garden hose fittings

[marcros]

I have a garden hose that I use for garden watering etc, probably a couple of times a week on average and it gets used for the pressure washer and to hook up to a couple of other things. Lots of connections and disconnections over a year. I use various hoselock/copy fittings with it, and every couple of years some need replacing because they either stop clicking in properly so fly off, or they leak. I would say buy cheap buy twice, but the genuine ones aren't cheap, and the cheap ones seem to be just as good/bad and have the same issue.

feeling annoyed as the hose pinged off the pressure washer for the tenth time, and flush having just been paid I invested in some alternatives- geka. I have just got some hose clips and swapped the fittings on the hose pipe, tap, sprinkler, pressure washer. I needed a new squirter for the end too so got a large and a small although these were compatible rather than Geka. The fittings are solid brass, and I like the mechanical locking together of the fittings. Unlike hose lock, there is nowhere that can get soil into it and stop retracting properly. The sprayer ends feel good quality, given that they were £3. Large sealing surface compared to the hose lock o ring and the seals are replaceable. £20 very well spent.

https://www.waterirrigation.co.uk/catal ... s/id/1848/

https://www.waterirrigation.co.uk/catal ... ory/16082/

not really a fair comparison, but I think that the last couple of hose lock that I got from Homebase were about £7 each.

 

[llangatwgnedd]

A few turns of plumbers pfte tape will solve your problems.

 

[marcros]

the leaks seem to come from the oring rather than the threaded part. too late now in any case, the deed is done.

 

[John Brown]

I "modified" the push on connector to remove the valve that stops the water when you disconnect it. That solved the problem of it flying off the pressure washer. I found the solution in some other forum... there were folks saying it wouldn't make any difference, but for me it solved the problem. I think there's a big surge of back pressure, which a length of hose can absorb, but the construction of the valve makes it act as a non-return.

 

[AJB Temple]

We have quite a few outside taps and have similar problems with Hozelock etc. They do not like being left out in winter at all (degrades them very fast) so now everything is removed and put in a frost free shed at the end of the season.

Gardena seem better made but are harder to come by.

I find the brass ones also seize up after a while. I will probably go larger bore commercial next time we do a whole sale replacement.

 

[eezageeza]

Geka are the standard hose fittings in the horticultural industry; they're built for 'industrial' usage rather than domestic, and so are inevitably much tougher than anything you'll find in the garden centre.

I'm still using ones that are more than 20 years old!

However, be aware that although the brass bodies are indeed pretty much indestructible, the rubber seals are only good for a few years, and left outside through cold winters will perish pretty promptly. So either buy spare seals and be prepared to replace them quite often, or store them frost free through the winter.

 

[eezageeza]

Oh, and the implausibly cheap rubber seals from China on ebay are in fact perfectly good, just very very slow to arrive. So buy some now for next year!

 

[LeeElms]

Or the pack of O-rings from Hozelock aren't ridiculously expensive if you need them quicker.

 

[sunnybob]

We get through a lot of hose connectors because the sun degrades the plastic. But if we had brass they would be too hot to touch. 8)
The 0 rings only last a year and a bit, so I bought a bulk pack and swap them as and when any problems occur. the plastic fittings generally last into the third year.

 

[llangatwgnedd]

the leaks seem to come from the oring rather than the threaded part. too late now in any case, the deed is done.

No, pfte on the o rings, works a treat.

 

[flying haggis]

the "domestic" range looks to be vfm compared to hozelock etc
https://www.waterirrigation.co.uk/catal ... gory/1214/

 

[marcros]

I dont know much about hydrosure but have had a few other bits of that brand for micro irrigation. Cant fault them so far, seem really good.

 

[HappyHacker]

I have had endless problems with the plastic standard hose connectors and far fewer problems with the compatible brass ones, but I always wondered why I was paying much less for the machined brass fittings than for an injection moulded plastic fitting.

The hydrosure ones look good and at a sensible price. I will have to try them. Or I may go mad and try the commercial ones but that would require planning to make sure I did not end up with the wrong quantities of each type of fitting.

 

[flying haggis]

I think I might also try some of the geka range and if I do, might have to buy this

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/solid-brass- ... 1954759313

wonderful piece of casting and machining

 

[marcros]

that looks ace!

 

[flying haggis]

thanks to marcros i have also swapped all my old hozelock style hose fittings tto geka. got a good deal on these
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GEKA-compres ... %7Ciid%3A1 which dont need a jubille clip to secure the hose to the fitting(ps the company has more) :wink:

 

[Rorschach]

I might be alone here but I have really not had any trouble with normal hozelock fittings. I do try and keep hoses and accessories out of UV light as mush as possible which helps I am sure but the main tap connector outside has been in place for years with no trouble. O-rings lasts a couple of years I find, you can make them last longer with a bit of silicone grease/oil but I tend not to bother. I bought a 50 packs of o-rings for a few pence each a while ago and replace when needed, only takes a few seconds. Don't buy genuine hozelock, they are way too expensive, I just buy a generic o-ring in the correct size which is BS111.