Money-saving ideas for your garden hose

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/06/2007 (6839 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

DOES your garden hose look like a snake attempting to swallow an inordinately large meal? Or maybe it has a small pinhole leak that occasionally squirts you in the eye. More important, your hose might be leaking massively, wasting precious water and leaving you with little or no water pressure.

If you’ve had these problems, or you’re not sure if you have, you need to read on.

In this Garden Hose 101, we have money-saving ideas for you on proper daily storage, tips for making your hose last longer, and easy repair tips.

Garden hoses are available in a variety of lengths with the most popular length being 15 metres.

Hoses are also available in several diameters, and the greater the diameter, the greater the water flow.

Also, hoses are made from three different types of material: vinyl, nylon-reinforced vinyl and rubber. Nylon-reinforced vinyl is the most popular. Rubber is great, but because it is so soft it easily kinks. Still, rubber is best for use with hot water.

The worst place to leave a hose is in the sun. Sunlight damages everything, and hose material can stand only so much sunlight and heat before it permanently stretches. Hang it in full shade or beneath a tree or in a hose storage container. We like the container because our hoses stay cleaner.

Also, don’t leave water in your hose when you store it. A hose filled with water and left in the sun can become a small boiler plant. Title this one: “How to ruin a hose in one easy lesson.” Subtitle: “Fill it with superheated water.”

If you live in a climate where it freezes, be sure to empty the hose and store it inside. A frozen brittle hose usually becomes a frozen cracked hose.

A hose will last longer if it is not kinked or twisted (at exercise class this would be referred to as a bad stretch). Unwrap your hose before each use.

Don’t let it kink and remember this common mistake: Folks tend to think that just because the hose is more flexible than a run of solid pipe it can be stretched an extra third of a metre or so to reach that remote spot in the yard. Each time the hose is stretched, the connection at the faucet fitting becomes weaker. Eventually it will leak or become detached.

Instead of yanking on the hose, extend it with a small hose section or locate additional hose “bibs” (exterior hose faucets) at those hard-to-reach points in the yard.

For added protection, install a rubber sleeve or metal spring guard to surround the hose at the location where it attaches to the hose bib. This will minimize stress at this very vulnerable location. Also, keep the hose loosely wound on a suitable hose rack. A large nail, a piece of pipe or other makeshift hangers simply won’t do.

Hose replacement parts and repair kits are available at most hardware stores, home improvement centers and garden supply shops.

— Associated Press