With modern inventions come things that make life easier. Well, expandable hoses are a welcome addition into the world of garden hoses. They are, in fact, a revolutionary change that made watering plants, washing cars, and shifting water from one place to another more enjoyable for home chores enthusiasts.
As the name suggests, expandable hoses are a new type of garden hoses that can expand up to 3 times the original length when water applies its pressure on it. It then contracts to the original length when not in use. This immense flexibility makes this type of garden hoses non-kinking, self-draining, and resistant to tangling.
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Certainly, you should be asking yourself how it achieves all these. Well, they are designed with two layers in it. There is an inner tube through which water flows, and a relatively tough outer fabric made of nylon. The inner lining is made of special elastic rubbers, specifically latex.
Expandable hoses are usually fixed with a shut-off valve such that when water is turned on from the entry side, it blocks it. This builds up pressure within the inner tube, which starts to expand, reaching its full length. Upon reaching the full length, the shut-off valve is turned on, and the hose works like any other garden hose.
Before getting down to repairing your expandable hose, it is of much essence to determine first where the hose is leaking from. This isn’t a difficult task, but depending on the location of the leak, you will identify how severe the problem is and the effort required to repair it. This also determines the tools you will require for the repairing process.
For instance, if your expandable hose leaks where it connects to the water tap, you could be having a problem with the spigot or hose fitting. Ruling out the faucet issue requires that you unscrew the hose and turn the water on.
If water splashes from around the handle, the hose’s packing washer could be possibly worn out, or the packing nut could require better tightening. If the water leaks when your hose is connected to the faucet, you should check to confirm if the water is leaking around the connection or below the fitting.
Most importantly, if your expandable hose is leaking from a pinhole or a crack on the hose itself, don’t give up. They are easy to mend provided the hole doesn’t span a significant length of the hose or has multiple leaking sites. Causes of such leaks include unintentional accidents such as cuts by garden tools.
There is nothing stressful as experiencing leaks within your expandable hose. If you happen to feel the pinch of this, don’t be in a rush. Well, you could be losing some water through the leaks, but it is important that you conduct a one-time repair that solves the issue.
That said, there are several things to watch out during the repair process. For starters, as stated before, any expandable hose is made up of two parts, including the expansive inner tube and outer covering that protects the inner tubing.
Since the tube is soft and expandable, if you cut it without holding on the tube, it will likely slingshot back into the tubing’s cover, making it difficult to fish out. Additionally, if you the connector area is the part that needs to be repaired, you should disassemble the ends by unscrewing the various parts and hold the tubing as you cut both the cover and tubing.
Repairing a hose puncture at the end of the hose is slightly different from repairing one on its length. Well, check out the difference below.
Like any other garden hoses, expandable hoses have their own problems. However, such problems can be solved or prevented by proper maintenance. Before diving into the various maintenance tips for expandable hoses to prolong its lifetime, it is important to highlight the various problems associated with expandable hoses.
There are several incidents where hoses burst or leak and in some cases, fail to expand as expected. Some of the reasons these may happen include;
As mentioned, most expandable hoses are made from TPC or latex inner tube. The issue with TPC is that they might not be strong enough and may burst after a few days. Latex is comparably tough regardless of the number of layers used but result in chemical reactions when used with brass connectors. This may produce toxic chemicals that may result in hose leaks or bursts.
To lengthen your hose’s life, put in place the following practices.
Expandable hoses expand three times when in use and are approximately five times lighter than other garden hoses. This eliminates the worries associated with storage and portability. All you need to do is turn the water on and give it time to expand. When you are done, switch the water off, it self-drains and coils back to its original length saving time and energy.
Nonetheless, it isn’t free from occasional leaks and punctures associated with traditional hoses. Also, if such occurs, they are quite hard to repair. However, worry not as the guide above gives you step-by-step insights on how to go about the repair process.