Garden Hose Reel Advice

What are the decisions of the garden hose and hose reels where you get the best advice?

There are many options available today, the garden rolls and can be very confusing to decide what type, style, brand, etc. is best suited to your needs. In this article I will on my 20 years of experience in business-to-reel reel hopefully give you the best advice, so that the best information when you have armspurchase.

There are a number of aspects to consider when selecting a garden reel for your particular needs. Some of these are listed below in brief form and will be covered in future articles in more DETAIL. Some of these are pretty obvious however there are some things that many people fail to take into account when finding the right reel. Hose length, hose diameter (internal and external), water pressure, length of hose required (versus what hose capacity different reels have, Construction material (steel or plastic), the procedures for liquidation of the pipe (handle and spring return) and the main aspect that many people fall for the positioning of the role.

Where is the Garden Reel?

You are so superior to a hose reel for your garden. Maybe you've got some great DYI or retail stores or even some Internet pages has been reviewed by and are perhaps a bit 'confused about the type mustpurchase and importantly where are you going to position it?

Let's first look at the that wonderful real estate adage, position, position, position as a starting point. Where you are going to install / mount your garden reel needs careful consideration. What practical length of hose will you need relative to where you install it? What area of garden or lawn do you want to effectively cover with your reel?

Is your current inlet water supply (tap / faucet) limiting you on where you can install / mount your garden hose reel? The chances are the position of your water supply (tap / faucet) outdoors for use with a garden hose was arbitrarily determined by the builder of your home or the previous owner, or if by you then likely from a set of plans - let's face it, the garden / lawn area was either not predetermined or has changed.

So if the length of hose on a type of reel you are considering is not quite going to give you the coverage you need - what is the solution?

If installing / mounting your garden hose reel near / next to your water supply to the reel (tap / faucet) will not give you the most desired coverage then there are solutions.

Example - you may have 2, 3 or more water supply points around your house - typically most homes have at least 2 - one at the front and one at the back of the house. These outlets may not be in the best position for watering your garden - I know mine are not and I designed my house!

Example 2 - I have a supply of water (tap / cock) on the south side in front of my house, about one meter (3 feet) from one corner of the house. There is the garden (s) in this section of the south side of the house - the gardens are on the west side!

Sun installation of a cable reel to the right of the main means I'm pulling the hose right around the corner - not very practical and useful?

Therefore, the solution for me was to run some Polywater pipe from the outlet, along the ground (eventually I pulled up my pavers and buried it) to a point on the west side of the house where the garden is. Sounds logical however even I didn't think of it in the first place!!

I fitted a riser and an on / off valve and then mounted my garden reel in the best possible position for me to get the best efficiency and least hassles. It is easy and cheap to do - you don't need to pay a plumber to do this for you - some poly pipe, some fittings and the job is done!!

Last but not least in this section of positioning your garden hose reel is how you install / mount your garden hose reel after you have decided where you want / need it. A garden reel should be offering you efficiencies right? - if not then you could use an old car wheel rim.

Tip - make sure you mount the reel at a suitable "ergonomic" height - a height which will not have you bending over or reaching up to operate it. Take some time to measure the installation / mounting position carefully before installing the reel to a wall or post or other fixing. The ideal position is for the hose as it rewinds onto the reel to be at about your hip height (this assumes in hand crank reels that the crank is centre line with the reel which should be the case - for spring rewind reels this will be a given).