The Inevitable Hose Failure

Whether you ran over the brass fitting with the car, or a rose bush poked a pinhole in the rubber, garden hoses fail. But repairing them is one of the easiest and most satisfying DIY tasks.

Fixing a Crushed End Fitting

Go to the hardware store and buy a "Hose Mender" or "Repair Coupling" for the specific diameter of your hose (usually 5/8"). Use a utility knife to cut the damaged fitting clean off the hose. Push the barbed end of the new fitting into the hose, and tighten the included hose clamp with a screwdriver. Done!

Fixing a Mid-Hose Split

If a leak occurs in the middle of the hose, cut the hose completely in half at the site of the leak, removing the damaged inch of rubber. Use a male/female repair splicer to connect the two halves back together. It takes two minutes and saves a perfectly good hose from the landfill.