How to Plug A Leak In A Garden Hose

Fifty feet of expensive hose--and one annoying, spurting leak, a little squirt that will soon grow into a bigger one. Here's how to fix it quick!

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Electrical tape
• A toothpick
• Heavy duty scissors or snips

1. Hoses are expensive, and one day, without any warning, you see one spurt in the middle, a pinhole leak that spurts into the air--what now? This is one thing that WD-40 won't cure! The solution is even easier--a toothpick! If you just wrap take around the hole, the water, as water does, will find a way--and the leak will continue. So insert an end of a round toothpick into the hole and then neatly, snip it off!

2. Tightly wrap the area with electrical tape--not just in one round wrap, but starting a bit above where the hole was and a bit below--and wrap it tight so it doesn't come loose--about an inch on either side.

3. Now turn on the hose and let the water run a bit, then turn it off; the water will create swelling in the wood--and you'll have a plugged hole that no longer leaks! The plug won't last forever, but the solution will last long enough to make your work worthwhile and save you spending the bucks for a new hose.

Tips & Warnings

• When your hose does finally wear out, rather than throw it away, use it as a measuring device for your garden--while this may seem an odd concept, recall all those times you are trying to lay out a curving path or a garden area with soft angles and curves and have to use rocks or wood to get the idea. An old garden house is perfect--once laid out into a shape you admire, roll it up, and put it away until you need it again!