The Perfect Garden Hose – Love at First Sight?

Finding the perfect garden hose is seldom as simple as walking into a hardware store and grabbing the first hose you spot on the shelf. Many people don’t put much thought into buying a garden hose at all, which costs them in the long run. They may end up with a garden hose that kinks and twists and makes watering the garden far more difficult than it needs to be. They may end up with a hose that splits or breaks, or a cheap garden hose that breaks off from the garden hose fittings. That cheap garden hose they thought was such a bargain can end up costing them a lot more than they planned.

Even a cheap garden hose will cost you $12 to $15. A high-quality garden hose will cost you anywhere from $20 to $50, depending on the size and type of hose you choose. The cheap hose may get you through one summer season – if you’re lucky. A good ½ inch garden hose or ¾ inch garden hose, on the other hand, can easily last you five to ten years. Do the math and it’s easy to see why it makes more sense to buy a high-quality garden hose instead of dishing out $15 every summer for a hose that won’t last.

Beyond quality, though, there are a number of things to consider when you’re picking up a new hose for your garden. Here are the most important considerations to help you choose the perfect garden hose, even if it’s not one you fall in love with at first sight.

Use

How are you planning to use your garden hose? If you’re like most people, you want a basic hose that you can use to water the garden one day and wash your car the next. A standard water hose will suit your needs just fine. Will you leave it outside or store it inside? If you need a hose throughout the year in an area that dips into the freezing temperatures, you’ll want to buy a heated garden hose to make your life easier and prolong its life. If your hose won’t go much further than your patio, your best option may be a coil garden hose, which takes up little space and looks good on your patio. Finally, consider a drinking safe garden hose, especially if you’ll be using it around small children or plan to water vegetables with it. These hoses are made of materials that won’t leach into the water, making them safer and healthier to use.

Reach

Consider how far you want to be able to reach with your garden hose and choose a length that will just get there. The further the water has to travel through the hose, the lower your water pressure will be when it gets there. If you do most of your gardening within 25 feet of the water faucet but occasionally want to drag it out to the driveway, you’re better off getting two 25-foot hoses and coupling them when you need more reach.

Choosing the right garden hose for your needs can save you money and make your life easier. Before you head out to the hardware store, figure out how you’ll use the hose and how far you want it to reach and you’ll find your choice is much easier to make.

Is It Time to Replace Your Garden Hose?

April showers bring May flowers, but your garden hose can certainly make a difference. As the year rolls into gardening season throughout the country, it’s time to inspect your garden hose and decide whether it’s up to all the jobs you’ll use it for this spring and summer.

What to Look for When Inspecting Your Garden Hose

If you stored your garden hose properly for the winter – unless, of course, you had a heated garden hose that stayed out for the season – chances are that it’s in good shape for the year. A high quality garden hose will last for up to ten years if you take good care of it. A cheap garden hose, on the other hand, may not even get you through a full season.

Inspect the hose around the garden hose fittings for any fraying or wear. The hose is most likely to fray and wear around the connectors. If there’s even a little wear, your hose could sprout leaks at the spigot, which will waste water and make it harder to do the tasks you need to do.

Uncoil the hose and check its flexibility. A quality garden hose should uncoil smoothly and lay straight when you stretch it out. A cheaper vinyl garden hose without nylon braiding for reinforcement will very likely have settled into the coils and may not want to unroll. It may even have developed kinks that won’t release at all.

Check the length of the hose for cracks, splits or hard spots. Squeeze it gently along its entire length and be conscious of any areas where it feels different. Those areas may have hardened and become prone to cracking or splitting when you run water through it.

If everything seems fine, hook up your garden hose to the faucet and turn on the water to do a final test. If all of the tests go well, congratulations!

If, on the other hand, your garden hose fails any of these tests, it’s probably time to do some repair work on it or replace it with a new one.

Replace or Repair Your Garden Hose?

If the only place you find wear on your garden hose is close to the fittings, the repair job is a fairly easy one. You can purchase brass garden hose fittings from a supplier of garden hoses and gardening supplies. Cut the old garden hose fittings off with a sharp knife, making sure to remove the worn part of the vinyl. Follow the package directions to replace it with the new fitting.

If the damage to your hose is more extensive, you should replace the entire thing. Invest in a high quality garden hose so you won’t have to replace it again in a year or two. You’ll find many different types and sizes of garden hoses available, including ½ inch garden hose and 5/8 inch garden hose, the most popular sizes for general home use. Choose the right garden hose for your needs – and don’t forget a good garden hose reel to keep it safe and prevent damage to it when you’re doing yard work.