Advice on Hose Repair

[digitS']

I'm not very handy. I'll say that right off the bat. This lack of skill may be why I garden instead of doing lots of other things, like tinker in my garage every spare moment. However, we have had only about 1/2" inch of rain this summer. And, that's fairly normal . . . So, I have to run sprinklers and mess with hoses. That's almost machinery, isn't it?

Anyway, I hate Ace Hardware! Hate Lowe's and Home Depot, and True Value . . . Actually, I don't hate any of these places - it's their hoses that I hate! Either they are so cheap (even when not buying the so-called "light duty") that they barely last a season or they are so stiff that I'm in danger of leveling the plants every time I try to drag the hose thru the garden !

And, the repair kits: crappy dang things! I was in at Fred Meyers the other day (Kroger for many of you). The kit I saw in there looked good! "Metal!" says I. "This must be better than the crappy plastic types." Wrong!

I've got this hose in the backyard that must be nearly 10 years old. It's fairly well worn out. I got one for Dad at the same time as this one. His was trash the last year I had a garden in his backyard, 'o9. But, Dad's yard had more sunshine to wreck the plastic than I've got.

The thing keeps getting shorter as I replace one end or the other. I put a watering wand or a nozzle on it often and the pressure builds. It blew again today and I replaced another end. That hose must be 10 feet shorter than it once was!

Use the repair kit with screw band hose clamp. No matter what material the block-type is made out of (the one with the 2 screws), IMHO the screw band clamp is more likely to actually work! Be careful with the clamp while you are using the hose, tho'. There's a chance for cutting yourself on the band!

When you tighten the clamp -- forget about using a screwdriver. Speaking of cutting yourself . . . how about holding that round, often wet hose and NOT driving the screwdriver into the palm of your hand!!! Besides, you can't get it properly tight.

Use a socket and ratchet. Take your time . . . you can wreck that cheap clamp with a ratchet, over-tightening it.

If the clamp has been used for awhile, put a drop of oil on the threads. And, to slide the fitting into the hose -- put a drop of dishsoap on the fitting. You can slide it into the hose much, much easier that way.

Okay, bullet points:

*screw-band hose clamp best
*oil threads on old clamps
*use socket & ratchet
*dishsoap on fitting.

Now, someone who is actually handy can give opposing opinions. After all, these are just opinions of a garden-variety kind of person.

Steve

 

[NwMtGardener]

Heh, we bought some new hoses this year (made more beds, farther away from the water ) and i was FLABBERGASTED at what we paid. AND ONE WAS LIGHT DUTY, so who knows how long that will last. Then i was at Costco and saw 100' hose, heavy duty, for $20!!! I was so peeved! The light duty one is so annoying, kinks all the time!! I should just buy one of the costco ones, for the inevitability of needing a new one! And i make hubby repair them

 

[thistlebloom]

Whew! I guess you must have had a repair blowout today huh Steve? I don't have any counter opinions, in fact I'm in agreement over your solution, and sympathetic to your hose problems! !

If you don't mind I'll do some hose venting too... why why why do people buy those stupid cheap hoses at the drugstore, or wherever they sell those horrible limp hoses that plot how to frustrate you? I've been the victim of poor timing and bad repair blowouts at jobs lately, and boy, does it make me crabby!

I have begun to carry two 50' hoses with me to jobs just to avoid getting apoplectic when I have to use my customers hoses. And I'd rather not... my truck is fairly well crammed with tools now, and loading debris for haul off on top of that means using lots of tie downs...

I bought a hose about 4 years ago at D&B (feed and farm ) that was deceptively inexpensive. It cost about 30 bucks for 90 feet. I know, it's not 10 years, but it's stood up really well to my abuse. It's just starting to get a permanent bend at the end where I kink it to put a sprinkler or whatever on, bad habit of mine. For work I use a black Goodrich hose (two actually) that are good quality, generally don't kink, and aren't too stiff.
I know what you mean about stiff hoses tho'. My husband gave me one he retired, he had it about 20 years and it's still in fine shape, but it was , or rather is, one of those very expensive real rubber ones that aren't very cooperative in a garden.

Hoses...what would we do without them, but aren't they a pain?

 

[thistlebloom]

Heh, we bought some new hoses this year (made more beds, farther away from the water ) and i was FLABBERGASTED at what we paid. AND ONE WAS LIGHT DUTY, so who knows how long that will last. Then i was at Costco and saw 100' hose, heavy duty, for $20!!! I was so peeved! The light duty one is so annoying, kinks all the time!! I should just buy one of the costco ones, for the inevitability of needing a new one! And i make hubby repair them

Be careful about those Costco hoses Heather! They may be a different brand now, but a year or two ago I bought two, hey what a deal! Yeah, right... they were among the very worst I've ever used!
And- the package said " UNKINKABLE! GUARANTEED!!! "
Well the rest is history...

 

[digitS']

DD's little dog, Garbanzo, was here - we were puppy sitting. She's over a year old but only weighs 6 pounds - a toy poodle/cairn terrier. Sweet little dog.

So, she's watching safely from the deck as I rinse some things. BLAM!!! Water hits the underside of the deck roof!

Don't get me wrong. A ten year-old hose is all I can expect. And, expect a blow-out? Sure, it has happened about 4 times over the last 4 years. The tired thing can't last much longer. But, it has been a good hose. I hate to see it go!

Nearly all my hoses, including the ones I bought last year, have been repaired. Only 2 of very substantial construction look like they will last 6 years with no repairs - and another 4 years beyond that with minor tinkering. They aren't getting a whole lot of use, however, because they are so stiff!

Garbanzo will just have to get used to ol' Granddad's exploding hoses . . .

Steve

 

[Southern Gardener]

I have a heavy duty hose that I've had for years and I loved it until I had to replace the end. Yup, I've replaced it with that plastic junk 3 times and I can never get the band to tighten up so I keep having blowouts. I'm going to get a hose clamp this time and see if that works.

 

[curly_kate]

Hoses drive me a very special brand of crazy! I've tried repairing them when the fittings get smushed or whatever, and they are never the same. I invested in 2 "never-kink" hoses (I think that's the actual brand name), and they actually do live up to their name. Now I just have to be very careful not to leave them out where we can run over the fittings.

 

[seedcorn]

I only buy the reinforced hoses now. Cost a little more up front but worth it to me. The 1/2 unlined hoses cause me to lose my religion so they are not a good value even if free.

I'm over repairing hoses unless I damaged it. If it gives on it's own, then it's worn out. My set is over 24 years old so I can't compare to the new ones. I use to irrigate out of the local creek when it gets dry. Now my wife loves to run over my hose w/mower. I fix it altho I'm tempted to just let it leak so that she will learn to take care of something--I can dream can't I???

 

[lesa]

The only thing I find more irritating than hoses, is those stupid sprayer attachments. I would gladly spend big money on a hose and sprayer that would actually last a few years, instead of a few months!! Have had some luck repairing hoses, but nothing to brag about!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Use the repair kit with screw band hose clamp. No matter what material the block-type is made out of (the one with the 2 screws), IMHO the screw band clamp is more likely to actually work! Be careful with the clamp while you are using the hose, tho'. There's a chance for cutting yourself on the band!

I agree the screw band hose clamp is more likely to work, but I don't use them. It's not that I mind the sight of blood all that much, even when it is my own, but it is something I actively try to avoid.

I also have a lot of trouble getting a repair kit that actually works. Most of the ones I put on blow out pretty quickly. Try to get one specifically made for your hose size. I've never gotten one that is supposed to be good for two different hose sizes to actually work. The others, occasionally I get one that works.