Gardening can be stressful for some, yet really enjoyable for others. The same thing goes for watering the lawn. You sometimes have to do it in the middle of the day, when the sun is unbearable and you’d rather be inside, cooling off with a glass of cold lemonade. However, watering your lawn and plants in due time can bring so many benefits, you simply have to do it.
Thankfully, there are so many gardening tools and accessories that make the watering process easier and faster, and a quick-connect hose is one of the options at your disposal. But what exactly is a quick-connect hose, how do you choose the right fittings, and what are some good products to buy? Let’s answer all these questions together.
Top 3 Picks
Customer’s Choice: Melnor 15MQC QuickConnect Set Hose Connector Kit
“Thank you to whoever came up with these quick connects! I have them on every hose!” (Customer review)
Best with Shut-Off Valve: Plastic Garden Hose Quick Connect
If you’re interested in a water hose coupling system that has an integrated shut-off valve, this set by Joe’s Home is well worth the money.
Best Brass Connectors: Dixon DGH7 Brass Quick-Connect Fitting
Looking to steer clear of plastic connectors and invest in durable brass-constructed fittings? Then you have to check out these babies by Dixon.
What Is a Quick Connect Hose?
A quick-connect hose is the kind of lawn or gardening-watering product you didn’t know you needed. It eliminates the hassle of having to figure out what garden hose fittings work with different hoses and it makes the water process a whole lot smoother, whether you’re looking to wash the car, water the vegetables, or give your driveway a good wash.
When you own a quick-connect hose, you’re basically working with fittings that are attached at the end of the hose which connects to the water source. They can also be used to connect two hoses together, to make a larger hose with a greater length. They are also used for hose nozzles, making it super easy to put everything together without having to use any additional tools.
How to Choose the Best Garden Hose Quick Connect
Before making a purchasing decision, it’s important to know a little bit about these garden hose quick connect fittings, so make sure that you have the following list at hand as you’re scouting the web for these products:
- The materials that are used to make garden hose fittings play a major role in their durability. Brass is one of the two possible choices but note that there are manufacturers that sell fittings made from other metal varieties in a brass finish, which might trick you into thinking you’re buying brass fitting even if you’re not. Solid brass fittings are durable, easy to use, and highly rust-resistant. You can either find brass fittings with solid metal casing or products that have other materials in their construction (such as rubber washers placed inside). The second material option is plastic and, as you may have figured out, they are not usually as resistant as brass connectors. You can, however, find plastic garden hose fittings that are treated to be UV-resistant and are made with a couple of other materials to make the product tolerant to low temperatures. However, always keep in mind that plastic isn’t as durable as brass because it tends to distort in time and can easily crack when dropped.
- Temperature tolerance is one of the main ways for you to judge the durability of the connectors. Heat tolerance is very important because you’ll be using your hose to water the lawn or the garden quite a lot during the summer. Some people, but not all, might also need to use their hoses during the winter, although it is generally advised to drain the hose and store it during winter, as freezing temperatures create ice blockages and damage to a hose that hasn’t been properly drained.
- Pressure tolerance basically means how much pressure a connector can take before it breaks. This isn’t really important unless you know that the water pressure in your household is high, in which case your connectors need to be up to the task.
- Having a built-in water stop is important because it allows you to change the attachment on your hose without having to cut off the water supply and going all the way back to turn off the water from the tap. The water stop function will activate the valve inside the quick connector to stop water from getting through and making it easier for you to change the attachment without getting soaking wet.
Related: Zero-G Hose Review – For More Than Just Your Garden
Garden Hose Fittings to Consider
There are multiple types of garden hose fittings that you need to know about because it may help you choose a product that’s optimal for your particular needs:
- Tap connectors are the most basic type you can find in water installations. They are attached to the water source and can be corrugated or offer quick coupling benefits.
- Quick coupling is a fitting that can be installed to the tap connector with a single click. These need to be chosen based on the diameter of the hose.
- Aquastop quick couplings are quite similar to the aforementioned category, except these will stop the water flow if you remove the hose. They can be used at the end of pipes but also work when you want to connect two hoses together.
- A connector consists of two male ends and is very useful for situations where you want to attach two quick connectors.
- Splitters will basically connect three pipes together and are usually chosen in situations where you want to connect the main water pipe to two hoses or two other pipes. You can also attach a stop valve that will be used to turn off the water supply to one or both these lines.
- Four-way converters offer multiple branches and, using individual stop valves, allow you to control the flow to any of the feeds.
- Repair valves are useful for repairing two valves that have identical or different diameters.
Types of Hoses
The tricky thing about hoses is that they are divided into a lot of different categories, which means there are about 30 different types of hoses to consider. They are commonly grouped according to characteristics such as their features (lightweight, heavy-duty, lead-free, etc.), the type of nozzle they have/support (adjustable, pistol, extended, etc.), the material used to make them (steel, rubber, vinyl), and more.
As far as garden hoses are concerned, the most common classification that you’re going to find is compiled in this list:
Standard garden hoses
These are usually measured between 25 to 100 feet, and they are typically made from rubber or molded vinyl. The latter category is very flexible but is more prone to wear-and-tear. Industrial-strength hoses can handle large water pressure, but hoses designed for home use? Not so much. These garden hoses usually have a brass coupling at the end that connects with the spigot and a coupling at the other end, used to connect all sorts of nozzles and attachments.
Related: Keeping Your Plants Watered Regularly With A Cool Watering Wand
Flat hoses
These are convenient because they are really easy to store without you having to wind them up. In spite of their flat design, they will quickly expand when water starts flowing inside them and will compress once again when the pressure is gone. They are easy to roll up and store, and have both male and female ends.
Soaker hoses
Ideal for those of you who need to water the garden but don’t want to put in too much effort into doing that. They have a lot of tiny little holes that expel water to provide watering, not just through the nozzle at the end. Basically, the entire hose length releases steady amounts of water. These flexible hoses can be placed around the garden and flower beds. It is not uncommon for people to bury these hoses under mulch. The biggest drawback with these hoses is that the tiny holes tend to expand over time, releasing too much water for comfort.
Soaker hose nets
Just like a net made out of soaker hoses which are useful for watering larger pieces of land. They eliminate the need of having to use multiple soaker hoses, but they can’t usually be bought in stores, as they are made-to-order products. You can use landscape pins to hold the net in place.
Soak-and-spray hoses
An interesting product because they make it easy to water the garden and control the direction of the water flow at the same time.
Best Quick Connect Hose Adapters
Claber 8458 Connector
When you want to convert your twist-on faucet to a quick connect system, you can invest in products such as the Claber 8458 connectors. This product is made from ABS plastic which has been UV stabilized. It works with outdoor faucets that have standard ¾-inch hose threads. It can withstand water temperatures of up to 104 degrees Fahrenheit, but doesn’t handle temperatures below 37.4 degrees. The package comes with a male faucet adapter plus a male hose connector.
Melnor 15MQC 4 pc QuickConnect Set Hose Connector Kit
The Melnor 15MQC QuickConnect kit is definitely one of the best products of its kind. It has a water stop feature that makes it easy to switch between different attachments without having to go back to the tap, turn it off, and then wait for the hose to drain before adding another nozzle. To install the system, you have to attach the faucet adaptor to the water tap, place one of the faucet end connectors to the faucet adaptor, place the female end of your hose to connector, place the product end connector to the male end of your hose, and attach your nozzle to the product adaptor.
Dixon DGH7 Brass Quick-Connect Fitting
This garden hose threaded set of connectors is perfect for locations with extreme temperatures, considering the fact that it’s made from highly resistant brass which can withstand corrosion and high temperatures. It works with water pressure of a maximum of 200 psi at 70 degrees Fahrenheit. It comes with both male and female connections, but the valveless construction will not prevent water flow even when disconnected. The push-pull ring makes it easy to attach your hose in seconds.
Plastic Garden Hose Quick Connect
When you’re on the market looking for affordable solutions translated into less expensive garden hose fittings, kits like this one delivered by Joe’s Home are worthy of your attention. This is a set that comes with 5 female quick connectors with integrated shut-off and 5 male hose end adapters. All the parts are made from plastic and are compatible with standard ¾-inch GHT. It comes with integrated rubber washers and even though the construction is plastic, it’s still a durable option that promises zero leaks.
HQMPC Plastic Garden Hose Connector
Another reliable set of hose connectors is this one by HQMPC. The pieces in the set are compatible with ⅝-inch and ½-inch sprinklers and spray nozzles. In this kit, you will find four male and two female nipples, and two male and two female couplers. These pieces are quite qualitative since they don’t allow any water spills. The pieces should last, on average, around three years. However, due to their low price, they are inexpensive to replace.
Hourleey Garden Hose Quick Connector
The last suggestion for today is a set of six connectors that come with six female and six male quick connectors, plus six extra garden hose rubber washers. The pieces are compatible with all ¾-inch standard garden hoses, and they are super simple to connect and disconnect, as needed. They are made from premium aluminum and promise to withstand a lot of wear and tear before requiring replacement.
FAQ
Do quick connects reduce water pressure?
This really depends on what quick connect system we’re talking about, as some will reduce water pressure while others will barely make a noticeable difference.
How do you connect two garden hoses together?
There are, indeed, multiple ways to connect two garden hoses, but quick connectors are the easiest way to do so. In order to do it, you are going to need a male and a female connector and screw them onto the existing hose connectors. The next step requires pulling the female connector’s spring-loaded ring back, inserting the male into the female one and pushing it all the way, and releasing the spring-loaded ring to connect the pieces together.
How do you connect a quick-connect hose?
Turn off the water, twist the female coupling to the end of your hose and connect the male coupling to your watering tool. Basically, this system uses a female connector with a spring-loaded ring that works just as we described in the answer above.
In Conclusion
With a quick connect hose, you will be able to connect and disconnect the hose to and from the water source, connect and disconnect it from the sprinkler, attach the nozzle of your choice, or connect multiple hoses together with a system that’s very easy to use. It eliminates the need for tools such as wrenches and it doesn’t require any elbow grease. These fittings make it super simple to switch between watering accessories.
The post Skip the Hassle and Get a Quick Connect Garden Hose appeared first on Home Decorating Trends - Homedit.
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