By using a reel, your garden hose is coiled neatly on the reel. This way, it is ready for use anytime you need it – without having to spend time untangling the hose before you can actually use it.
To learn about using a hose reel, putting a hose on the reel, and why you should use one, read the rest of this hose reel guide and tutorial. This way, your hose will last longer, and your yard will look great!
What Is a Hose Reel Used For?
A hose reel is a tool used to store a hose when not in use. It is a cylindrical-shaped spindle made of plastic, metal, or fiberglass, and used to store a hose. The most common hose reel styles are hand crank, motor driven, or spring driven (self-retracting).
How Does a Hose Reel Work?
A hose reel offers a spindle design that allows a garden hose to coil around, keep it stowed away neatly, and away from the ground. A lot of hose reel models run with a hand crank, although there are models that operate on a pulley system/automatic retraction that winds the hose in when not in use and ready for storage.
Why Should You Use a Garden Hose Reel?
A hose reel is the best way to store a garden hose while avoiding potential damages to the hose. It is, in fact, considered as the best way to store a garden hose, and increase its useful life with proper storage.
- Protection from the Elements – A hose reel protects the garden hose from damages due to prolonged exposure to the elements like extreme sunlight.
- Minimizes Wear – Garden hoses are usually made of rubber, and will experience wear over time. Accidentally driving over the hose or rolling over it with equipment often causes damage and undue wear. By using a hose reel, you significantly prolong the hose’s useful life, and avoid early replacement costs.
How to Use a Hose Reel? (Easy Steps)
Things You’ll Need:
- A hose reel.
- A new hose to wind into the reel.
- Rubber washers.
Note: You can use a new hose reel or an existing one.
How to Put / Attach a Hose on a Hose Reel: (Step by Step Instructions)
Here’s a detailed step by step guide that you can follow.
Step 1: Getting the Hose Reel Ready for the New Hose
When reusing an existing hose reel, you need to properly remove the old hose from the reel first to allow the installation of a new hose.
Move the reel to your driveway or lawn where you can safely and freely drain water from the old hose. Water in the will flow out as you remove it. Extend the hose fully until the inner drum’s water coupling inside the hose reel is visible. Detach the hose from the coupling. If you can’t do it by hand, you can use adjustable pliers.
Step 2: Unpacking and Preparing the New Hose for Installation
Unbox the new hose. Find the hose's female end and put it as close to the hose reel as possible. Stretch the remaining parts of the hose far from the reel to soften it a bit and get rid of any bends. Straighten it out to make it easier to get rid of the bends.
Step 3: Inserting a Washer and Connecting the Female End of the Hose to the Reel
Find the new hose’s female end. Insert a rubber washer in the hose coupling’s bottom to provide a tight seal. Insert the female end through the guide opening. Use pliers to tighten the fitting and prevent leaks. However, be careful not to tighten too much to avoid stripping the threads or breaking the plastic components.
Step 4: Installing the New Hose on the Reel
Proceed to winding the hose on the reel's drum. Make sure to evenly coil the hose back and forth. Wind the hose snugly to the drum while turning to eliminate gaps that snag up or eat a lot of space on the drum.
You can request someone else to hold the hose while you feed it through the guide. This will allow you to focus on the hose to make sure it winds up properly, and help keep it tight on the drum.
If you have a powered hose reel, press the button that spins the drum to allow the hose to retract. Make sure the hose coils back and forth.
Step 5: Connecting the Feeder Hose to the Water Source
Find the short feeder hose on the hose reel, and connect it to the nearest water spigot. Some reels come with a drainage hose as well. If you have one of those, make sure it discharges water in a safe area.
To give you a better idea on how to use a garden hose reel, check out this video.
Where Should Hose Reels Be Placed?
Place the hose reel in a way that every part of the floor is within reach of the hose nozzle’s 4-meter spray (given that when laid on the ground, the hose is at most 36 meters long), with clear exit path, and with no obstructions to the hose’s operation.
Key Points Review
Let’s go over the steps to using a garden hose reel again to make sure you don’t miss them.
- If you’re using an existing hose reel, you must first remove the old hose to make room for the new hose. If you’re using a new reel, simply follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Unbox the new hose, and then find the female end. Place it beside the hose reel. Completely stretch out the hose’s body to get rid of the bends.
- Screw the female end to the water coupling. Make sure to insert a rubber washer first to prevent leaks.
- Carefully wind the hose on the reel drum evenly in back and forth motion.
- Connect the short feeder hose to the nearest water source.
Final Verdict
Using a garden hose reel is one of the more effective ways to upgrade your yard’s aesthetic and safety features. It saves you time and effort in handling the hose, and eliminates the back problems associated with lugging the hose for a long time while watering the garden.
Best of all, a hose reel helps prolong the useful life of your garden hose, and keep it in great working condition for a long time.
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