Have you been having issues with your garden hose? If you’re experiencing leaks from your garden hose, don’t panic. Many homeowners run into this irritating issue every year, and unfortunately, most of them opt to replace the old hose and buy a new one only.
Before you panic about the purchase of a new hose, don’t worry: in most cases, leaks with your garden hose don’t need to result in buying a new hose and, in fact, most of the repairs can easily be done ‘DIY’ at home.
Want to learn how to fix your garden hose and save money? Keep reading to discover how:
Locate the Leak
The first step to solving your garden hose leak problem is to figure out where it’s coming from. To do this, attach a spray nozzle to the end of your hose and turn on the water, then make a note of the leaks that appear as pressure builds up inside the hose. Holes at either end of the hose are easy to spot and remember, but if the hole is located along your hose make sure to mark the area with a permanent marker so that you can easily find it again.
Solving a Hose Leak
If the leak is along your hose, then don’t just throw out the hose and give up. Instead, mark the area and head to your local hardware store to pick up a hose repair kit to solve it yourself. Once you have the garden hose repair kit, use your garden shears to cut off the problem area and, using the clamps and coupler provided by the package, re-attach the sections of your hose back together to enjoy leak-free use moving forward.
Resolving an Issue with the Hose Bib
The faucet which connects your garden hose to your home’s plumbing system is also referred to as the “hose bib” and is a common source of headaches for homeowners when it comes to leak-related issues.
On the plus side, replacing your hose bib is as easy as can be. Just pull the hose bib from the wall and use a screwdriver to remove the washer. Then, replace the washer and screw the hose bib back into its original place.
If replacing the washer doesn’t work, take a look at the packing nut and see if it has become loosened over time and tighten it as needed to resolve the leak. If it doesn’t work, try placing some Teflon tape over the stem of the faucet before re-tightening the packing nut.
Solving an Issue with the Hose Connector
If the problem appears to be with your hose connector, then take a moment to inspect the gasket and see if it needs to be replaced. If it does, use a new O-ring to replace it and turn on the water to see if it was successful. If not, purchasing a hose barb kit will allow you to return the end of your garden hose in no time at all.
Call Mark Johnson Plumbing at (318) 257-6167 in Ruston, LA to enjoy fast and reliable solutions to a variety of your plumbing issues and challenges.
