For those people, who live in a northern climate, this is a big fact for them to winterize their garden hose, hose reels, and tools in the winter. If one gets failed to do that, it could result in serious damage to his tools. So, it is very important to know the ideal and easy process of winterizing garden hose reel and others.
Processes of Winterizing Garden Hose Reel
When it comes to winterizing your total garden hose system, there you will find three easiest processes to do that.
Here, we narrate them shortly. So, you can follow one of them to winterize your garden hose reel as well as the total garden hose system.
- Heated Indoor Storage
- Gravity Drain
- Compress Air Drain
Number 1 choice – Heated Indoor Storage
Since most of the hose reels of current days are constructed with strong aluminum alloy, brass, and stainless steel, so be harmed by the cold winter temperature is not possible with them. But the fact is that if your reels will become winter freeze, then you can’t use them. However, if you have enough indoor space with the heating system, then it will be fine if you store your hose system in there.
How to Store Your Hose Reel in Indoor?
It is very easy to store your hose reel with the complete watering system. Depending on the types of your hose reel, there are few ways to winterize your garden hose reel with the indoor storage system. Just go for them
For a Free-Standing or Portable Hose Reels
Have free-standing or portable hose reels like as a 2-wheel cart or a 4-wheel wagon hose reel? Just disconnect the inlet hose from the faucet and then transport it in your heated indoor storage area.
For Wall Mounted Hose Reels
If you own a wall mounted hose, you have to add a step before moving it to your heated indoor. There are two options for removing your wall hose reel from the wall. The first one is removing the flange and drum assembly from the wall plate and leave the plate on there for the entire winter season. In another way, you can remove the whole wall plate by removing the lag screws or bolts from the wall and move the complete hose reel in indoors for the winter storage.
For Post Mounted Hose Reels
Simply remove the four screws or bolts that are connecting the hose reel with the post either it is wood or aluminum post and then just carry it to your heated indoor storage space.
Gravity Drain Method
If you have not enough adequate space with the heating system into your indoor, then you have to use another way for winterizing your hose reels. To ignore the task of disconnecting your hose reels from wall or post, you can even try this process.
Requirements to get effective Gravity Drain Method
To make this process effective, there you need to fulfill one requirement. Which one is that the hose needs to be capable to drain downward? If your hose reel allows you to direct it only in one direction that is uphill, then you can’t be able to utilize this process.
How to Utilize the Gravity Drain Method?
There you have to follow a few steps to make the process effective.
Step1: Disconnect your hose reel from the water circulation point.
Step2: Detach the hose pipe from the machine also.
Step3: Open up the entire reel on the floor.
Step4: Keep one side of the reel in your mouth.
Step5: Push air flow into the reel.
Step6: Do it again and again before the last drop of water removed.
This process has followed since a long period, but it is the most effective and easiest process for the northerners.
Compressed Air Method
If you have an air compressor, then there is a third option available for you to winterize your hose reel with its entire system. You will find this process very easy and quick and also as a very effective way to prevent the freezing damage to your hose reel system.
Required Tools
Besides the air compressor, you also need a blow-out plug to use this method. If you don’t have one, you can purchase one from the two types of blow-out plugs. They are common to find in both the local RV retailer and the online shops. After getting the blow-out plug with the air compressor, you have to follow these steps one by one.
Steps to Follow for Using the Compressed Air Method
Step1: Pour off the water at the outdoor spigot and disconnect the inlet hose.
Step2: Remove the watering tool from another end of your garden hose.
Step3: Now, attach the blow-out plug to one end of the inlet hose.
Step4: Apply compressed air into the hose from this end.
Step5: The water will be forced to out by the compressed air. When a steady stream of water will come out of the hose, it starts spitting air and that is meant to be winterized.
Although these last two methods are not able to remove 100% of the water, the remaining amount of water is not able to do any damage to your garden hose reel.
Hose Reel Covers:
There are hose reel covers that are available in the market. Maybe they are not able to protect your hose reel from freezing, but when you used the compress air method and the gravity drain method and keep your hose reel in your garden, you can use the cover. The cover will help you to protect your hose reel from any other outdoor damages, such as UV light, rain, and even from your pet.
Conclusion
For the people that are staying in the northern climate, they don’t have any options without winterizing their garden hose reel for preventing the damage of freezing in winter. So, it is essential for them to know all processes of winterizing the garden hose reel with its entire system.
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