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.