How to Repair a Garden Hose
Garden hoses can spring a leak for a number of reasons. An animal may chew or step on the hose or a puncture may result from the hose twisting and bending. If the rest of the hose is still functional, it may be cost effective to repair the garden hose rather than replace it.
Things you will need:
- Hose repair kit
- Permanent marker
- Utility knife
- Plumber’s tape
- Purchase a hose repair kit, which can be found at most home improvement or gardening stores. These kits come with pieces that will either insert into the hose or fit around it.
- Lay the hose out in the sun to warm and soften it to make it easier to work with. Alternately, you can soak the part of the hose you will be working with in hot water for several minutes.
- Connect the hose to the faucet and turn on the nozzle. Watch for water spraying out to locate the approximate area of the leak, then turn of the faucet.
- Locate the exact spot of the leak and mark the damaged area with a permanent marker. Draw lines around the garden hose on either side of the area to be repaired, approximately one inch from the puncture.
- Cut the hose by using a utility knife and following the permanent marker lines all the way around the hose. Remove the entire section of the hose and throw away.
- Fit the pieces that came in the hose repair kit into the area that was removed to connect the two sides of the garden hose. Follow the instructions provided on the package of the hose repair kit.
- Wrap plumber’s tape around the area to ensure a tight, leak-free connection. If the damaged area or puncture is small, plumber’s tape may be used instead of replacing the entire piece of hose. Keep in mind that the plumber’s tape will not hold permanently, and may need to be reapplied on occasion.