There are many reasons why you may want to have a fabric hose in your garden over the usual rubber made ones. They have a lot of uses. However, one downside is that they tend to leak and break more easily than rubber hoses. While you can simply go out and get a new hose, knowing how to repair one can be useful in different situations.
A lot of the times, leaks are repairable, so you won’t have to get a completely new one. This article will look into this topic of repairing a fabric hose, give you an idea as to why they tend to break, and maintenance tips to avoid damaging the hose.
Why fabric hoses break down?
Most hoses break down eventually due to natural wear and tear. You use a hose for a long time, usually left on the ground, folded, in extreme temperatures, under the scorching heat and sunlight – the hose is bound to leak or break at some point. In addition to that, the water pressure is pretty high as well, which causes the hose to tear at some points.
If you don’t store the hose properly, the hose will be affected in ways that will make it dry or crack in a shorter period of time. Other than that, human errors like misapplication, poor installation, or random unfortunate accidents can also damage the hose. Contaminated fluid, incorrect hose length or clamp size can also cause the hose to break. These are just a few ways your hose can get damaged over time. So, knowing quick fixes and repairs for a broken or torn hose can help you in many situations.
How To Repair Fabric Hoses
Not all methods work when repairing a fabric hose. It is more difficult to repair a fabric hose compared to a usual one because they have a thin layer that can stretch, which makes them more useful but less durable and repairable. Making a watertight repair is tough. One of the best ways to repair fabric hoses is by repairing with connectors. Fabric hoses can break down in a few ways. The hose can have a tear in the inner tube, or the connector can get separates from the hose at one end.
If you use the usual methods to repair a fabric hose, the issues will continue to resurface as the repaired area is now weaker and will tear again and again. No matter the situation, the best way to repair is to remove the damaged section completely and replace it in a few steps as discussed below.
Fabric hoses have two layers:
- The inner tube which is made from latex that helps it to stretch under pressure
- The outer tube which is made from nylon cloth that protects the inner layer of the hose
Here are the steps you need to follow to repair the hose:
1.Remove the outer layer
First of all, remove the connector at both ends and take the outer layer off. Now, you have access to the inner layer, where the tears usually happen. The nylon should be loose enough to do this. If you can’t do it, you can cut it and then sew it back once your job is done
2.Remove the damaged inner layer
This process is quite simple. Just use a knife, garden shears, or a cutter to make a cut and remove the damaged part of the inner layer of the hose.
3. Make a new connection
You will need a connector for this step. Make sure that the connector is clean. If you are using an old connector, check if there is any residue in the connector and wipe it clean. Then, use barbed connectors so that the hose can still stretch or expand around the connector under high pressure. Use Teflon or silicon plumber tapes to make a tight seal before attaching the barb into the tubing.
This method provides a long-term fix to your problems because the damaged part is removed completely and connectors are used which work well as they allow the hose to stretch. Hence, this is one of the best methods for repairing a broken fabric hose.
Some Maintenance Tips
Although it is impossible to avoid any damage to your hose, you can be careful to minimize the damage or make them happen less frequently. Always check the hose from time to time for tears. Check the water pressure and make sure that your hose can withstand the pressure. All hoses have a pressure limit, so make sure to check that. Be careful when working, don’t twist or keep the hose folded on the ground.
During installation, be careful not to break the hose and always use the right sized clamps. In addition to that, store the hose in a box and keep it away from sunlight. Extreme temperatures and sunlight can cause the hose to get damaged in the long run and you can easily avoid that.
In conclusion
You need to make sure that you make a permanent repair on fabric hoses. Temporary solutions don’t last long and they can make matters worse. Due to the stretching nature of these hoses, adhesive repairing solutions like using duct tape are not viable. Instead, you should follow the steps discussed in this article, remove the damaged section completely and fix it with connectors.
Always check the hose for any rips or tears and use it with care. Store the hose in a box to avoid damage from environmental factors like the sunlight. Following simple and easy steps like these can help your hose to last longer and you can make permanent fixes to your hose. There is no need to get a completely new hose every time you find a tear now that you know the right way to repair a fabric hose.
Thank you for reading the article.