Buying expensive and useful gardening equipment is not just the end of your duties. You also need to know how to use it at all conditions, right? A water hose is a great way to water your plants for sure. But it also comes with a lot of technicalities.
To supply water to your hose, you need to connect it to your spigot. But the problem arises when you do not have an outside spigot. Perhaps you may have an outside tap or maybe a sink or faucet inside your house where you can connect your hose. But you need to know how to connect a water hose safely. With the help of water hose fittings and adapters, you can easily learn how to connect a water hose.
In this blog, I am providing you with a guide regarding all the requirements and processes of how to connect a water hose.
What Is A Garden Hose Connector?
Garden hose connectors are some metal or plastic nuts and bolts that are used for attaching a variety of tools to a hose. Before purchasing a water hose, a buyer should have a keen knowledge of what is the best fittings of a water hose.
There are numerous variety of garden hose connectors for you to choose from. And it is fairly difficult to select which type of material is best for your use. In order to learn how to connect a water hose, you should know what water hose fittings and adapters you need to purchase. Usually plastic, brass, or aluminum fittings are widely used.
In my opinion, brass fittings are very much useful than any other ones. It is a bit on the expensive side and is heavier than other connectors. But it does not get rusted and both male and female adapters are available with it.
But if you are looking for a cheaper and lighter option, you may opt for plastic connectors. However, you should bear in mind that these plastic connectors tend to wear off way easier than the brass fittings. On the contrary, their durability is not in any way lesser than the brass connectors.
What Is The Size of A Garden Hose Connector?
Garden hose connectors may come in a variety of sizes. 1/2 inch, 3/4 inch or 5/8 inch are common sizes of water hose fittings and adapters. However, 3/4 inch diameter hose is used widely and thus the similar-sized connectors are also used.
3/4 inch connectors are widely used for their efficiency. This size water hose is likely to exert higher pressure than other sizes. Thus, it is used for a number of works including watering the garden, washing the car or yard at professional levels too.
What Is A Hose Splitter?
There are times when you may need to use multiple hoses at once. But the problem arises when you don’t have several spigots or taps for the water supply. In such scenarios, a hose splitter is your perfect helper.
Hose splitters are a type of water hose fittings and adapters. They are designed in such a way that it can be connected to a tap or spigot. It gives several openings to connect a few hose lines at once. Some hose splitters even has a control switch which helps you to customize which hose would get the water supply.
Where Can You Connect Your Water Hose?
You can use your hose for different purposes . And if you know how to connect a water hose to different tools, it would be much easier to use for you.
You can connect your water hose to the following things
- Water Hose to Spigot.
- Water Hose to Indoors Tap.
- Water Hose to Outdoor Tap.
- One Water hose to another water hose.
- Water hose to a Splitter.
- Water hose to Sprayer.
- Water hose to extra nozzles.
- Water hose to pressure washer machine.
- Hose line to a faucet.
- Water hose to a sink.
Follow the rest of this blog to learn how to connect a water hose in brief.
How to connect a hose to a tap (Outside tap or Inside tap)?
It is very convenient to connect your hose to an outside tap to water your garden. But if you need to connect it to an indoors tap, there doesn’t seem to be a very easy way. If you have trouble fitting your hose to a non-sized tap, some quick release fittings is the best. To fit it in, use a round tap connector over the semi-permanent fitting.
Or use a quick release fitting with the round tap connector conveniently fitted for the tap size if you don’t want to remove it every time.
In order to connect it to a spigot or bib, you can use a 3/4 inch brass or plastic connector and push it into the hose and connect it to the spigot or bib. This way, you can connect your hose to an outside tap or spigot.
Can I Connect One Water Hose with Another Hose?
Sometimes if your hose length is not enough, you might look for a way to connect 2 or more water hose together. But in order to have a perfect connection without leaks, you need to know how to connect a water hose and water hose fittings and adapters.
Follow the given instructions to join 2 hose line together,
- Remove the sprayer or nozzle from one of the hose and keep the fitting attached. If the connector is not water stop type, replace it with one.
- Take a double male connector and insert the tap connector of the second hose into it.
- Insert the end of the first hose at the other end of the male connector.
- Therefor, use a nozzle of your choice to the other end of the 2nd hose line and get your desired length while watering your garden!
How to Keep a Garden Hose for a Long Time?
After buying a hose, your aim is not only to use it but also to keep it new-like for a long time. Thus, you need to know the right preservation techniques. According to my, most of the hoses face early damage due to rough handling.
Storage
Firstly, the storage of the hose. The main mistake many gardeners do is not storing their garden hose properly. The storage process is different during the Summers and the Winters. During Summer, as the hose is used more often, it needs to be kept near the yard. But the hose must be kept away from the sunlight but it should be drained and dried first. However, during winter, the hose needs to suck dry so that any part of it doesn’t freeze. Most Hose materials are susceptible to high and low temperatures. It should be kept at room temperature if you want to use it for a long time.
In every season, the coiling must be done in a less invasive way. It is to be done correctly without any harm to the line. Or you can switch to an Expandable Water Hose. Go to my Best Stretch Garden Hose Reviews and select your desired stretch hose.
Proper Handling
If you want a hose without Kink and Tears, the hose quality matters a lot. However, the way you handle and use your hose matters a lot.
While watering your plants, avoid dragging the hose mercilessly. Use a hose coiler to carry it around or simply carry it around yourself.
Also, keep the hose away from your pet. The pets may play around with the hose in all the wrong way! One day my dog was playing with the hose in the garden, I didn’t give it a thought. And the next I remember is having a leaking hose.
Moreover, make sure to clean the hose connections every once in a while. Thus, the possibility of kinks will be reduced.
Get the right length.
Well, always buy a hose in the length you require. Never buy a shorter or longer hose than your need.
If you get yourself a short hose, then you need to pull it which would make the hose material weak. ON contrary, if you get a longer hose, the extra hose pipe would tangle and kinks might appear. And You surely don’t want that!
Turn off the water after use.
Many of us tend to keep our spigot on even after watering is done. But it is very harmful to the hose. Only the nozzle alone can not keep the water pressure intact. The pressure from water may also create burst tendencies. So, always turn your spigot off.
For having great use out of your garden hose, it is very important to know how to connect a water hose to water hose fittings and adapters. So make sure to follow the instructions correctly.