How Does a Heated Garden Hose Work?

If you have regular need for a garden hose outdoors in below-freezing temperatures, you may be doing a lot more work than you have to do. Letting water freeze inside your garden hose can weaken and crack the materials, and make it impossible to use. Unless you have a heated garden hose, you have to remove the hose from the spigot, drain it completely and bring it inside to keep it warm every single time you use it. Whether you use a garden hose for getting water to animals during the winter, grooming a backyard ice rink or providing water for your hot tub, greenhouse or Jacuzzi, a heated garden hose can make your winter life much easier.

What Is a Heated Garden Hose?

A heated hose is a garden hose fitted with an electric heater to keep it warm when the temperature drops below freezing. Typically, the hose’s female connector end is fitted with an insulated cuff that plugs into a GCFI-protected outdoor extension cord. The highest-quality heated garden hoses are thermostatically controlled – that is, the heater turns on when the temperature drops below a certain temperature and turns off when the ambient air warms above that temperature.

How a Heated Garden Hose Works

The better garden hoses are heated along their full length by electrical wires that are molded into the PVC vinyl of which the hose is made. When the power is on, electrical power runs through the wires and heats the hose, keeping the water flowing inside it from freezing.

Isn’t That Dangerous?

Heated garden hoses are specially constructed to prevent the water from coming into contact with the electricity. Look for heated hoses that meet NSF-61 safety standards for electrical devices to make sure that your garden hose is as safe as possible.

How Much Power Does a Heated Garden Hose Use?

While the precise measurement varies from one manufacturer to the next, a 25-foot 1/2 inch garden hose will draw about 200 watts of power. A 50-foot hose will draw about 400 watts of power. For comparison purposes, your refrigerator draws about 1,000 watts.

Not all heated garden hoses are created equal. If you need to deliver water outdoors in freezing temperatures, shop around for a high-quality heated garden hose to handle your needs. The very best brands are manufactured in the United States and are 100 percent drinking water safe garden hoses that can be used for anything from providing water for livestock to providing water for your RV during the winter. Don’t put up with frozen hoses all winter long. Get a garden hose that keeps your water flowing when all heck has frozen over.