If your trusty garden hose pipe has sprung a leak, look no further. Here’s how to fix it and what you will need. (Its very easy – you just need to buy a hose connector part and grab a pair of scissors.)
If your hose has split somewhere in the length of the hose (not at the tap join) from being left out over winter or perhaps you ran over it with your car.. (like I once did) the good news is you don’t need to buy a whole new hose pipe.
Read on to find out how to fix and what you will need.
Of course you could just buy a new hose pipe – if you own basic hose, like a Hozelock starter kit or something similar, you may want to upgrade your hose system.
However – as hosepipes cannot be recycled, (unless you can use it in an inventive DIY project) then the responsible and sensible thing is to repair it.
Don’t just reach for the gaffa tape – although this would work as a temporary measure if you really needed.
Here’s what you will need to repair your split hosepipe:
A hosepipe repair piece – it will look something like this once on your fixed hose and cost around £10 if you choose a metal one.
Alternatively, you could use a plastic repair piece, like the one below from Hozelock.
I would trust the Hozelock brand 100%. A plastic repair connector can be purchased for around £5.
Step One:
You need to cut the hose pipe either side of where the hole or split has appeared.
This seems a bit weird I admit – it feels like you are making the problem a whole lot worse by physically cutting the hose in two. But stay with me.
This gives you two nice clean cut ends of the hose to join back together.
Step Two:
The connector you buy will create a join that is something like what a plumber would use when joining two lengths of pipe with a compression joint.
(Except you don’t need any plumbing knowledge to do this.)
Do the following:
- Put the hose through the ‘nut’ part – the bit with the tightening grips around the edge.
- Next, depending on which connector you have, you may need to thread on a plastic ‘inner’ part over the end of the hose – This piece acts like the ‘olive’ in a plumbing compression joint. (By adding enough pressure to stop any leaks.)
- Push the cut end of your hose onto the central meta or plastic piece (the bit that has two identical ends.)
- Repeat these steps on the other piece of cut hose and tighten everything up – this can be done by hand, so you don’t need any fancy tools to complete the job.
You’re done!
The first product I referred to above has both metal and plastic parts – which would do a very good job. It is worth mentioning that this kit is only suitable for hoses of 12mm diameter.
The repair connector with metal parts can be purchased on Amazon with free delivery here.
Alternatively, you could go with a Hozelock branded hose connector. This would be my personal preference, as I have always had good success with the Hozelock brand in the past.
Note: check the diameter of your hose, if you have a Gardena hose, a Kärcher hose or another brand, it may not fit!
See the bottom of this article for other mentions of Hose repair connectors for other brands of hose.
The Hozelock connector is also cheaper than the metal one and can be ordered in two sizes to fit either 12.5mm diameter hose or a 19mm hosepipe.
The Hozelock connector can be purchased on Amazon for less than £10 with free delivery.
And that’s it.
So you really don’t have to worry if you accidentally damage your hose, a simple quick connector part fix will save your hose from landfill.
Hose repair pieces are a permanent solution, so they are designed not to ever come off unless they are cut off.
Other hose repair products to consider.
I would also trust Gardena and Kärcher when it comes to hoses. They make their own neat little hose repair connectors – which can be bought for around £5.
Above is the Gardena hose connector that I found here on Amazon.
This is for hoses of 13mm or 15mm diameter – (so for Gardena hoses). So if you have a Hozelock hose, don’t buy this one!
Also, if you have a Gardena hose, likewise, don’t buy a Hozelock or the metal one I mentioned.
Above is the same thing but the Kärcher version, this can also be bought for around £5, I found this one available on the Halfords website.
If you are a fan of the Hozelock premium ‘Pro’ range (it has a grey design and uses more metal parts where possible). There is also a hose repair connector in this range.
I have never bought into the Hozelock Pro range but I know they are very reliable. This one works in the same way as the others but is reinforced by using some metal parts for extra durability.
Due to the slightly more premium parts, this connector is a bit more expensive, it can be bought here on Amazon for just over £10.