I've had some appear lately that I had pending but didn't have photos for so don't despair.

My newest search is for quick connectors or ideas that will stop leaks _at_ the quick connector. Another thread mentioned using Teflon plumbing tape to stop connector to faucet fusing so that is an easy experiment for me. I've kept a variety of quick connectors on hand for several years and have always had better luck with the brass ones, bought at Walmart or Rural King. I also bought 100 ft rubber hoses at Rural King for livestock 15 years ago and am still using them for garden and pet watering. They are rubber and heavy but they don't kink, don't break and don't freeze. Please, any ideas on good seals on the quick connectors?

Hi, kytnbabe. Welcome to NGA!

Sorry, I don't know anything about quick connectors, other than "try several different kinds of washers". Possibly even order replacement washers directly from the vendor , though they are likely to gouge you.

Are the leaks from where the connectors click together, or where they clamp onto the hose, or where they screw into the normal hose connectors? I find that a different brand of washers may work better, and cheap washers may be the best ones for some hoses. I just try several.

(Rinse grit off the threads before assembling. IF you tighten with pliers or channel-locks, be very careful not to squeeze hard and create an oval that will never seal tightly. I keep several plastic "female hose thread caps" on hand so any time i don;t have something screwed onto a hose's male threads, I put a cap there, to protect the threads.)

One thing I've done to co-exist with (cheap) problem hoses is to just wrap some heavy plastic film around the leaky spot, and tape or tie it in place, leaving a way for water to dribble or pour out, without spraying all over me as I watered. Now I cut the damaged spot out and splice the hoses with a "hose mender splice", or just make two shorter hoses.

I stopped buying hoses, and now I just cut up the old ones I have into short lengths. Then I add "hose repair fittings" so I have many short lengths of hose.

I ran 3/4" and 1/2" black polyethylene irrigation "mainline" around my yard with a few Y-valves to make "zones". Then I added a hose thread Tee and a shut-off valve (usually a 2-valve Y fitting) EVERYWHERE I might want to water something. And I attach a SHORT length of hose right there, with a hand-sprayer on the end.

Now it's like I have a spigot every single place in the yard where I might once have dragged a hose.

And it's quite CHEAP!

http://garden.org/ideas/view/R...

(Plus, I put in some mini-jet sprayers and "Shrubblers" and so on. Now the short hose lengths are just for occasional hand-watering.

I don't really need BOTH omnipresent spigots AND irrigation sprayers on a timer.
It's possible to solve a problem TOO well!

But I like gadgets.

Closeup of 3/4" mainline with a 1/2" branch plus a short hose length

3/4" Compression Tee on 3/4" mainline
+ Brass 2-Valve Y ($10. Plastic ones = $2.50 http://www.dripworks.com/produ...)
+ EZ-Loc connector (Female garden hose thread to ½" mainline)
+ cut garden hose with brass Female Hose End from Home Depot

Lots of good info RickCorey! After reading about the simple fix with washers I ordered some gasket type and tried it out. Bingo! I was expecting major moola issues or plumbing galore. Simple fixes are the best! Thank you.

Hah! Hah!!!

I think that is the second time ever that I had a SIMPLE gardening answer, and it worked out!!



I really appreciate your coming back and telling me. You made my whole weekend!

I've used brass quick-connectors for many years. I like that I can quickly swap out hose-end devices, and also quickly connect the primary hose to secondary hoses that run to remote spots in the yard. Saves on a lot of hose-dragging and container-tipping.

I use Dramm brass shutoff valves on the end of my hoses so that I can disconnect the quick-connectors without making a trip back to the faucet. (Note: Don't get the *slightly* cheaper Dramm aluminum ball shutoff - it will galvanize itself to any dissimilar metal to which it's attached.)

Before investing in a set of quick-release fittings, pay attention to the history and reputation of the company that makes them, because different brands are not always cross-compatible.

Replacement washers are available from the manufacturer, and from some hardware & garden stores, websites, Amazon, etc., and will eliminate the eventual leaks. A regular hose fitting washer won't work, the proper washers have a sealing lip incorporated into their design. The fitting will eventually wear out though; the three steel ball-bearings in the female fitting will wear their sockets into an oval shape, and fail to hold the male end tightly. Before that happens, the male end will develop little dents in the locking surfaces from the repeated engagement of the steel balls in the female part. At this point a new male end usually extends the lifespan of the pair.

The brass quick connects from Harbor Freight have gotten so inexpensive, we just keep new ones on hand. For us, it's actually cheaper than trying to get new washers. And, yes, the shutoff valves make life so much easier, too!