How to Fix a Garden Hose Leak

When it’s intact, a garden hose is a trusted tool. It can help you rinse off debris from the deck, hydrate the lawn, and so much more. However, a leaky hose is going to waste a lot of water and makes it harder to deal with outside chores.

Though most people focus on rushing out to buy a new hose, it often isn’t necessary. It’s easy to extend the life of your garden hose by learning how to fix a garden hose leak. In fact, it could be very cheap to do it.

There are four options. The one you pick is based on where the leak is. Let’s get started:

Table of Contents

1. Seal Up Small Holes Using Electrical Tape
2. Use a Hose Mender for Larger Tears
3. Use a Hose Gasket for a Leaking Coupling
4. Replace Any Bent Couplings with New Ones
Conclusion

1. Seal Up Small Holes Using Electrical Tape

Most hoses get pinholes in them because they are dragged through the grass. It may have run over a sharp object like a rock or nail. Often, you don’t see these holes until you connect and turn on the water source.

Then, you see a geyser-style spurt of water from the area. These small leaks often direct water away from the plants and lawn and could even squirt you in the eye.

A good way to fix this type of leak is to use electrical tape. It usually has some PVC backing and includes rubber-based adhesive. Therefore, it has the insulation, weather-resistance, and elasticity required to plug up those pinholes.

To use it, turn off your water and disconnect the hose. Wipe it down so that it’s completely dry, and then mark the area of the pinhole with a marker. Take your electrical tape and wrap it around that section, making sure to overlap a few times.

This is going to ensure that the tape sticks to itself well. Don’t wrap the electrical tape tightly because that could cause the hose to crease. Ultimately, it could stop the water from flowing through.

When you’re finished, reconnect the hose to the water source and turn it on. If you no longer see a leak, you’ve solved your issue. With time, the tape might come unglued, so you could require a hose mender then.

2. Use a Hose Mender for Larger Tears

Large tears in your hose could be from it getting snagged in a bush or tree. Sometimes, it might get chewed by a pet or crack from exposure to cold and heat. Water is likely to gush from a tear like this when you turn the tap on.

A hose mender is a great choice. It uses a short metal or plastic tube to replace the section that’s damaged. You can find them at various online retailers.

To use it, turn off your water and disconnect the hose. Now, you’re going to take garden shears or a hose cutter to remove the torn section. Put the cut hose ends and the hose mender connectors together and twist the collars on the mender to tighten.

When you’re done with that, hook the hose back up to the water source. Turn it on and make sure that there aren’t any more leaks.

3. Use a Hose Gasket for a Leaking Coupling

The most challenging of garden hose leaks is from the coupling. This plastic or metal fitting is found on each hose end and is used to connect it to a spigot, sprinkler, or nozzle. If you notice a steady drip from the fitting when it’s attached to a water source, you may have to replace the gasket.

Gaskets are going to wear out with time and exposure to water. Therefore, you’re going to have to switch them out. Some can last as long as 10 years, but three years is the most common.

To do this, turn off the water source and disconnect the leaking hose end. Use some needle-nose pliers and pull out the gasket in the coupling there. With your fingers, push in your new gasket.

You can find thick O-ring gaskets, and they tend to be more watertight. The flat gaskets aren’t likely to mold with the coupling contours as easily. Once you’ve replaced the gasket, reconnect your hose to the water source and turn it on to check for any other leaks.

4. Replace Any Bent Couplings with New Ones

If the couplings on either end of your hose continue leaking once you replace the gasket, the coupling itself might be misshapen. This can happen from heavy equipment, such as a lawnmower running over it.

The bent coupling can’t get a watertight seal between your hose and sprinkler, nozzle, or spigot. This causes the leak.

Ultimately, you should replace the bent coupling with a new one. This is going to give you a permanent solution to the leak. You can find male and female couplings.

Female ones connect to the spigot, while the male connects to the sprinkler or nozzle. Make sure you get a coupling with the same diameter as your hose. This information is found on the packaging.

Conclusion

Depending on where the leak is, it can be quite easy to fix your garden hose leak. You may need to buy a few parts and replace them, but it’s sure to be less expensive than buying a brand new hose.

Learning how to fix a garden hose leak can save you money. You’re sure to get more years out of your investment. Plus, this means that you can use that cash for other needs.

There may come a time where your garden hose has too many repairs and still leaks. When that happens, it’s best to buy a new one and take care of it so that it doesn’t spring a leak, too.