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Garden Hose Installation - How to Connect Garden Hose Correctly?

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Autem Decker
Garden Hose Installation - How to Connect Garden Hose Correctly?

It's summer and that means it's time to get your garden hose hooked up for the season. The best way to connect a garden hose is by using a brass fitting with an O-ring seal. If you're installing a new one, start by drilling two holes in the ground and attaching metal stakes so you can anchor it in place. 

Next, attach the pipe in between the two anchors and use PVC cement or silicone caulk to keep everything attached securely. Finally, add fittings on either side of where you want your water spigot connection point. Now comes the fun part - connecting your garden hose!

Garden Hose Installation - How to Connect Garden Hose Correctly?

Garden hose installation can be a difficult task if you don't know what to do. With the right tools and proper techniques you will save time and money which otherwise would have been wasted on broken fittings, or worse a burst hose. 

Also, your last task for this season might very likely turn into an unpleasant one laying up all the garden hoses in the basement, something that really should be done before winter sets in but we all know how it goes…

In this text I'll try to explain the main steps of connecting a hose correctly so that your outdoor watering experience is as pleasant as possible. But first let's take a look at some basic knowledge about water pressure and hose types...

Water Pressure & Internal Waterways

Water pressure PSI (pound per square inch) is the force applied perpendicularly by the water on any surface area. As you can easily guess, most of this pressure is exerted against the inside walls of your hose and not against its nozzle. This is why it's extremely hard to push a lot of water through your garden hose using your thumb alone.

This simple fact plays an important role in garden hose installation because it means that if you cut off water flow at some point along your pipe system all other points will also see low pressure. It should be noted though that while cutting off water supply at one end won't affect the rest of your system, closing a faucet or turning off a valve will cause problems everywhere .

Internal waterways are specially designed structures for making sure that pressure is preserved along the length of your hose. They are usually found in larger hoses, but their absence may create problems even with small ones because smaller hoses can collapse under strong water pressure.

Hose Reel Installation & Garden Hose Types

If you have a large yard where you do most of your watering then having a dedicated sprayer or sprinkler system isn't really practical especially if you also use it for washing cars and watering plants throughout the year. For this reason you will find it more convenient to equip yourself with a garden hose reel .

According to progardenman, using this device is easy enough, all you have to do is place the hose on its winding spindle and turn the crank a few times to roll it up. However, I have noticed that there seems to be a common misconception about how hose reels should be installed and used.

Some people think that the reel should be left on a fixed surface - a bench or a wall, somewhere far from your reach. This is actually not very smart because when the time comes to use the hose you will have to drag it all around just to get closer to your flower beds etc.

Another approach is attaching the roller directly under the faucet with no way of moving it at all - which works fine until you decide that you need more length in order to work with your lawn mower for example...

So what's the point? Well A garden hose reel in my opinion should be flexible in positioning. It needs to have a stable base in order to keep the hose from rolling into itself, but you should also have the ability to move it closer or further away when needed.

Hose Reel & Hose Types

Manufacturers are continuously searching for ways to make things better ; so I'm sure they will soon offer us some amazing new products . However today's market is definitely dominated by rubber and vinyl hoses with various internal waterways for increasing their usability. 

These two materials come together as an excellent solution for long-term outdoor usage because they are weather resistant and don't kink easily making them a favorite among irrigation experts.

There are many types of hoses to choose from but most experts agree that the best ones for irrigation purposes have a diameter of at least 1/2 inch and can handle up to 125 PSI (or more). And as usual, bigger is better ...

Since these garden hoses are made out of rubber you should probably take extra care when buying one. I suggest you read as much as possible about various manufacturers and try asking friends who use watering systems for their gardens what brands they prefer. 

Internal waterway should be made out of flexible, but not so flexible materials. If you can't bend it easily with your bare hands then chances are that you won't be able to do it under pressure either... And this is certainly something that should be avoided .

The Best Advice

So there's my free advice for the day: don't buy anything without proper research and please install your hose reel in an easy to reach location! As for garden hoses I would recommend rubber ones over vinyl any time even though they cost more because they will last longer. 

You should also try to find one with at least three plies (layers) since this will provide superior strength and resistance... But if you really want to know how to connect a garden hose properly make sure you ask a professional.

Conclusion

So, now you know how to connect a garden hose correctly. Do yourself and the environment a favor by using water saving methods in your yard or on your plants. You can also use these tips for other types of hoses too!

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Autem Decker
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