also go over what to look for in a permutation , if acquiring a replacement ever becomes necessary .
Here ’s a roadmap of where we ’re going :
What You’ll Learn
Tips for Preventing Wear and Tear
When care for and decent maintained , a well - used garden hose can last five to 10 years … or sometimes more ! Let ’s go over how to make that hap .
First thing first – in gardening , it ’s really significant to live about the dreaded kink .
In a perfect earth , tube would continue perfectly untwisted , and gently twist as demand .
But as gardener block hoses around from plant life to institute , they can sharply deform , twist , or otherwise become contorted with one or morekinks .
Once a kink forms , it becomes easier and easier for that kinked spot to re - kink in the future , sort of like a newspaper ’s plication becomes easier and easy to fold over time .
And just as a strong crimp can easily tear , an often - kinked section of tubing is at a in high spirits risk of splitting .
Always be mindful of your hosepipe ’s position as you use it . Lay it out away from obstacle like building corners or tree trunks so it does n’t snag on and sharply fold over them .
When unraveling from a coil pile , mildly point the tubing in your script in the direction that it want to face , rather than strive it into a twisted position . If it feels like you ’re forcing it one way or another , you probably are .
The same fit for re - coiling as well . Whether you opt to coil the tube in a undivided looped dress circle or in a fig eight pattern , make certain to wind it up in the way that it naturally wants to go .
When hanging your gyre , do n’t reside it on a single , skinny anchor point , as the small surface surface area can leave to a kink of its own . check that to spread the free weight out over multiple points of contact lens , or at least a single spacious one , such as you might with a hosepipe bobbin .
We ’ve got an ampleroundup of hose reels right on herefor ya if you ’re explore your choice .
Most of the time , rick happen by stroke , but sometimes they may be knowing . Heck , I ’ve been guilty of purposely putting a sharp fold in a hosiery so that I stay on ironic while changing out sprinkler heads or nozzles .
While itcansave you sentence and water system , this habitual kinking will eventually exit the tube with a hole where the kink used to be .
fend the temptation to kink the tube at the destruction , and always turn the water on or off by using the faucet . I know the prospicient trek back to the spigot is a hassle , but so is a rip garden hose … I ’m speaking to my preceding ego on this one .
Of course , you could always just use a hose snout , which will only permit piss out when you displume the gun trigger . From long , cascade - principal wand to sidearm - sized unity with multiple nebuliser setting , options abound .
instead , you could invest in a few quick - alteration adapters to save endless trips back and forth across the yard .
Adapters easily attach to honker end and sprinkler foreland , and pop apart chop-chop when it ’s time to shift sprinklers . They also have a baffle inside of them that shut off the stream of water , making the undertaking of throw out sprinklers a breeze .
I ’d really suggest springing for brass adapters , as they typically last much longer than the plastic 1 – those lean to last a couple of weeks to several months before produce issues .
check over out this brass set of straightaway connectors , offered by Nelson via Amazon .
Brass Hose Quick Connectors
This in all probability become without tell , but be aware of your hose when laying it out across a private road or street . I would n’t make a habit of drive over one with your vehicle , especiallynot while the water ’s running .
check that to be extra cautious with the connections , too , as they likely wo n’t live a unmarried automobile flattening .
The sunshine is also a potential scourge to keep in nous . Over time , the ultraviolet ray of the Sunday can distort , harm , and disintegrate a garden hose .
A sunshine - damaged tube can develop warps and bulged region that look like a Snake River swallowing an orange .
Therefore , a hose should be screen from the sunshine whenever it ’s not in function . In a shed , beneath an sunblind , or even under a destine hosepipe cover .
The cover does n’t have to be anything particular , but it must provide total blockage from the Sunday .
However , I believe in form following role , and a bearer such as a shaded bobbin or embrace bay window can be a stylish substance of sun shielding .
For a container that looks like it could hold a snake in the grass smoothy ’s cobra just as easily as a garden hose , CobraCo offers a copper - finish bearer , emblazon with range of a function of fashionable bird and blossom .
Bird Motif Copper Finish Hose Holder with Lid
If you ’re interested , it’savailable from Amazon .
Before storing you should also verify to debilitate away any sitting weewee , as it can promote the growth of pathogens and degrade the inner thermionic valve .
Plus , come wintertime , sit pee can blow up and bust the tube from the interior .
To drain the hosepipe , angle it along a downward - facing slope so gravity can do all the work .
Fixing Garden Hose Damage
Near the sprinkler division of your favorite home improvement store , you may have point out a large shelf stocked with hose repair components .
No matter how bad the mangling , there ’s in all probability a outfit available to recompense it .
Kits mostly cover three introductory area : refilling for the nozzle end , replacements for the receiving end , and a way to splicing and restore a leak in the middle .
haunt kits tend to be pretty inexpensive and well-heeled to use , often requiring nothing more than a screwdriver and a sharp tongue .
Repairing a hosiery is far less expensive than buying a new one , and when done properly , it can extend its life for a while longer .
Once again , choose for Al or brass rather than punk charge card . Also , be certain that you order the right kit , size of it - wise .
Aluminum fix Kit with Clamps
Here ’s an aluminum repair kit for a 5/8 - inch hosiery , sell by Orbit on Amazon .
Need a New One? What to Look For
Aside from adequate tending and upkeep , selecting a in high spirits - timbre garden hosethat suffer your need will check that it hold out for a estimable long while .
When considering durability for the foresightful haul , it ’s worth keep materials and the degree of reinforcement in mind .
The correct cloth can make all the difference , believe me . The potent the fabric , the less maintenance and babying it needs . A strong material will last longer , all else hold back equal .
Typically , hose are made of vinyl , rubber , polyurethan , or alloy .
Vinyl is cheap and lightweight , but it is the least durable stuff .
you could easily move vinyl group around without much strain , but you ’ll have to be extra careful to protect it from sunshine degradation and kinking .
However , I would be remiss if I failed to cite the toxic chemicals that decompose vinyl can leach into water .
Rubber is middling tough , with ample resistance to kinking and sun worsening . However , its heavy free weight can be a real pain to lift and maneuver .
Polyurethane is light than rubber and even more pliant than vinyl radical , but it has a low water insistency limit , or pounds per square inch rating . Plus , this eccentric can cost a pretty cent .
Metal is actually pretty overpowered in the strong point section .
Lightweight , extremist tough , and with no risk of kinking , it can be left alfresco in the component year - round , needing no coddling whatsoever . But it often has a scurvy pounds per square inch paygrade and limited water flow .
Like tissues or toilet paper , hoses are often reinforced with multiple layers , orplies .
The more plies , the stronger the tube . The strong the tube , the less susceptible it is to damage , and the longer it will last .
But at the end of the day , you have to ensure you ’re quenched with the serviceableness . There ’s no use in having an undestroyable hosiery if you detest to hold up and move it , you fuck what I intend ?
The Hose Knows
It ’s reliable . In terms of how it ’s been treat , your hose keeps the score .
A kinked - up , distorted , or torn one indicates negligence , whereas one that ’s pristine , undamaged , and otherwise attractive says a lot about a gardener ’s aid .
With the above tips , you could keep your hose poppin ’ – in a figurative , slangy sort of way , of course . Actual poppage is a sign of a falling out , which should be taken fear of ASAP .
Seeking otherhandy gardening equipment tutorials ? If I could direct your care below …
© Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more details . earlier published on August 15 , 2014 . Last update on July 2 , 2023 . mathematical product photos via CobraCo , Nelson , and Orbit . Uncredited photograph : Shutterstock .
About
Joe Butler
