How to Splice a Garden Hose

Repair holes and cracks with a garden hose repair kit.

Garden hoses, a staple for most homeowners, are useful for watering the lawn and garden as well as washing the car. Over time, garden hoses can develop splits or cracks. Before throwing out the hose and purchasing a new one, save some money by repairing it. The best way to repair a hole is to cut it out and splice the garden hose back together with a hose repair kit, available at home improvement centers. The repair kit consists of a coupler that fits into each end of the hose.

Things You'll Need

• Utility knife
• Bucket
• Liquid dish soap
• Hose repair kit
• Phillips-head screwdriver

Instructions

1. Cut the hose on each side of the hole or crack as straight as possible, using a utility knife to cut the garden hose into two pieces. Discard the damaged pieces.

2. Fill a bucket with hot water and 2 tbsp. of liquid dishwashing detergent. Set the two cut ends of the hose into the water. The water softens the hose while the dishwashing detergent lubricates the ends. Allow the ends of the hose to remain in the water for 10 minutes.

3. Slide a sleeve from the hose repair kit over each end of the hose. The sleeve is a plastic clamp that surrounds the circumference of the hose.

4. Insert the coupler into one end of the hose. The coupler has graduating ridges on each end and a solid center ring. Insert one end of the coupler until the end of the hose sits against one side of the center ring.

5. Push the other end of the hose over the opposite end of the coupler until it rests against the center ring.

6. Slide the sleeves over the hose and coupler until both sleeves meet at the center ring. Tighten the screws on each sleeve with a Phillips-head screwdriver to secure the hose to the coupler for a watertight splice.

References

• Danny Lipford: How to Repair a Leaky Garden Hose