| Repair Your Garden Hoses and Save Water |
Master gardener Joe Lamp'l, host of Fresh from the Garden, points out several quick fixes for garden hoses.
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Take time to inspect all your outdoor faucets and connections. It seems that some water leakage is the norm rather than the exception. (SHNS photo courtesy Joe Lamp'l)
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By Joe Lamp'l
Oct. 29, 2007 — Put the "fix" on leaky faucets and hoses now. Do I sound more like a plumber than a gardener? Well, sometimes it pays to be one. You see, I'm all for saving water wherever I can, and the garden is one of the best places I know to start. Drop by drop, it all adds up. Did you know that one drip per second equates to about 220 gallons a month? So it makes sense to stop the drops wherever we can. With the exception of an irrigation system, the biggest opportunity outdoors to do that comes from the hose bib or spigot, the connection there or with the hose itself. Take time to inspect all your outdoor faucets and connections. It seems that some amount of water leakage is the norm rather than the exception. But it doesn't have to be. Before calling a plumber, there are a few simple repairs you can make, and all the parts are easy to find and inexpensive as well. Start with the spigot. When you turn it on, does it leak? If so, is it from the handle? If you answered yes to that, simply remove the handle. It's held in place by a screw or nut. Remove the packing nut and the rubber gasket or washer inside. Over time, these rubber parts become hard and brittle. When they crack, that's when the leaks start to happen. Take the parts with you to your neighborhood hardware store so you can purchase the appropriate replacements. You can also buy Teflon packing tape that looks like thick string. That also works well as a replacement. If the water is leaking from the hose connection, it's simply a matter of replacing the rubber washer inside the hose coupling. A replacement pack is inexpensive, so keep some extras on hand. You'll use them all eventually. It's one of the fastest and easiest plumbing fixes I know. If the leak is coming from one of the hose ends, replacement parts are available. The key is to know what diameter hose you have so when you purchase the replacement parts, you have the right size. Most hoses for home use are either 1/2 or 5/8 inch. If you don't know, cut off the end before you go and take it with you. Hoses can eventually develop holes or cracks in the rubber, and replacement hoses are expensive. Before you go out and buy a new one, try fixing the hose first. Once you've identified the leak, cut out that area and remove it. You'll then join the two ends together with a repair kit that you can purchase at any home improvement or hardware store. Again, be sure to get the right size. They're based on the diameter of your hose (1/2 or 5/8 inches usually). When making the repair, be sure the connections are good and snug and that the screws are tight. In a matter of minutes and for only a few dollars, you've likely fixed your leak problem, saved a lot of water and avoided the unnecessary expense of hiring a plumber or buying an entire replacement hose. Now is the best time to test for leaks and make the necessary repairs especially as we face the freezing temperatures of winter. I feel much better knowing that I am averting potential problems early and doing my part to save water as well. (Joe Lamp'l, a master gardener, hosts DIY's Fresh from the Garden as well as a gardening radio show. For more information, visit www.joegardener.com. Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service.) | Get DIY On Your TV. Just follow the instructions to see if DIY Network is available through your cable or satellite provider. |
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