Garden Hose Repair

I know that garden hoses are not that expensive but I can't bring myself to go out and buy a new one when I can fix the one I have. Either end or middle of a garden hose can be replace. This instructable will go through how to replace the end of a garden hose.

You will need:
Broken garden hose 5/8"
Replacement end (male in this case 5/8")
Hose clamp
Utility knife (or some other thing that will cut the hose)
Screwdriver

Step 1: Examine Hose and cut

When you find that your garden hose has gone bad, check to see if where you found the problem is the only place. In my case, there were there place near the end, the rest of the hose was still good. If there are several bad places along the entire length of the hose, then maybe it is time to go get a new hose.

After the third place at the end were the hose is going bad is where I am going to make my cut. I cut the hose a couple inches back from the last bad spot to insure is will be working with good hose.

Comments

[foobear]

This is great, I figured it was possible to repair them. Does the fix leak much?

[AT]

When done correctly, they leak about the same as a factory connector. There are different types of connectors you can get. I like this old school kind. They don't cost as much and are a little harder to put on. Some of the new ones are very easy to install but are plastic and don't last as long.

[devynhogan]

if you cant get the new end peice on put the hose into hot water for a minute of two then it goes fight on :)

[stephenniall]

My way is very similar but i dont use Brass connectors. 

I put one piece of pipe on the Gas hob (or lighter) and i melt the end a bit and it Expands therefore so You slot it over the other pipe and put a hose clamp on it

[frankboase]

What about using a bicycle inner tube,l cut them up to form bandages wrap one around the hose a few times,tuck the end in and bob's your uncle.

[static]

Personally I prefer hose end or splice fittings that don't require this sort of hose clamp. A clamp that is always getting hooked on something when you drag the hose around. Most hose repairs that aren't jury rigged should be a strong as the hose, so I really don't know why one commentor had problems with the  repair ends blowing out. I'm rural so I leave my water hose out all year long in case of fire. Call 911 first, and to what I can to mitigate the situation until the FD gets here. A new hose every few years isn't going to break me, but just may save me money. Fortunately I have never had to put the plan to a test.

[shushujooon]

That's cool... we just keep cutting our hose... never knew you could replace the tips.
What about leaks?  is this method leak proof?  can i attach garden tools to the end and not have water squirted back at me?

[AT]

Leak "proof"?  ;-)  Nothing is leak proof but a replacement end will work as well as a factory original if you put in on correctly.  Besides, I like a little spray back on a hot summer day.

Make sure the washer in the female end is good.   That will help keep a good connection.  That is true for a replacement end or an original.  Washers will get hard over time an not seal as well as when they were new.  You can purchase a sheet of new garden hose washers and the hardware store for cheap.

When replacing an end to your hose or splicing up the middle, make sure to tighten the hose clamp tightly.  That will help keep the water going through the hose and not coming out of your repair.

[babylonfive]

This works great for damage-related failures near the end of the hose, but for a really old hose (assuming you don't have the Sears guarantee solution), you might end up sharing my experience... fixes to a very old sun-damaged hose simply exposed more failures and damage,... more and more hose is lost reaching the next supposed solid portion before the pressure reveals another weak spot.
Such hoses, unfortunately, are lost. Think about this before buying your second hose clamp, male or female replacement end, etc.

[AT]

Good points.  Some of my repairs are due to age and when the hose gets too many failure spots, it is time to replace.  And I reclaim the connectors so I can use them again.  I did have an incident with my 52" mower not going over the hose as it usually did.  This time it picked it up and started to munch on it.  I lost about 6 feet of hose but was able to splice the rest back together.

[seanrdz]

 you could just use a small (1" - 2") piece of 15mm copper pipe and two jubilee clips and only waste the bit of hose where the kink is. 

[the rural independent]

Use it up.
Wear it out.
Make it do or,
Do without.

From a friend whose Irish mother pounded this into her kid's brains.  All of them became very frugal and very wealthy adults.

www.theruralindependent.com/

[dchall8]

The last hose I bought was in about 1985. It was then that I discovered the lifetime-guaranteed hoses at Sears. When my dog bites a hole in it, or I drive over it on my stone driveway, or whatever (which seems to be about once every other year), I return it and get a new one - no questions asked.

[trgz]

Lifetime guarantee?! Damn I wish I could find that in the UK - my dog seems to think that my garden hoses were 'stick-on-a-roll' and delights in biting out sections whenever I forget to put it away. :-(

[AT]

I like the sound of that! Lifetime-Guarantee... I am thinking that my next garden hose will have that. Than you for the tip.

[PlayPatterns]

this reminds me of when i was a truck driver and used to take tie down ropes and tie them together over and over again until i just had a chain of square knots. before you know it you'll have a brass hose!

[AT]

Interesting thought. I'm not sure how well that would roll up on the hose real but I bet the women would love it!

[M_Tocci]

We do that at work all the time. Just dont let pressure build up or it might blow the replacement end out... it has happened afew times tome.

[lemonie]

You're like my dad. If he cuts through the cable of his hedge-trimmers he'll go and get a terminal block and do a splice like this. I don't really understand what "gone bad" means - is this just mechanical fatigue, exposure to sun, or something else?

[AT]

Not sure why my hose went bad but there are several things that would cause it, fatigue being the most likely. The sun beating down on it doesn't help either. Running over it with a 585cc lawn mower doesn't help! Fatigue and sun are very likely the cause in this case. This hose is over 10 years old. We are not on city water so the water pressure fluctuates while the water is running. The pressure will increase when the pump is running. Then slowly decrease when the pump is off. Over time, the material loses its elasticity and becomes brittle. The sun helps this process along. Eventually the hose will rupture. You will see something similar in the hoses going to a washing machine. One day, POP! when you aren't at home and your have water all over the place. It also happens to the flexible plastic leads going to your sink.