Last Updated on May 28, 2022 by Gary Stephen
During times of cold weather, your garden hose can freeze if you leave it outside, especially if water remains inside the hose. When your garden hose freezes, the expansion of the water inside your hose can cause holes to form and weaken the lining of your hose. There are ways of how to keep a garden hose from freezing, which will help to protect both the water hose and the garden itself from possible damage.
How To Keep A Garden Hose From Freezing
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Step 1 in how to keep a garden hose from freezing
Soak down your garden hose. Fill it up with water, and close off the spigot at the end of your garden hose with your hands, leaving just a little bit of water coming out. When you let go, the excess water from your hose will run back into the standpipe. Soak the end of your garden hose a couple of times to make sure it is full to the end. This will keep the hose from freezing when it is not in use.
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Step 2
Run a little water out of your garden hose to prevent it from getting frozen. You can do this the next time you water your garden. Allow the water to drip for a few hours after your last watering to help keep the hose from freezing.
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Step 3 of how to keep a garden hose from freezing
Run a little hot water through your garden hose when you are near the end of your garden hose. Don’t use a lot of hot water. You just want to warm the last few feet of the hose. The best way to do this is to turn on the hot and run the water for a little bit. Shake the hose a little bit and then turn the water off. The hose will be warm. Fold the end of the hose that is warm and wrap it up with an old towel.
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Step 4
Run a little water out of your garden hose when you are finished using it. Water will freeze and expand. If there is no water in the hose, then it cannot expand and break the hose. If you are using the hose the day after watering your garden, make sure you have tapped the water out of the hose before leaving it outside. Do not leave water in the hose or in the standpipe.
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Step 5 of how to keep a garden hose from freezing
When possible, use a drip irrigation system. Drip irrigation systems will allow water to be delivered to the plants versus water running out of your hose. This will eliminate the need for a garden hose and keep your garden hose from freezing.
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Step 6
Insulate your garden hose. You can buy insulation for your garden hose. You can also take a heat blanket, cut off the end to expose the bug screen, wrap it around your garden hose, and then use tape to keep the ends together. The heat blanket will keep the water inside your garden hose from freezing. You can also simply wrap the hose with an old blanket or towel and then tuck the blanket into your clothes dryer. Be sure to air out your garden hose before using it again.
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Step 7 in how to keep a garden hose from freezing
If you have to use your garden hose inside, like to help warm up a garage or home during rest of the winter, you need to be particularly careful. Keep an eye on the hose to make sure it doesn’t freeze. Move it outside if the temperatures get too low. Leave it outside to warm up before you use it again. Keep the garden hose insulated as you do inside. Your hose is not made for indoors. It will not last long inside.
Now that you know how to keep your garden hose from freezing, there is no need to worry about your hose when temperatures drop. Your hose could save you a lot of money in repairs or replacements, and help keep both you and your garden hose damage free.
Garden hose freezes when there is water remaining inside the hose. If the hose freezes, the hose will burst and water will loss. It is very necessary in cold weather to let the water out of the hose when you are done using it.
Summarise of how to keep a garden hose from freezing
◆ How to keep a garden hose from freezing; must have 5 spare rollers in your garden to avoid the hose from freezing. You can place them near the garden hose.
◆ It is best to keep the hose connections open to have free water flow for the garden hose to avoid freezing.
In very cold weather
◆ It is advisable to run a little water or to soak the hose with water everyday.
◆ In very cold weather, store a fully loaded hose in a warm place and make sure that there is no water in the hose. Do not use a potted hose outside as they are easily broken by the cold.
◆ Soaking the hose with water will prevent the hose from freezing.
◆ Read your garden hose very carefully to understand what the manufacturer means by the phrases ‘Kink Proof’; ‘Not Suitable For Use Outside’; and ‘Suitable for Use Indoors’.
◆ Always run water through the hose or let it drip when you are done using it. Water expands when it freezes and can break the hose.
If the hose freezes
◆ Use a hair dryer or warm blanket to warm the hose. It is not good to run the water through the hose when it is frozen. It will break the hose.
◆ If the hose freezes, remove the water, dry the hose and store it until the weather gets warmer.
◆ Maintain and store your garden hose properly. Do not store it where it is subject to being severely twisted and stressed.
◆ If the hose is kinked and you believe that it has frozen, you can try another hose to see if it freezes.
◆ If the other hose freezes, then you know that your garden hose was kinked. It may be time to replace the hose.
If you use your hose during the summer
◆ You can place it in a bucket of lukewarm water to thaw the hose. This may cause the hose to kink, but if you are having to use your hose to save your plants, your hose will still be protected.
◆ Store your garden hose in a dry place or hang it in a way you can see if there is a leak. It is best to store the hose in a dry place on a warm day.
