Introduction: PVC Pool Hose Reel



This PVC pool hose reel only cost more or less $25. You can find all of the materials in local hardware store and make it by simple tools. And get more benefits:
1. The hose is vertically wound on the reel; the interior water of the wet hose can drain out from lower end opening of the hose even after the hose being wound in order.
2. To release any twisting and kinking of the hose in the water, an arm gets the hose untangled in advance of winding on the reel
3. The vertical reel can be removed from the base frame to unwind the hose by gravity (it's fast).
4. It also can carry and store a hose, brush, vacuum head and leaf rake.

Step 1: Materials

PVC pipes
Class200pe grade ¾” PVC pipe: 15’
Sch40 grade ¾” PVC pipe: 3’
Sch40 grade ½” PVC pipe: 2’6”

PEX pipes
Pex ½” pipe: 9”

Micro tubing (drip system used pipe)
Micro tubing ¼” pipe: 1”

PVC fittings
¾”tee: 22
¾” elbow: 7
¾” coupling: 2
¾” cross: 3
¾”cap: 3
¾”x ½” tee: 3
¾”x ½” bushing: 4
1” coupling: 1

Screws
1 ½” screw: 2

Snap Clip Spring (pool pole used clip)
Snap clip: 1

Step 2: Tools

Measuring device
Pen or pencil
Saw or PVC cutter
PVC cement
Drill
9/64” drill bit
¼” drill bit
5/8”drill bit
Screw driver
Wood chisel or knife
Sand paper
Rubber hammer

Step 3: Cut Pipes

Cut pipes with saw or pvc cutter as following size and pieces:

Class200pe grade ¾” pipe
size     pcs
18”      1
10 ½”  2
6 ½”    7
6”        6
5 ¼”    1
4 ¼”    1
4”        1
3”        1
3 ¾”    1
2 ½”    6
2”        8
1 ¾”    1
1 ½”    2

Sch40 grade ¾” pipe
size     pcs
6 ½”    5
3”        1

Sch40 grade ½” pipe
size     pcs
21 ¼”  1
6”        1
2 ½”    1

Pex ½” pipe
size     pcs
4 ½”    2

Micro tubing ¼” pipe
size     pcs
½”       2

Step 4: Make Bolts (part 1)

Take two ¾”x ½” bushings, cut them in ½” from bottoms (small ends). Throw away tops. Keep two ¾”x ½” bushing bottoms which are ½” length.

Step 5: Make Bolts (part 2)

Cut a ¾” coupling to two pieces from the middle. Remove the lip of the coupling on both half ¾” coupling pieces.

Step 6: Make Bolts (part 3)

Take two ¾” tees, to make inverted U hole on them. Mark an inverted U line on middle of a tee as up ½” + level 1 1/8” + down ½”. Drill holes with 9/64” drill bit on ends and corners of the line. Cut the inverted U hole with chisel or knife. The hole width allows the thick of a 1 ½” screw smoothly move in it. We need two ¾” tees with inverted U hole.

Step 7: Make Bolts (part 4)

Now we can assemble our two opposite bolts. One is left side bolt and the other one is right side bolt. First assemble left side bolt. Assemble a ¾” x ½” bushing bottom, a half ¾” coupling piece, a 1 ½” length Class200pe grade ¾” PVC pipe, a ¾” tee with inverted U hole and a whole ¾”x ½” bushing together. Then put a 4 ½” length Pex ½” pipe through holes of both bushings and align it. Put a 1 ½” screw go through a ½” length Micro tubing ¼” pipe and drive into the Pex ½” pipe through the right end of the inverted U hole of the tee.
Assemble the right side bolt as the same way but oppositely.
They are used like door bolts so I call them bolts.
Glue all of the PVC.

Step 8: Make a Hook

Assemble a ¾”tee, a 2” length Class200pe grade ¾” PVC pipe, a ¾” elbow, a 2”length Class200pe grade ¾” PVC pipe and a ¾”cap.
Glue all of the PVC.

Step 9: Make a Handle (also a Bearing)

Assemble a ¾” cap, a 2 ½” length Class200pe grade ¾” PVC pipe*, a ¾” tee and the second 2 ½” length Class200pe grade ¾” PVC pipe. Put a 6” length Sch40 grade ½” PVC pipe** through the second Class200pe grade ¾” PVC pipe to inside of the assembling, and close with the second ¾” cap.
Glue all of the ¾” PVC.
*The two ¾” pipes have to be Class200pe grade which has bigger inner diameter so that the ½” pipe could go through inside.
**Don’t glue the 6” length Sch40 grade ½” PVC pipe. It works as bearing here. Never glue it.

Step 10: Make a Clip Lock

Assemble a 1 ½” length Class200pe grade ¾” PVC pipe* with a ¾” elbow. Glue the elbow and pipe. Make sure pipe is pushed to the end of the elbow. Mark a hole center on a ¾”tee on 3/8” distance from its edge. Assemble the tee on the pipe, close and align tee and elbow. Drill a hole with ¼” drill bit on the mark. And drill another hole on the other side in the same way. Separate the tee with the pipe. Put Snap clip in to the pipe, snap into the holes.
Chamfer the holes on the tee so that we can easy put finger to open the clip. Now we get a clip lock which has a clip lock elbow and a clip lock tee. They will be separately assemble to two parts - the reel body and the arm, and the clip lock is used for lock the two parts together.
*The pipe has to be Class200pe grade ¾” PVC pipe which has bigger inner diameter so that the Snap clip could put in it.

Step 11: Make Reel Body

Assemble axle from bottom to top in sequence: a 3 ¾” length Class200pe grade ¾” PVC pipe*, a ¾” cross, a 2 ½” length Class200pe grade ¾” PVC pipe, the second ¾” cross turned in 90 degree, the second 2 ½” length Class200pe grade ¾” PVC pipe, the third ¾” cross, a 6 ½” length Class200pe grade ¾” PVC pipe and the handle which we made in previous step, turn the handle 45 degree.
Assemble spokes with 6 pieces of 6” length Class200pe grade ¾” PVC pipe on each ¾” cross.
Assemble the first hub pole from bottom to top in sequence: the left side bolt which we made in previous step, a 2 ½” length Class200pe grade ¾” PVC pipe, a ¾” tee, a 6 ½” length Class200pe grade ¾” PVC pipe, the second ¾” tee, the second 6 ½” length Class200pe grade ¾” PVC pipe and the clip lock elbow which we made in previous step.
Assemble the second hub pole from bottom to top in sequence: a 2” length Class200pe grade ¾” PVC pipe, the hook which we made in previous step, a 6 ½” length Class200pe grade ¾” PVC pipe, a ¾” tee, a 10 ½” length Class200pe grade ¾” PVC pipe and a ¾” elbow.
Assemble the third hub pole from bottom to top in sequence: the right side bolt which we made in previous step, a 2 ½” length Class200pe grade ¾” PVC pipe, a ¾” tee, a 6 ½” length Class200pe grade ¾” PVC pipe, the second ¾” tee, the second 6 ½” length Class200pe grade ¾” PVC pipe and a ¾” elbow.
Assemble the 4th bub pole from bottom to top in sequence: a 2” length Class200pe grade ¾” PVC pipe, a ¾” tee, a 10 ½” length Class200pe grade ¾” PVC pipe and a ¾” elbow.
Assemble all of the hub poles to spokes in sequence.
Glue all of the PVC. The reel body is ready.
*all of the pipes on axle has to be Class200pe grade ¾” PVC pipe which has bigger inner diameter so that a ½” Sch40 grade ½” PVC pipe can go through as a shaft of the reel.

Step 12: Make Reel Arm Head

Assemble the clip lock tee, a 2” length Class200pe grade ¾” PVC pipe and a ¾”x ½” tee turned in 90 degree. Assemble a 4 ¼” length Class200pe grade ¾” PVC pipe to a ¾”x ½” tee. A 2 ½” length Class200pe grade ½” PVC pipe goes through a 1” coupling* then connects the two ¾”x ½” tee. The clip lock tee and the 4 ½” pipe are parallel toward up.
The arm head is ready. Don’t glue yet.
*Never glue the 1” coupling. It is a rolling element for untangle hose.

Step 13: Make Reel Arm Pedal

Assemble a ¾” tee, a ¾” length Class200pe grade ¾” PVC pipe and the second ¾”tee and a 2” length Class200pe grade ¾” PVC pipe together. This assembling is a foot pedal.
Align and glue.

Step 14: Make Reel Arm Hinge and Pedal Connector

Take two ¾” tee, remove one’s the inner lip and scrape or sand interior until it could slid and rotate on a ¾” pipe. It is as a ¾” hinge, remove another one’s the inner lip in the same way and cut down 1” from the edge. It is as a ¾” pedal connector.
Another choice is buy slip tee online. I cannot find slip tee in local hardware stores.

Step 15: Make Reel Arm Pole

Assemble an 18” length Class200pe grade ¾” PVC pipe as arm with the ¾” hinge. Put the ¾” pedal connector the 18” length Class200pe grade ¾” PVC pipe and slide down until the pedal connector short side (the side we’ve cut 1” away) close to the hinge.
Glue pedal connector on here. Don’t glue the hinge with the 18” pipe yet.

Step 16: Make Reel Arm

Assemble 2” length Class200pe grade ¾” PVC pipe of the pedal to the pedal connector of the arm pole, turn pedal to 30 degree with the arm pole. Assemble the ¾”x ½” tee of the clip lock tee side of arm head to the 18” length Class200pe grade ¾” PVC pipe of the arm pole and turn the arm head 45 degree.
The reel arm is ready. Don’t glue yet.

Step 17: Make Reel Base Arm Stopper

Assemble a 4” length Class200pe grade ¾” PVC pipe, a ¾” elbow, a 2” length Class200pe grade ¾” PVC pipe and a ¾” tee.
Align and glue. The arm stopper is ready.

Step 18: Make Reel Base Bolt Catcher

Assemble a ¾” coupling with a 2” length Class200pe grade ¾” PVC pipe.
Glue them. The bolt catcher is ready.

Step 19: Make Reel Base

Assemble a ¾” tee, a 6 ½” length Sch40 grade ¾” PVC pipe*, the second ¾” tee, the second 6 ½” length Sch40 grade ¾” PVC pipe and the third ¾” tee together, the second ¾”tee turned 90 degree to front. It is the rear side base.
Assemble a ¾” tee, a 6 ½” length Sch40 grade ¾” PVC pipe, the second ¾” tee, the arm stopper which we made previously and a 5 ¼” length Class200pe grade ¾” PVC pipe together. The 5 ¼” pipe on the left and the second ¾” tee turned 90 degree to the rear. The arm stopper pipe goes to front and to left parallel with the 5 ¼” pipe. It is the front side base.
Assemble two 6 ½” length Sch40 grade ¾” PVC pipe, a 21 ¼” length Sch40 grade ½”PVC pipe onto a ¾”x ½” tee. The 21 ¼” length Sch40 grade ½”PVC pipe is the shaft of the reel. This assembling is the shaft base.
Then, assemble rear side base, front side base and shaft base together.
Align and glue. To be sure the 21 ¼” shaft is vertically to up on the base. The reel base is ready.
*Recommend use Sch40 grade PVC pipe on these five reel base position for strong the base. The other pipes recommend use Class200pe grade PVC to get the reel light.

Step 20: Assemble Reel Arm and Bolt Catcher to Reel Base

Slide the hinge of the reel arm onto the 5 ½” length Class200pe grade ¾” PVC pipe of the reel base, assemble a ¾” elbow on the end of the 5 ½” pipe. Glue the elbow on.
Assemble the bolt catcher which we made previously to the right ¾” tee of the rear base.
Don’t glue yet.

Step 21: Fitting the Reel and Drill Bolt Holes

Slide the reel body axle to the shaft of reel base. Lock the clip lock tee with the clip lock elbow to hold the arm on the reel body. Slide out the pex pipes of left bolt and right bolt. Use a pencil mark the pex pipe on the arm and the bolt catcher of the rear base. Drill a hole on the arm as the catch of left bolt of the reel body, and drill a hole on the reel base bolt catcher as catch of right bolt, both with 5/8” drill bit. Since we haven’t glue them, we can take out them to drill the holes. Chamfer the holes edge makes the pex pipe easy to slide in.
Reassemble the arm and the bolt catcher back. Fitting holes with blots, do patch if it is necessary. Fitting clip lock, here you need do some patches, for example, sand snap clip top to more round and sand clip tee interior for easy lock them together.
Glue arm pole to the hinge.
Adjust the angles of the arm pedal and arm head. Glue them*. Glue the bolt catcher on the base.
*Never glue the 1” coupling. It is a rolling element for untangle hose.

Step 22: Finish the Pool Hose Reel

You’ve got an excellent pool hose reel.
Try it.

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