Lose hoses are an eyesore. On top of that, a hose that isn’t properly stored is more prone to knotting, kinks, and even lasting damage.
To keep things tidy and protect your hose from potential damage, it’s best to rely on a garden hose holder. However, these aren’t foolproof either.
In addition to using one of these, you have to make sure that you’re using the garden hose holder properly. If you aren’t sure how to do so, follow these steps to get the best possible results.
Disconnecting an Old Hose
If you have your hose on an old hose reel or you want to add a new hose to the reel, start by disconnecting it. Luckily, this step is fairly easy.
Start off by disconnecting the hose from the faucet. It will likely have a vacuum breaker to remove as well.
Now, it’s best to move the reel and hose to somewhere that you have space to spread out. It’s a good idea to pick somewhere you don’t mind getting wet.
You can now fully extend the hose and remove the coupling. This can usually be done by hand but if not, adjustable pliers will do the trick.
If you’re adding a new hose, take the time to straighten it out to reduce the bends. If you have a new reel, take this time to build and set it up.
Preparing the Hose
If you’re preparing a new hose, the next step is to place the vinyl or rubber washer. This will help create a seal that will prevent your hose from leaking while it’s in use.
This goes on the female end of the hose. This is also the end you’ll want to place in the guide opening on your hose reel if it has one.
Putting the Hose in Place
If you look closely, you’ll notice that your hose reel has a water coupling on its inner drum. You’ll want to tighten the female end of your hose that you prepared in the last step to the coupling.
You won’t want to do this with your hands alone, though. Use channel lock pliers and don’t tighten it too much to avoid breaking something or stripping the threads.
Specifically, pay close attention to the plastic component which can crack or break with too much force.
Feeding the Hose Onto the Reel
To feed the hose onto the reel appropriately, you’ll need to be careful to feed it through in even coils. You can help this process by rotating the handle of the reel clockwise.
If the reel is electric, you can speed this process up by pushing the retraction button. This will wind the hose onto the reel.
You’ll want to finish off by checking the process over. More than just looking at how even the hose is on the reel, check the couplings.
Here, you’ll want to look for any kinks, cracks, or even just loose couplings. Otherwise, you risk leaking water when you use the hose.
