Fix leaky garden hoses quickly and cheaply.
A garden hose is an essential outdoor home tool, used for washing cars, watering plants, filling pools and rinsing off muddy pet paws. When it springs a leak (or two), there's nothing more frustrating as it sprays water in your face, on your clothes and down the storm drain - everywhere you DON'T want it to go. Fortunately, fixing a garden hose is a pretty easy task, and is a lot cheaper than buying a new one. I always try to repair hoses before replacing them, both to save money and to reduce my landfill contribution. Not all leaks are the same so every fix might require a different approach— there's more than one way to fix the most common leaks. Quick Connector
Determine the size of your garden hose before heading to the hardware store for repair parts. The three common sizes of garden hose are 1/2-, 5/8-, and 3/4-inch, referencing the inside diameter (ID) of the hose. The outside diameter (OD) is typically 1/8-inch larger than the ID, so a 5/8-inch hose has a 3/4-inch OD.
If water is leaking from either end of the hose, such as at the outdoor faucet or spray attachment, the fix could be as simple as replacing the rubber washers in the female end of the hose and or spray attachment.
If a leak is within a foot of the male or female connectors, cut off the end of the hose and replace the connector.
If the leak is at the hose ends or in the middle of the hose, use a clamp coupler to repair.
This type of repair works best to repair leaks in the middle of the hose.
If the leak is in the middle of the hose, a compression mender is a quick and easy fix. The best part is it doesn’t require any tools. This is my go-to hose repair fitting.
It can cost between $30 to $125 to replace a garden hose depending on the length, size and quality.
In a pinch, tape can be used to patch a small hose in a garden hose, but is not a reliable long-term solution. I have used tape to repair a hose when I was in the middle of a project and didn’t have time to run to the store, but it was only a temporary repair.
All residential garden hoses manufactured for use in the United States have a 3/4-in. fitting to attach to all outdoor faucets and watering accessories.
Next, learn how to winterize and store garden hoses.
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