How to Remove a Stuck Garden Hose (And Winterize It Properly!)

We’ve all been there. You need to remove your garden hose and move it to a different spigot. But it’s stuck. And nothing you’ve tried – from brute force to store-bought lubricants to home remedies — has worked.

The truth is this. There’s a reason most of these “solutions” don’t work in many cases. I’m going to tell you why, and then provide the only reliable, sure-fire way to remove a stuck garden hose.

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Let’s get started.

Why Did My Hose Get Stuck?

You’d be surprised at how often garden hoses get stuck on outdoor faucets. And the most common reason is simple.

Manufacturers often use aluminum for their garden hose connector. This is the part that gets threaded onto the outdoor faucet’s hose bib. Why do they use aluminum? Because it’s cheaper to produce and provides a higher profit margin. It’s not a quality solution for the customer.

But here’s the biggest downside.

Aluminum fuses to brass (your spigot’s material). It actually fuses. This process happens more quickly when water is involved. So, a garden hose with an aluminum fitting and a spigot made from brass is a really bad combination.

Here’s What You Need to Get Started

This job, once you have all your tools and materials in place, will take about 30 minutes. A lot will depend on the amount of time it takes you to cut through the hose connection.

• Pair of gardening or utility gloves to protect your hands from sharp edges
• Hacksaw (you might need a mini hacksaw to maneuver in tight spaces)
• Teflon tape (also called plumber’s tape)
• Flathead screwdriver
• Tongue-and-groove pliers (also called channel locks)
• Utility knife or scissors
• We recommend this style of hose connector clamp with female connection (made from brass or plastic).

How to Remove a Stuck Garden Hose

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Now that you have all your tools and the new brass fitting, let’s walk through the steps of removing a stuck garden hose. But first, you might want to watch our video:

1. Cut garden hose connector at angle

The first step is the scariest and hardest. But trust me, it’s not as bad as it sounds.

Use your hacksaw (a size that best fits the tight space you’ll be working in) to cut into the garden hose connector (the fitting that attaches to the spigot). It’s important to cut it at a 45-degree angle.

Important: Check your cut constantly. You don’t want to cut so deep that it slices the threaded pipe underneath the hose connector. If you cut into the threads on the spigot’s hose bib, you might need to replace the entire outdoor faucet, which is a much bigger job.

2. Pry open the cut with a screwdriver

You’ll want to put on your gloves for this part.

Place a flathead screwdriver into the cut that you made. Use it to pry open a good portion of the garden hose connector. Be careful, prying open a piece of the connector can create sharp edges. Wear your gloves!

3. Unscrew garden hose with pliers

With your pliers, unscrew (clockwise) the hose connector from the faucet. It now should be loose enough that, with a little muscle, you can remove the garden hose.

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 as needed

If you’re still having trouble, it’s probably because the cut in the connector needs to be pried open even further. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you’re able to remove the hose.

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Once this step has been completed, you’ll be left with a removed — but defective — garden hose. The next set of instructions will remedy this problem.

How to Replace a Garden Hose Connector

Now the fun part begins. You’ve removed the fused-on garden hose. It’s time to repair the garden hose by removing the old connector (that you’ve cut through) and replacing it with a new one.

1. Cut off the old connector

2. Add the new hose connector

3. Wrap Teflon tape around threads

4. Screw new hose connector onto spigot

How to Prevent Hose from Getting Stuck

Here are three ways to prevent your garden hose from getting stuck:

1. It it’s aluminum, remove it often. If your garden hose has aluminum fittings, make sure to remove it from your outdoor faucet at least 3-4 times during the season. And never leave it on in cold months or through the winter.
2. Only use garden hoses with brass fittings. Want to really solve the problem? Never use a garden hose with aluminum fittings. It will eventually create corrosion and fuse with your brass spigot. Remove the problem entirely by buying a garden hose with brass fittings.
3. Coat threads with silicone grease. Whether your garden hose has aluminum or brass fittings, a good preventative measure is to coat the outside threads of the spigot’s hose bib and the inside threads of the hose fitting with plumber’s silicone grease.

BONUS: Keep Your Garden Hose from Freezing

You’ve gone through the trouble to save that stuck garden hose. So, why not make sure it makes it through the winter. To prevent it from freezing and splitting open, follow these basic steps for winterizing your garden hoses:

• Remove any attachments (like nozzles) from your hose.
• Drain the garden hose of all water. Place one end higher than the other and let water drip out.
• Now, drain the garden hose again. I guarantee that more water is in that hose. So, you’ll want reverse the ends (place the lower end up top and the top end on bottom).
• A guaranteed way to remove all the water is to place the hose-end of an air compressor into your hose and blow out all of the remaining or excess water.
• Loop your hose so you can store it more easily. Make sure your hose has no kinks.
• Hang up your hose (hang it with both ends of the hose facing downward) in a warm location. Make sure it’s a location that doesn’t have any cold-air drafts. The temperature should be at least 65 degrees.

Final Thoughts

Removing a garden hose that’s fused or stuck onto an outdoor faucet is a two-part process. You’ll first need to remove the garden hose. You’ll then need to replace that hose connector on the garden hose.

Yet, despite the number of steps involved, this is actually a simple project that any do-it-yourselfer can handle. The biggest danger to watch out for is hacksawing so far into the old connector that you cut into the spigot’s threads.

Related Resources

• How to unclog a basement floor drain with a garden hose
• How to unclog a shower drain with a garden hose
• Downspout cleanouts: a step-by-step guide (you can use a garden hose!)
• How to winterize a house with frost-free spigots
• Don’t risk a cold shower this winter: insulate your water heater
• How to winterize a vacant house
• How to insulate exposed water pipes
• Learn how to thaw frozen pipes with a hair dryer!
• Prevent freezing pipes from causing water damage
• Water damage services

Call 1-Tom-Plumber

If you need more help with outdoor faucet (spigot) repair, replacement, or installation, don’t hesitate to contact us here or call us at 1-Tom-Plumber (1-866-758-6237).

1-Tom-Plumber’s certified team of plumbers and drain technicians respond immediately to any emergency plumbing, drain, or water damage problem, including excavation of underground water lines and sewer main lines. Our immediate-response team is available every day and night of the year, even on holidays.

Source: https://gardencourte.com
Categories: Outdoor