Thursday, August 9, 2012

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

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