My tools always pick the most inopportune times to break on me.

Having just gotten the burn pile lit, I squeezed the nozzle to refill our fire pails and discovered no water pressure.

The hose coupling that attached the hose to the faucet had corroded off and my flowerbed was a lake.  Using a pair of pliers I removed the rusted metal from the faucet and attempted to unscrew the sprayer from the other end of the hose.  Two minutes later I was in my car heading to Ace Hardware to find parts to repair a garden hose since both ends of my garden hose had rusted through.

Using a pair of pliers I removed the rusted metal from the faucet and attempted to unscrew the sprayer from the other end of the hose.  Two minutes later I was in my car heading to Ace Hardware to find parts to repair a garden hose since both ends of my garden hose had rusted through.

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Replacement Parts for your Hose

My garden hose, like most, is 5/8″ in diameter and has one threaded female end (connects to faucet) and one threaded male end (connects to sprayer).  To repair this hose, I purchased the following parts:

• 1 – 5/8″ hose barb/female coupler
• 1 – 5/8″ hose barb/male coupler (not pictured)
• 2 – hose clamps 9/16″ – 1 1/4″
• 1 – rubber washer 10-pack

Tools Needed to Repair a Garden Hose

The total came out to just under $18.  I rushed home and grabbed the tools I would need to complete the repair:

• razor blade scraper
• screwdriver (the kind with interchangeable bits) -or- 5/16″ box end wrench
• screwdriver bit set (optional)
• wire snips (optional)

Steps to Repair a Rusted Garden Hose:

1. Cut through the garden hose with the razor blade just below the rusted male coupler. Take a extra few minutes to make sure the cut is as level as possible.  This is important because an uneven cut will leave gaps between the hose and the hose coupler (see below).
2. Slip the hose clamp onto the hose.  This can be done after the next step, but may require un-threading the hose clamp completely and bending it to get it around the hose.
3. Press the hose barb/male coupler into the end of the hose.  There’s no coming back after this point.  Once the barbs are pushed into the hose, it is very difficult to remove them again without damaging the inside of the hose.
4. Tighten the hose clamp using the screwdriver.  The wormdrive used to tighten the clamp is 5/16″, the same size as the opening of a screwdriver where the bit would go.  I personally used a magnetic 5/16″ bit from my Dewalt Screwdriver Bit Set, but this is not necessary.
5. (Optional) Use the wire snips to cut off the extra length of hose clamp extending beyond the wormdrive.
6. Insert a rubber washer, if there isn’t one already.
7. Repeat for the other end.

Note: After a few days/uses the repair exhibited a slight leak; the inside of the hose had formed a groove where it makes contact with the hose barbs. Re-tightening the hose clamp has prevented any subsequent leaking.

This repair got me back up and running quickly.  Best of all, I was able to re-light the burn pile after a delay of only about 45 minutes, including driving.  Although the repair cost about 1/2 the price of a new hose, I know that these parts will far outlast the rubber hose they are connected to.  At which point I can re-use them again and again.

What methods have you used to repair your broken and rusted garden hoses?