Becoming a do-it-yourself plumber isn’t as hard as it sounds. While it won’t replace a good professional eye when you have a severe leak or an emergency situation, being able to fix minor problems from the comfort of your own home is more than possible with some practice. With the Internet readily available and all sorts of tools just a quick drive away, you can become more handy with basic repair than you ever thought possible. Where does the adjustable hose clamp factor into all this? Let’s just say no do-it-yourself plumber should be caught without one, as there could be more serious problem in a house such as water damage.
It’s easy to get frustrated when your toilet backs up or your sink doesn’t work like it used to. When you want to save a bit of money and learn a new skill all at once, picking up a few do-it-yourself skills is as easy as learning the benefit Read More
If you have a leaking garden hose that is lightweight, then you don’t necessarily have to throw it away. There are things you can do that will repair it even without having to call a plumber. Here are a few ways that you could possibly fix your own garden hose using stainless hose clamps, nuts, connectors and other easy to find pieces.
After purchasing an amazing garden hose, you expect it to last. Although things can go wrong with your all weather garden hose, you expect it to be around for at least a few years. Buying a quality all rubber water hose is expensive, it’s not something most people want to spend money on every single year. Fortunately there are things that any homeowner can do when their all weather garden hose is not working up to expectations. Don’t just throw it away when your garden hose won’t screw on, follow these tips to get your hose back in working order.
Of course, before you follow tips, you need to troubleshoot the problem. Are there breaks in your hose? Then wrapping the breaks with a sturdy waterproof tape should be enough to extend the lifespan of the hose. What if the garden hose won’t screw on the faucet? There may be a bend in the hose or faucet threads that is preventing a tight seal.
Faucet Leaks
If your leak is coming from the faucet or the hose bib, then the packing nut that connects the pipe to the hose might be loose. Try tightening it with a wrench until it won’t turn anymore. If this doesn’t work, try loosening the nut and pulling it away from the pipe. Wrap about eight inches of Teflon tape around the stem where the packing nut usually is. Then, you can put the nut back in place tighten it again over the tape. It may be that the nut is stripped but the tape will help to seal it and hold it in place. It could also be that the industrial washers of the hose bib need to be replaced. If that’s the case, you’ll need to turn off the water, open the spigot and let the water in there drain out to. Take the whole bib out of the wall, unscrew the washer that is on the other end of the handle and replace it and then tighten the screw back on. You can then put the bib back in the wall and screw in the handle and the nut. You might all try using stainless hose clamps to keep the nut in the place if it seems loose.
Hose Connection Leaks The first thing that you should try in this case is changing out the gasket. A worn out gasket will have a weak seal that will cause water to leak out. If that’s the problem, replacing it will solve your issue immediately. If that doesn’t work then the hose end might need replacing. You’ll have to cut off the hose end that’s on there and use a barb kit to replace it. The barb kits come with stainless steel clamps and hose barbs. The clamp goes on to the hose first and the the hose barb goes on the end. If you have trouble fitting it on, you can try using a small drop of dish soap to lubricate it. Once that’s done, slide the clamp to the middle of the barb. You’ll need to tighten it there with a screwdriver.
Hose Leaks
If there is a hole in your actual hose, you’ll have to do something that seems unnecessary but it works. Cut the hose apart in front and behind the hole. You’ll have three hose parts now. You can throw the damaged portion away. Take the two cut ends and repair them using a hose repair kit. The kit will come with a two stainless hose clamps and as well as a Layflat Hose Coupler. Put one of the clamps onto one of the hose ends. The coupler goes into that end and the clamps gets slid down over the coupler. There will be screws on the stainless hose clamps that you’ll have to tighten. Then you’ll repeat the whole process on the other cut end. This will last you a lot longer than trying to seal up the original hole. Many people try and use epoxy or glue to stop up the whole but the constant wetness and water pressure that passes through and by the glue weakens it over a short period of time, making the leak come back again. Clamping it together will virtually give you a new hose as long as you don’t mind the look of the clamps.
If you don’t feel comfortable doing any of these things or you don’t have the time and would rather spend the money, then you could always call a plumber Central Coast to come and fix the hose for you or take it to a store to get repaired. If all else fails, new hoses are not too expensive to buy if you end up needing a new one. That’s why you should probably try and attempt the repair yourself first. It’ll give you a nice sense of accomplishment.