Can You Safely Drink from Your Garden Hose?

Is your garden hose safe to drink water from? If you’re using a standard garden hose to water your garden, fill your pool or wash your car, chances are that the answer is now. According to a study released by the Ecology Center in Ann Arbor, MI, the water from most garden hoses can contain a potent cocktail of toxic substances. Here are some highlights from the Ecology Center’s garden hose survey.

The Ecology Center tested 90 garden hoses from many different manufacturers. They tested the hoses themselves as well as water from each garden hose

Brass garden hose fittings often contain lead. Of the 90 hoses tested by the Ecology Center, 30 of them had lead levels that exceed those that are considered safe for children. In addition, they found that the levels of lead contained in water from the garden hoses were higher than legal safe levels in every single case. That should be a wake-up call for any parent who thinks nothing of letting a child take a sip from the garden hose on a hot summer day, but it’s only the start of the bad news.

Lead was only one of a number of toxic chemicals found in water that came from garden hoses. In addition, the water from every garden hose tested contained phthalates and bisphenol A – more commonly known as BPA. The National Institutes of Health is currently investigating the potential harmful effects of BPA on the brain and prostate gland in fetuses, infants and young children, as well as on the behavior of young children. The study found that the levels of BPA in the water samples were 20 times higher than those given for safe drinking water.

In fact, the study found that 100 percent of the common garden hose products sampled contained a number of plasticizers that are banned from use in children’s products. Research suggests that these plasticizers may be linked to birth defects, asthma, increased breast cancer risk and altered levels of reproductive hormones, including estrogen and androgen. And while the Ecology Center acknowledges that you’d have to drink quite a bit of water from a dangerous garden hose to see most health problems, even small amounts of lead can create serious problems in young children.

The Solution: Choose a Drinking Safe Garden Hose

Thanks to the widespread publicity about drinking water from garden hoses, many manufacturers are now offering drinking safe garden hose products in their product line. When replacing your garden hose with a new one, make sure to look for one that is labeled “drinking water safe” or “lead and BPA free.” Your children’s health – and your own – is at stake.

Who Wants a Garden Hose for Christmas?

When you’re writing up your Christmas gift list this year, chances are that it won’t include a garden hose among your list of most-wanted items. If you’re serious about gardening, though, there are a number of garden hoses that you just might want to add to your list of gardening tools. Now, we’re not suggesting that you should give up your wish for diamond earrings for any old garden hose, but if you’ve got room under your tree, you might look forward to spring gardening and put in a request for one of these.

Coil Garden Hose

If you do small space gardening, you need a garden hose that’s designed to fit into your gardening lifestyle. The coil garden hose was created specifically to make watering tasks easier in enclosed, small spaces like your patio or deck. Unlike a traditional hose, the coil garden hose never needs to be rolled up on a garden hose reel. It takes up very little storage space and is far easier to maneuver in and around your patio furniture and container plants. If you’ve been watering your patio plants and container gardens with a watering can or traditional hose, you’ll love how easy a coil garden hose makes it to water all of your plants.

Garden Hose Reel

Increase the life of your garden hose and keep your garden looking tidy by investing in a high-quality garden hose reel. There are dozens of styles and types of reels available for garden hose storage. They range from wall-hung racks designed for small 1/2 inch garden hose to free-standing bins with self-retract mechanisms designed to hold your 100-foot 3/4 inch garden hose or even a one inch water hose. Storing your garden hose on a garden hose reel will keep it off the ground and reduce the chances of rot, decay and bacteria.

Heated Garden Hose

Make the morning watering chores easier during the colder months with a heated garden hose. Heated hoses come in a variety of sizes and varieties. They all have a built-in electric heater that keeps water from freezing inside the hose. The least expensive of them are heated at the faucet connector, which keeps the hose clear for water to flow. A heated garden hose is an important tool for anyone who needs to use a garden hose regularly during the winter months.

A garden hose may not be the most romantic of holiday gifts, but the right garden hose can make your life easier and give you more time to enjoy the things you love. Isn’t that a great reason to ask for a special garden hose from Santa this year?

About Choosing a New Garden Hose

Spring may seem a long way off, but the winter months will fly by more quickly than you know. Before long, you’ll be getting ready to roll out the garden hose for spring cleaning and gardening chores. Will your garden hose be strong enough to stand up to the daily use you’ll give it or will you find that it gets increasingly leaky and annoying to use with each passing day?

If your garden hose needs replacing, you’ll find hoses in a wide variety of materials, lengths, diameters and fittings, as well as hoses with specific features that suit them for particular uses. Choosing the right garden hose is a fairly simple matter, but it does take a little time and consideration.

Construction, Size and Maintenance

When deciding which garden hose to buy, consider your climate and the way you intend to use it. Most hoses for home use are made from vinyl or rubber, or a combination of the two, but you’ll find many that are reinforced with nylon or fabric to add to their strength and flexibility. You can buy a garden hose as short as 10 feet long and longer than 100 feet. A 1/2 inch garden hose is a good choice for small gardening chores, though most experts recommend at 5/8 inch garden hose for typical household use – it carries more water and can deliver higher water pressure. If you’re planning to use your garden hose with a pressure washer or you need stronger water flow, a 1 inch water hose can deliver.

Climate Considerations

You’ll want a garden hose that can survive both the drying heat of the sun’s UV rays and, depending on the climate, the cold of winter. Vinyl garden hoses are fine for milder climates and light use. If you live in a harsher climate and will use the garden hose during the winter, consider a rubber garden hose, which is more expensive but will last longer and can carry hot water as well as cold. If your garden hose will be used through freezing temperatures, consider a heated garden hose, designed to keep ice jams from forming in the hose.

Size and Garden Hose Fittings

When you choose a garden hose, you should consider both length and diameter. Choose a garden hose that’s long enough to reach everywhere you need to water without tugging and pulling on it. At the same time, keep in mind that longer hoses are heavier, harder to maneuver and have a greater chance of being accidentally snagged or punctured. Look for garden hose fittings made of brass rather than plastic – they’re easier to replace if need be and are less likely to be crushed or broken. Octagonal fittings are easier to screw and unscrew on the spigot than standard round garden hose fittings.

Keep in mind that there are many different types of specialty garden hoses, including coil garden hose for use in small spaces and drinking safe garden hose for carrying potable water. When choosing a garden hose, consider all the important factors to make sure you get a hose that will do the job you need efficiently and effectively.

Choosing the Right Garden Hose

Your garden hose may be the last thing on your mind right now, especially if you live in one of the northern states. With gardening chores done for the year, you’ve probably tucked it away in your basement to await the start of spring in a few months. This could be the ideal time to start shopping around for the right garden hose for the next growing season, though. After all, why wait until you hook up your hose in the spring and realize that it’s sprung a leak sometime over its storage when you can start the season with a fresh, new garden hose that fits your needs perfectly.

That just leaves you with the conundrum of how to choose the right garden hose for your needs. These tips can help you figure out what you need and find the best hose to fulfill them.

Remember the Past

Start by thinking back over the summer and the times you’ve used your garden hose. How have you used it? Where did you use it? Was it sufficient for your needs or did you find yourself wishing it was just a little longer or that it didn’t tangle so much? Use your complaints and all your irritations from a season of gardening and outdoor tasks to help you figure out what you want in a replacement for your garden hose.

Check to See What’s Available Online

If you haven’t replaced your garden hose in a few years, you may be surprised at the variety of hoses and features that are available these days. Take some time to browse the stock at a garden hose store or in the gardening department of a home improvement store. You’ll find hoses made of rubber, vinyl and other materials, and in all sizes from 1/2 inch garden hose to 1 inch water hose. There are specialty hoses available for various needs, including drinking safe garden hose, heated garden hose and coil garden hose options that offer easy storage. The more you know about the types of garden hoses available, the easier it will be for you to choose the best one for your needs.

Don’t Forget Accessories

While you’re shopping for a new garden hose, take a detour through the accessories and parts available. A garden hose reel is a necessity to keep your hose stored off the ground, for example, and an extra set of garden hose fittings can help you extend the life of your new garden hose for even more years.

What Kind of Garden Hose Do You Need? Advice for First Time Buyers

If you’ve never bought a garden hose before, you may think it’s an easy process – or you may find the whole process confusing. A walk down the aisle of the typical gardening or home improvement store will expose you to dozens of garden hoses in many different sizes, colors, configurations and materials. You may be tempted to just grab the nearest garden hose and head for the register, or conversely, you could end up walking up and down the aisle reading the garden hose labels and trying to figure out which is the best one for your needs. Neither approach is very productive. If you’re buying a garden hose for the first time, these things can make your life much easier – and ensure that you get a hose that will do what you need.

Figure Out Where Your Hose Needs to Reach

Think about the various ways you intend to use your garden hose Chances are that you’re looking for one right now because you need it for a specific purpose: washing your car, watering a garden or filling a pool are some of the most common reasons that people go out looking for a new garden hose for the first time. Consider where else you might want your hose to reach before you start shopping. It will help you buy a hose that’s long enough but not too long.

Measure the Distance from the Outdoor Faucet

Most people are notoriously inaccurate when they try to estimate distances. Instead of guessing, grab a tape measure and measure the distance from the outdoor faucet to the furthest distance your garden hose needs to reach. If you have several different uses in mind, measure the distance to each of them.

Don’t Buy a Longer Hose Than You Need

In some cases, it makes more sense to buy two shorter hoses than it does to buy one very long hose. If you’ll need 25-foot garden hose to reach your garden every day, for example, but your driveway is 50 feet away from the spigot, you’re probably better off buying a 25-foot hose for your gardening needs and a second 25-foot garden hose that you can attach to the first for extra length to reach your car in the driveway once a week or once a month.

Why would you buy two hoses instead of one 50-foot garden hose Long garden hoses can make your life more difficult. You’ll end up with lower water pressure and a lot more hose that can get twisted, kinked or bent. A 25-foot hose is also much easier to put away than a 50-foot garden hose.

Buy a Garden Hose Reel

Pay a little extra to get a high-quality garden hose A $30 hose will last years longer than a $10 bargain hose. While you’re at it, spring for a garden hose reel or jar to hold you hose when it’s not in use. It will last longer if it’s not in contact with the ground or laying around your lawn.

In addition to the basics, you may also find some particular features in garden hoses helpful. A drinking safe garden hose is a good idea if you intend to water vegetables or if you’ll be filling a pool for children who might swallow water, for example, and a one inch water hose is a great option if you need a lot of water pressure or want to fill a pool or a pond.

Things You Need to Know About Your Garden Hose

The right garden hose can make your chores around the garden, yard and garage much easier. The wrong one can put roadblocks in your way in subtle ways you don’t always recognize. If you’re trying to water your garden, wash your car, fill your swimming pool or water your animals with a garden hose that isn’t right for the job, you could be wasting time and dealing with unnecessary frustration every time you try to do an outdoor task. Here’s what you should know about your garden hose to make your outdoor tasks much easier.

Choose the Right Hose for the Job

There are garden hoses and there are garden hoses. A standard garden hose will do for most of your outdoor tasks, as long as it’s the right length. In most cases, you’ll want to avoid buying a hose that’s a lot longer than it needs to be to reach the places you’ll use it most. If, for example, you can reach the farthest corner of your vegetable garden with a 25-foot garden hose there’s no need for a 50-foot garden hose If anything, it will make your daily tasks more difficult because it will be more prone to kinking and tangling. You’ll have more length to drain and rewind on a garden hose reel. And the water will reach the business end of your hose at a greatly reduced water pressure.

But what if you also want to be able to reach the driveway, which is 40 feet away from the outdoor faucet? Most experts suggest that you invest in two 25-foot hoses rather than a 50-foot garden hose When you need the extra length, you can just hook the two hoses together.

Specialty Hoses

In addition to standard garden hoses, you’ll also find many kinds of specialty hoses available from home improvement stores and garden stores. Among the most popular:

Coil Garden Hose

Coil hoses are designed for use and storage in small spaces. Unlike traditional garden hoses, which must be manually coiled or rolled onto a garden hose reel, coil garden hoses are shaped into a permanent coil that resembles nothing so much as a metal spring. They’ll extend to reach all the corners of your patio, then coil back on themselves without any effort on your part.

Drinking Safe Garden Hose

Standard garden hoses are treated with chemicals that can leach into standing water, making them dangerous for drinking. In fact, independent tests have found very high levels of lead in water that had been standing in garden hoses for as little as a few hours. For safety’s sake, choose a hose that is labeled “drinking safe,” especially if you use the garden hose to fill wading pools for children or pets’ water dishes.

Choosing the right garden hose can make your yard and garden tasks much easier. The few extra minutes it takes to find the right hose will pay off in much longer life and a lot less hassle over time.

Buying a Heated Garden Hose

Buying a Heated Garden Hose

For some folks, the watering chores don’t stop with the first frost. The horses don’t stop drinking because your garden hose froze up overnight. If you’re in an RV, you still need to get water even if the temperature drops below freezing. Contractors and construction workers don’t quit working just because the nights get colder – they still need a garden hose or water hose to mix concrete, hose off work surfaces and perform many other tasks. Even gardeners in colder climates will find that a heated garden hose can be a worthwhile investment for early spring and late autumn garden chores.

What Is a Heated Garden Hose?

In most cases, a heated garden hose is a short length of hose line that has an integrated heating element to keep water from freezing inside the hose. They are designed to plug into a grounded outdoor plug, and may be left plugged in around the clock or just plugged in when you’re ready to use them. They come in many sizes, so you can buy a 1/2 inch garden hose or 3/4 inch garden hose with a heating element if that’s your need. You can even find a workhorse one inch water hose with a heater. The most popular types of heated garden hose are controlled by a thermostat to switch the heater on when ambient temperatures fall to just above freezing and switch off when there’s no danger of a freeze. This prevents water from freezing inside the garden hose and placing wear and tear on the rubber and PVC material.

Who Needs a Heated Garden Hose?

Anyone who needs running water outside during freezing temperatures will benefit from a heated garden hose. The benefits are many, but two of them stand above the others. First, freezing and thawing of water inside the hose stresses and weakens it, making it more prone to cracks and leaks. A heated garden hose will last longer than a standard hose in freezing conditions. Second, you’ll save time and hassle because you’ll never have to thaw out a hose before you can use it again. If you own livestock, garden in a greenhouse in sub-freezing temperatures, use a garden hose for RV camping or on a boat or have any other use for a hose when the temperatures fall below freezing, then a heated garden hose is for you.

As an added bonus, most heated garden hoses on the market today are made with FDA approved materials, so they double as a drinking safe garden hose to water your animals or supply your RV with drinking water. Why spend time thawing out your hose before you can get to your chores? Invest in a heated garden hose and make your life easier.

Five Uses for a Worn-Out Garden Hose

Buying a new garden hose is a satisfying task – you get a fresh new ½ inch garden hose or a heated garden hose, whatever is the best garden hose for your needs. It makes your gardening and home maintenance jobs easier when you no longer have to struggle with an old garden hose that leaks or kinks up or simply makes your life more difficult. But once you’ve got your new hose installed – hopefully coiled inside a new garden hose reel that will protect it from the elements – you’re left with the old hose, collecting dust or thrown out with the recycling. Why add to the waste stream in the landfills when you can make good use of that old garden hose in so many ways?

Cushion a Bucket Handle

Got a bucket with a wire handle to haul water? Make the task easier on your hands by cutting a section of old garden hose, slitting it lengthwise and slipping it over the handle. You’ll get a cushioned grip that’s kinder to your hands and makes it easier to carry the full bucket.

Protect Your Trees

If you use wire supports to help stabilize young trees, protect the bark by sliding a length of old garden hose over the wire. The rubber water hose will protect the bark and prevent the wire from cutting into the tree and damaging it.

Catch Earwigs and Beetles

If your garden is troubled by pests like earwigs, try this tip from master gardener Sue McDavid, via This Old House: cut six-inch segments of ¾ inch garden hose and place them around your garden. The pests will crawl into them to enjoy the shady cool, and you can collect them later to shake out the earwigs and drown them in soapy water.

Protect Little Fingers

Chain link swing supports can give little fingers a painful pinch. Cut lengths of garden hose, and slide them over the chains on your kids’ swing set. They’ll provide cushioned, protective casings to keep your little ones’ fingers safe from pinching.

Protect Sharp Blades

Slit a length of garden hose and slide it over the sharp edge of an axe, machete or saw blade. It will protect the blade from nicks and protect your fingers from accidental slices when you’re not actually using the blade.

Bonus Idea:

Turn your old garden hose into a makeshift soaker hose. Crimp the open end closed. Poke holes along its length with an ice pick or drill. Connect it up to your spigot and lay it down in the stretch of garden you want to soak.  

Where to Buy a New Garden Hose

So after a summer of wrestling with your old garden hose you’ve finally decided to bite the bullet and invest in a new one. You’re tired of patching the leaks with duct tape. The bucket under the faucet that used to catch the constant dribble leaking from the loose garden hose fittings doesn’t help much now that the leak has turned into a spray, and you’re barely getting a dribble of water from the business end. Where do you go to buy a new garden hose that suits your needs? There are a number of options.

Hardware Store

Most hardware stores stock a few garden hoses in their gardening or yard department. Your selection will be fairly limited, though. They’ll probably stock the most popular sizes of cheap garden hoses, so if you’ll be happy with a 25 or 50-foot ½ inch garden hose, you may find what you’re looking for. If you want the extra watering capacity of a ¾ inch garden hose – which delivers twice the water per minute as a ½ inch garden hose – you may want to look elsewhere.

Big Box Home Store

The local big box home store will carry a larger selection in the garden hose department, but you’ll still be limited – and you’ll pay for the privilege of shopping with the big boys. Chances are that you’ll find other hose diameters, such as 5/8 inch garden hose and even 1 inch water hose, but the home and garden stores tend to offer lots of cheap garden hose products that will crack easily. If you do go the big box route, be sure you read the materials tag to find out what the garden hose is made of, and check to be sure that the garden hose fittings are made of heavy duty brass that won’t warp and bend.

Online Superstore

You’ll find a large garden hose selection at online superstores, but there’s no guarantee of quality. Many of the hoses available at these sites are imported from overseas and made with cheap materials and low standards. You may also find lots of novelty garden hose products, such as soaker hoses and coil garden hose, but you’ll often be buying cheap knock-offs or paying far more than you need to pay.

Online Specialty Garden Hose Supplier

Your best option for finding the right garden hose online is a company that specializes in selling garden hose products. Because their business is selling hoses, you’ll find a full selection of sizes, styles and types of garden hose so you’re sure to find exactly the one you’re looking for. If you’re looking for a drinking-safe garden hose, a heated garden hose, a coil garden hose or 1 inch water hose, this is the place to look. You’ll also find garden hose fittings, garden hose reels and other accessories and supplies to make your gardening life easier.

Is It Time to Replace Your Garden Hose?

The garden hose is a trusty tool and companion to any gardener or homeowner. Imagine your life without your trusty garden hose Without a good garden hose gardeners would have to haul water by the bucket and pour it out over each plant. Homeowners would have to find other ways to wash down their patios and walkways and rinse their automobiles. Cheap garden hoses from the home improvement store may get you through a season or two of watering and home maintenance tasks, but even the best garden hose gets tired eventually. When should you consider buying a new hose for your garden? These warning signs and suggestions can help you decide if you should replace your old garden hose with a new one even if it’s not leaking or obviously damaged.

The Garden Hose Fittings Are Worn or Bent

The best garden hose fittings are made of heavy duty brass that keeps its shape and doesn’t bend and warp easily under pressure. Cheaper garden hoses don’t have those features. The screw connector may warp out of shape, making it difficult to attach to the faucet. The poor connection to the faucet can cause leaks and reduce water pressure. If the fittings and connectors on your garden hose are bent and worn out, it may be time to replace the hose.

The Hose Is Worn at the Fitting

In addition, the fittings and connectors on better garden hoses are often attached with a collar that allows the connector to rotate easily when you’re attaching it to the faucet or to a sprinkler. Cheaper hoses don’t generally have that feature, and the hose can wear and break at the place where the plastic or vinyl attaches to the metal collar. While you can replace the collar and garden hose fittings, if the body of the hose is made of cheap vinyl, it makes more sense to replace your hose with a better quality ½ inch garden hose or ¾ inch garden hose and reap the benefits for years.

There Are Kinks in the Hose that Won’t Straighten

One of the biggest problems with cheap vinyl garden hoses is that kinks often set in permanently, especially if the hose remains bent in the hot sun or for more than a few hours. You can avoid stubborn bends and garden hose kinks that won’t straighten out by always storing your hose on a garden hose reel when it’s not in use. If your hose is already damaged, however, it’s  time to replace it with a higher quality, more forgiving garden hose

Five Things Your Garden Hose Would Tell You If It Could Speak

If you’re like most homeowners, you probably own at least one garden hose. Chances are, in fact, that you own one “good” garden hose, and the extra one that you can’t attach to the spigot but will work when coupled to another hose, and the one that split last summer but you’ve mended with duct tape and use in the rare event that you have to get your hose all the way around the house to the driveway. If your garden hose could talk, it would probably tell you a thing or five about how to properly care for your best gardening tool.

Buy a Quality Hose from the Start

The aisles of the big box stores are lined with cheap bargain hoses, mostly made of vinyl with little or no reinforcement. They can cost you from $8 to $12, and will last you just about the amount of time you’d expect from those low prices. Even with excellent care, a garden hose made from cheap vinyl will age and crack quickly. Worse, it will make your gardening life miserable by kinking at the worst possible times and refusing to connect properly to the spigot. A good quality garden hose, often reinforced with nylon or natural fibers, will last you for years. They’re more flexible, wear better and are made with garden hose fittings that won’t bend and warp out of shape, so you’ll be able to connect it to your spigot as easily in 10 years as you did when it was brand new.

Don’t Leave Your Garden Hose Lying on the Lawn

Aside from the fact that a loose garden hose is a tripping hazard, the constant contact with the ground encourages rot and can shorten the life of your hose. Invest in a garden hose reel to store your hose when it’s not in use. As a bonus, you never have to worry about running over your hose with the lawnmower when it’s rolled up on a reel.

Don’t Replace, Repair

Accidents happen, even to the best quality garden hoses. If your hose suffers damage, there are ways to repair it using garden hose fittings, couplings and other specialty items and tools. You don’t have to lose your investment just because you accidentally backed over the end of your hose.

Empty Your Hose Before Storing It

One of the advantages of rolling up a hose on a garden hose reel is that it naturally empties all remaining water from the length of the hose. Standing water can breed bacteria and leech chemicals from the lining of the garden hose, spraying unsavory things like lead over your vegetables and your soil. The few extra minutes it takes to properly drain your hose is well worth the time.

Take Advantage of Specialty Garden Hoses

If you have a special need, there’s probably a garden hose designed to fit it. A drinking safe garden hose is the best choice for young families, for example, where young kids often drink from the hose. A coil garden hose is the ideal choice for a patio or enclosed space, while a heated garden hose makes it easy for you if you need to use the hose regularly throughout the colder months.

Whatever your choices are, make sure that you care for your garden hose properly and it will serve you well for years.

The Best Garden Hoses Money Can Buy

Garden hoses – is there any piece of garden equipment that is less respected and more likely to cause problems than the lowly garden hose? The litany of complaints about the garden hoses people own is endless – they’re too short, they’re too long, they kink up and cut off your water supply in the middle of watering the vegetables. Worst of all, they spring random leaks and splits that consign them to the trash heap and have to be replaced every year or two.

If that sounds like your experience with garden hoses, it may be because you’re buying cheap hoses to save money. If you’re in need of a replacement garden hose, take some time to determine the best garden hoses for your needs – and avoid the cheapest garden hoses in the gardening aisle like the plague.

Is There Such a Thing as Too Much Garden Hose?

Actually, yes. When your garden hose is much longer than you need to reach the places you want to water, there’s far more tendency for it to get kinked or bent and damaged. In addition, because the water has to travel further from the faucet to the nozzle, the water pressure at the nozzle is greatly reduced. Figure out how far your hose needs to reach and buy the size closest to that length. If you commonly only need 25 feet of hose to reach your garden but occasionally want to get the hose around the front of the house to the driveway, but two garden hoses – a 25-foot hose for your regular needs and a second garden hose to extend its reach when you need to get to the driveway.

What Difference Does Hose Diameter Make?

The diameter of garden hoses directly affects the water delivery capacity of the hose, but it’s not a linear projection. For example, you don’t get twice as much water capacity from a one inch water hose as you do from a ½ inch garden hose. In fact, a ¾ inch garden hose will deliver twice as much water to your garden in the same amount of time as a ½ inch garden hose. The most common sizes of garden hoses sold for home use are ½ inch garden hoses and ¾ inch garden hoses.

Hose Materials

For best results and durability, choose a reinforced rubber hose rather than a cheap vinyl hose. Look for brass garden hose fittings at both ends, and invest in a hose that is attached to the hose fitting with a brass collar that allows you to turn the threaded coupling freely.

When you choose the best garden hoses money can buy, you’ll get longer life, better performance and more happiness from your garden. Take the plunge – buy a good garden hose and see how much easier your gardening life can be.

Hints and Tips for Preserving Your Garden Hose

You work hard to make your garden grow, and your trusty garden hose is one of your most important and essential tools. A lot of gardeners end up replacing their garden hoses every year, but you don’t have to do that. If you start out with a good garden hose and know how to take care of it, you can keep it working properly and extend its life for many seasons. These tips will help you buy the right garden hose for your needs and make it the last hose you’ll buy for years.

Buy the Right Length Garden Hose

A hose that’s either too long or too short won’t serve your needs properly. If your hose isn’t quite long enough to reach where you want, you’ll put extra stress and strain on it by pulling and tugging and stretching it to reach. A hose that’s a lot longer than you need is prone to tangles and kinks, which can wear and damage your garden hose. Buy a hose that’s the shortest length that will still reach everywhere you need.

Buy the Right Diameter Hose

You can reduce the amount of time you spend watering by making sure your garden hose has the capacity you need. A ¾ inch garden hose, for example, delivers twice as much water in the same time frame as a ½ inch garden hose. If you’re filling pools or need to cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time, opt for the larger hose. For really powerful applications, choose a 1-inch water hose.

Turn On the Water Before Uncoiling Your Hose

Before you start uncoiling your garden hose, turn on the water. It will prevent the hose from kinking up as you pull it to your flower bed, sprinkler or garden. The water running through it will prevent the hose from folding over on itself, cutting off the water supply and putting strain on the wall of the hose.

Use a Garden Hose Reel

A garden hose reel keeps your hose off the ground where it can get damaged or rot. It also prevents your hose from kinking up and crimping, both of which can cause cracks and damage to your hose. A self-retracting garden hose reel will make your life easier and reduce the temptation to leave the hose on the ground just this once.

Don’t Leave Your Hose in the Sun

Letting your garden hose bake in the sun when it’s not in use is an invitation to wear and tear. The UV rays will dry out the material and cause cracks which reduce the life and usefulness of your garden hose.

If you start out with the right garden hose for your needs and treat it like the valuable tool it is, it will reward you by delivering water without kinking up, developing leaks and tripping you when you walk across your lawn.

Is Your Garden Hose Hazardous to Your Health?

The garden hose is a common, one could almost say ubiquitous, gardening tool. No serious gardener would be without a way to bring water to the furthest reaches of their garden plots. It’s a bit scary to think that your garden hose could be a health hazard, but it’s a fact. Here’s why.

Many cheap garden hoses are made of polyvinyl chloride – PVC. PVC uses lead as a stabilizer, and that lead can leach into water standing in the hose. In fact, when Consumer Reports tested a number of garden hoses, they found that the amount of lead in water that has stood in a hose can be as much as 100 times the allowable concentration of lead. That’s enough to cause lead poisoning in some people – particularly in small children who are much more sensitive to the effects of lead and whose bodies are much less efficient at eliminating it. And THAT is a particularly troubling because – think about it – who in your family is most likely to grab a cold drink from the inviting garden hose? Children, who are most prone to damage from lead, which can permanently damage their brains and nervous systems.

Should you worry about lead if you water your vegetables and fruit with a PVC garden hose? Research shows that plants don’t generally absorb lead through watering, but plants grown in soil with a high lead concentration can show elevated levels of lead. Soil, on the other hand, does retain lead for a long time – it’s part of the reason that children in urban neighborhoods shouldn’t play in lots where old houses have been demolished. How long does it take to build up toxic levels of lead in your gardening soil if you’re watering it with lead-laced water every day? No one really knows.

Luckily, there is a solution – replace your old PVC hose with a drinking safe garden hose. These hoses are made from rubber or have an interior coating that prevents any chemical leaching into the water that passes through it. They come in all sizes and diameters, so you should have no trouble finding a ½” garden hose or ¾” garden hose in 25-foot and 50-foot lengths, the most common garden hose sizes.

And if you go to the trouble of buying a drinking safe garden hose, be sure to follow these other tips for making sure your garden hose is safe for drinking water.

-          After use, drain your garden hose and store it on a garden hose reel to prevent standing water inside it.

-          Keep the hose out of direct sunlight, which can heat the hose to high temperatures and incubate any bacteria inside it.

-          Let the water run for a minute or two before drinking from the hose or filling drinking containers from it. That will flush out any standing water that might be harboring bacteria.

Specialty Garden Hose Products – Should You Own One?

Getting water to wear you need it may seem like a simple process if you have a garden hose, but there are more variables to the equation than most people imagine. When choosing the best garden hose for your needs, you should consider a number of different factors including the quality of the hose, its diameter and length, your water pressure and any special watering needs you may have. When you evaluate your actual needs, you’ll find there are many specialty garden hose products that can get the water where you want it in the way you want it any time you want it there.

Garden Hose Diameter, Length and Water Pressure

Water pressure can be a major factor in how well you’re able to water your garden or wash the car. While a pressurized garden hose nozzle can help with low water pressure, when water has to travel a long distance, a nozzle may not be enough. The diameter of the garden hose you choose can make a huge difference in the water pressure at the business end of the hose.

First, the obvious. The bigger the diameter of your garden hose, the more water it can carry at once. A 1 inch water hose carries more water more quickly than a ¾ inch garden hose, and the ¾ inch garden hose carries more water than the ½ inch garden hose. But it’s not a straight linear progression. A 1 inch water hose doesn’t carry twice as many gallons as a ½ inch garden hose. In fact, the ¾ inch garden hose delivers twice as many gallons in the same amount of time as the ½ inch garden hose. In most cases, a 5/8 inch garden hose or ¾ inch garden hose will be sufficient for your watering tasks.

The distance your water has to travel through the hose also affects the water pressure at the nozzle. The longer the distance traveled, the lower the water pressure will be. Most garden experts recommend that you buy a garden hose that is just long enough to reach the distance you most commonly need. If the furthest corner of your garden is 40 feet from the faucet and your driveway is 70 feet away, choose a 50 foot hose for everyday watering chores and purchase a 25 foot garden hose that you can connect to it for those times that you need to reach the driveway.

Specialty Hose Products

Soaker garden hoses are a good option for watering vegetable gardens that need deep soaking. If you use a garden hose year round, a heated garden hose can make your watering chores much easier. A coil garden hose offers convenience and easy storage when you don’t need a lot of flexibility and distance. If you use water from your garden hose on edible plants or if your children and pets typically drink from the garden hose, consider purchasing a drinking safe garden hose.

Choosing the right garden hose can make your life easier and prolong its life. Before you make your choice, consider what type is the best garden hose for your needs.

Garden Hose 101 – Tips for Getting the Most from Your Watering

Your garden hose is supposed to make your watering chores easier, but too many gardeners end up having to wrestle their garden hoses into submission. Choosing the right garden hose and treating it right can make your gardening chores easier and safer. It kinks, splits and spews water all over the place – except where you want it to go. What can you do to maximize water output and minimize hassles from your garden hose? These tips can help you make short work of watering your garden so you can get on to doing more fun things with your outdoor time.

Choosing the Right Garden Hose

The number one garden hose tip of all time? Buy the best garden hose you can afford. A cheap hose will make your life miserable. It will kink when you try to go around corners, double up on itself and constrict the water flow, mildew, split and leak, probably at the faucet where the garden hose fittings are attached.

Hose Diameter

In general, you’ll have three choices when it comes to choosing a diameter – ½ inch, 5/8 inch and ¾ inch. A 1/2 inch garden hose is suitable for small gardens and in places where you don’t need good water pressure. Generally, a 5/8 inch garden hose is preferable to the smaller one. A ¾ inch garden hose is probably your best bet. They’re more expensive than the smaller sizes, but they move water faster and fit more accessories and garden hose fittings.

Hose Length

Most garden hoses are available in 25-foot increments – that is, 25, 50, 75 or 100 feet. Keep in mind that the further your water has to travel, the less pressure it will have when it gets to its destination. The best garden hose length is the one that will just reach where you need it to go. If you actually do need 100 feet of hose, consider purchasing 2 50-foot hoses and coupling them. It’s much easier to hook up the second hose halfway to your destination than it is to wrestle with 100 feet of coiling garden hose all the way across your lawn.

Specialty Garden Hose Styles

A coil garden hose is a good choice if you have a small garden or need a hose for watering patio plants. The coils make the hose easy to store, but can make it difficult for you to stretch to reach the full stated length. In general, if a coil garden hose claims to be 50 feet long, figure that you’ll get about 35 feet of extension from it comfortably.

Heated Garden Hose

If you use your garden hose during seasons when the temperature drops below freezing, consider buying a heated hose. A heated garden hose will remain pliable and prevent ice blockages that can damage your hose and make watering impossible.

A Last Word

Storing your garden hose properly will extend its life – and that’s important if you’ve sunk a bit of change into the best garden hose you can afford. An automatic garden hose reel can make your life considerably easier by eliminating the chore of emptying and coiling your garden hose.

Garden Hose Accessories No Home Should Be Without

Once you’ve got the best garden hose for your gardening and utility uses, there are a few garden hose accessories you should consider. These accessories help you store and care for your garden hose and extend its utility beyond simply pouring water on your garden. Whether your hose is a ½ inch garden hose for basic watering tasks or a coil garden hose chosen for easy storage and good looks, these additions can make your life easier and extend the life of your garden hose beyond one or two seasons.

Garden Hose Reel

Storing your garden hose properly is one of the most important things you can do to extend its life and keep it in good condition. Leaving your hose lying on the ground exposes it to the sun, which can dry out the vinyl/rubber and make it brittle, and leaves it vulnerable to mold, mildew and pests that can damage your hose on the ground. A garden hose reel gets your hose up off the ground and prevents it from kinking and tangling, which preserves its life and makes it easier to coil for storing. There are many different types of hose reels available, including retractable garden hose reels that automatically coil the hose for you, and garden hose reels with turn handles so that you can coil the hose yourself. Most garden hose reels will easily accommodate the typical ½ inch garden hose or ¾ inch garden hose in lengths up to 50 feet. Larger hose reels will accommodate larger hoses.

Garden Hose Fittings

The brass fittings at the either end of the garden hose are called garden hose fittings. Typically, a quality garden hose has solid brass fittings that don’t bend or warp out of shape. A spare set of garden hose fittings is a handy thing to have tucked away for emergency repairs during the season. If, for example, your garden hose springs a leak in the middle, it’s a simple matter to cut out the damaged part, put fittings on the cut ends and have two shorter garden hoses that you can couple together.

Garden Hose Couplings

The further your hose has to reach, the less water pressure you’ll have when the water gets there. While you may need 75 feet of hose to reach the driveway once in a while, you don’t have to always use a 100-foot hose when you’re watering the garden right beside your faucet. Invest in a pair of shorter garden hoses and only couple them together when you need the extra length.

Consider specialty garden hose products for specific uses. If you use your hose to water the garden, for example, choose a drinking safe garden hose, or a coil garden hose when you want an easy-store hose that takes up little space. Whatever you choose, check out the nozzles, sprayers, sprinklers and accessories that can make your garden hose more versatile, easier to use and simple to store.

Garden Hose Storage Ideas

A good garden hose can cost you as much as $40, but that money is well spent. Unlike the cheap, promotional garden hoses you’ll find in the bargain aisle of the local big box store, high quality garden hoses can last 10 years or longer in regular use, as long as you care for them properly. While the type of hose can make a difference in the specifics, there are some general rules of care you should follow for any type of garden hose.

Garden Hose Storage

The single most important thing you can do to preserve the life of your garden hose is to store it properly, both from day to day during the season and over the winter. Whether you’re using a ½-inch garden hose for watering your garden or a 1-inch water hose for pressure washing or other heavy duty applications, storing it properly will keep it out of harm’s way and prevent many of the problems that can cause garden hoses to split, break or wear out.

Invest in a Garden Hose Reel

When it’s not in use, store your hose on an appropriately-sized garden hose reel. Coiling a hose on a reel will get it up off the ground and out of the way of many hazards. When your garden hose is coiled up on a reel, it’s pretty near impossible to run over it with your lawn mower, for example. While you could coil your hose on the ground beneath the water spigot, a garden hose reel gets it out of contact with the ground and insects that could crawl into it or damage it. An additional factor that often goes without saying is that when you reel in your garden hose on a standing garden hose reel, the hose will naturally empty itself of any standing water.

Storing Your Garden hose for the Winter

Most garden hoses are not meant to be left outside through the winter or to be kept in a below-freezing environment. Freezing and thawing of the rubber or vinyl can weaken the structure of the material and make your garden hose more prone to splitting or breaking. If you use a hose throughout the winter, invest the extra cash in a heated garden hose which is rated for use in the temperature range of your region. Otherwise, drain the garden hose completely and coil it into a loose coil at the end of the season, and store it in an indoor location that won’t go much below freezing.

In the spring, check the connections around the garden hose fittings for wear and replace them if necessary.

Caring for your garden hose will extend its life and save you money in the long run. Store it properly on a garden hose reel and put it away for the winter to keep it in good repair.

Proper Storage for Your Garden Hose

Garden hoses may be the most overlooked and undervalued of all gardening tools. A good garden hose is as important as a hoe, rake or spade, but many gardeners ignore and mistreat their garden hoses. Those gardeners pay the price in the form of tangled and cracked hoses, leaking garden hoses and unwieldy hoses that lie in wait to trip the unwary.

Properly selected and maintained, garden hoses can last for many years. A garden hose that is the right length to reach your garden and the right capacity to deliver the proper amount of water will serve you well. One that you have to stretch and bend around corners will show the wear and need replacing far sooner than it should. A properly coiled garden hose on a garden hose reel won’t get kinked, run over by your lawn mower or crack from being left out to bake in the sun. These tips can help you select the best garden hose for your needs and care for it properly.

Invest in a Quality Hose

Spend the extra few dollars to get a good quality hose. Cheap promotional hoses are made of inferior materials that will crack, kink and separate from the fittings under pressure. Even good care and maintenance isn’t enough to preserve a poor quality hose for more than one or two seasons. You’ll have to replace that $10 hose three or four times before your $20 hose even starts to look worn.

In addition, better quality garden hoses are easier to coil, don’t kink as readily and deliver water better than a cheap plastic hose. This is one place where you really do get what you pay for.

Store Your Hose When It’s Not In Use

A garden hose reel is the easiest mechanism for storing your hose when you’re not using it. You can choose from wall mounted hose reels or free-standing hose reels that store hoses of all sizes from ½ inch garden hoses to 1 inch water hoses. Make sure the garden hose reel you choose is large enough to hold the size hose you are using.

Drain the Hose After Using It

When you finish using the hose, drain it of standing water before putting it away. This is especially important before putting your hose away for the winter. Freezing and thawing of water in the hose can weaken the fabric of the hose or crack it. If you need a garden hose for chores outdoors during the winter months, choose a heated garden hose to prevent freezing and preserve your hose.

Store the Hose Out of the Sun

The hot sun can bake your garden hose and lead to cracks and leaks in the fabric. Mount your garden hose reel in a shady spot to keep it cool.

Caring for your garden hose properly will extend its life and make your life much easier. Take the time to put your hose away properly every time you use it and it will serve you for years.

Things to Consider When Buying a Garden Hose

A garden hose is the one gardening item that nearly all homeowners purchase at one point or another. Even those who don’t garden often find that they need a garden hose to wash a car, fill a pool, hose down the driveway or let the kids cool off in the summer.

Often, homeowners or apartment dwellers “inherit” a garden hose that was left behind by a former tenant and only consider replacing it when it springs an annoying leak or causes another problem. At that point, they generally head for the nearest home and garden store and poke around, looking for the cheapest hose that’s long enough to reach where they need it to go.

More often than not, they’ll end up back in the same aisle in a few months when the el cheapo garden hose that was such a great bargain busts a seam or comes loose from its fittings. It’s a shame, really, because the price difference between a good quality hose and a cheap, guaranteed-give-you-problems garden hose is not all that great. Even the most expensive residential garden hose won’t set you back much more than $40. If you’re in the market for a new garden hose, here are a few things to consider when making your choice.

Price

As noted, there’s not a lot of difference in price between cheap garden hoses and higher quality garden hoses, but the difference can make an enormous difference in quality. A 50-foot ½ inch garden hose can cost anywhere from $10 to $40. The more expensive garden hose may come with a warranty for anywhere from five years to a lifetime, so that $40 garden hose may be the last one you’ll ever have to buy.

Length

It might be tempting to buy the longest garden hose you can find. After all, that means you can reach anywhere in the yard, right? The problem is that the longer the garden hose is the lower the water flow rate drops – and it can drop dramatically. The best garden hose is one that is almost exactly the right length to reach where you need to reach.

What if you might need a longer hose for another use? It’s almost always better to buy two shorter hoses and couple them together than to buy one long hose. Shorter garden hoses give you greater flexibility and are easier to coil and drain, both of which can increase their life expectancy.

Capacity

The smaller the diameter of the garden hose you choose, the less water it will deliver in the same time period – and the difference can be significant. A ¾ inch garden hose, for example, delivers 3.5 gallons of water in 10 seconds while a ½” garden hose delivers only 1.3 gallons in the same time frame. A 1 inch water hose delivers nearly 5 times as much water as a ½ inch garden hose.

So what’s the best garden hose to buy for general use?  Unless you need a specialty water hose, like a drinking safe garden hose or a heated garden hose, choose a 5/8 inch hose in a 50 foot length, which is the most popular choice for watering lawns and gardens and delivers water at enough pressure to hose the suds off your car.

A Quality Garden Hose Should Last for Years

If you find yourself buying a new garden hose every two to three years, you’re doing something wrong. A good quality garden hose should last you as many as ten years before it needs to be replaced. If you’re fighting with your garden hose because it kinks, twists and gets tangled up, you’re also buying the wrong garden hoses for your needs. In the overall scheme of things, shopping for the best garden hose may not rank up there with comparison shopping for the best car, but taking the time to select a the right hose for your climate, garden and typical use can make your everyday life much easier and less frustrating.

Garden hoses are easy to find. You can pick them up just about anywhere – garden centers, hardware stores, big box stores, department stores – even supermarkets sometimes carry garden hoses in season. Finding a garden hose that won’t leak at the faucet, kink up or refuse to coil or burst at a weak spot just when you need it the most – that’s a nifty trick. If you’re tired of watering your garden and washing your car with a hose wrapped with cotton rags to slow the leaks, it may be time to start shopping for a better garden hose for your use.

What to Look for in a Garden Hose

If you’re looking for the best garden hose, you should consider a few important factors. Those include the material of which the hose is made, the couplings on both ends of the hose and the diameter of the hose. You should also consider how you tend to use your garden hose and what the climate is like in your region.

Garden Hose Fittings

The couplings at either end of your garden hose are the place where you hose is most likely to leak or fail. Look for a hose with solid brass couplings, which will retain their shape better and resist leaking. The coupling itself should be set onto a brass collar rather than being attached directly to the hose, so that you can easily screw the hose onto the faucet or to the sprinkler without twisting the entire hose.

Garden Hose Materials

Most garden hoses are made of either rubber or vinyl, often reinforced with some sort of fiber to give it more body and flexibility. Rubber garden hoses are generally more pliable and durable than vinyl hoses, and reinforced hoses are nearly always easier to work with than those that are not reinforced.

Diameter

Thinner garden hoses are generally less expensive than those with a wider diameter, but the tradeoff is in less water pressure and less usability. Most hoses sold are 5/8 inch garden hoses to ¾ inch garden hoses. Unless you intend to use your hose for low pressure applications, a ½-inch garden hose is probably too small for your needs.

Climate

If you live in a cold climate, you’ll either need to bring your hose in during the winter or opt for a heated garden hose or one that can withstand low temperatures.

When you choose the best garden hose for your needs, you may end up paying a little more at the register, but you’ll save money – and a lot of frustration – in the long run.