Hoses- which one

[Anna_Licorice]

Quick question. We need to get a new hose. Any recommendations. There was a flat blue coloured one that rolls up thin- anyone able to review that? I'm thinking about ease of use as well as storage.

 

Thanks Anna

[Guest]

Quick question. We need to get a new hose. Any recommendations. There was a flat blue coloured one that rolls up thin- anyone able to review that? I'm thinking about ease of use as well as storage.

Thanks Anna

Ordinary garden hose is fine.

 

Hozelock make a number on reels.

[haggis]

Flat hoses are good in that they roll up small BUT you need to open them out fully to use them and you have to roll them up when you are finished squeezing all the water out as you go. If you have space, I would suggest a non flat hose! We have a flat on on our little Sea Otter as we don't have much space but it is a bit of a pain filling with water.

 

haggis

[Anna_Licorice]

Really helpful thanks.

[Guest]

Really helpful thanks.

Just give it a good flush through at the water point before you pop it in your tank filler.

[Albion]

And also, as I was recommended by Hozelock ages ago, give it a good flush through before you first use it to flush out any moulding lubricant type products.

Roger

[ditchcrawler]

And also, as I was recommended by Hozelock ages ago, give it a good flush through before you first use it to flush out any moulding lubricant type products.

Roger

 

And also, as I was recommended by Hozelock ages ago, give it a good flush through before you first use it to flush out any moulding lubricant type products.

Roger

Yes. We went on holiday on a barge in France. The skipper had to buy two new hoses to reach the water point and then drove to Paris to pick us up. When we arrived at the boat the crew (chef and stewardess) had topped the tank up with the new hose. It tasted like TCP and we couldn't drink the water for the best part of a week.

[Rob-M]

Flat ones aren't very good when someone comes along on their horse and stands on causing a hole.

 

And ones on a reel watch out for inconsiderate dog walkers allowing their dog to cock it's leg against it.

[nicknorman]

We have a flat hose which I like. As haggis says you do have to fully unwind before use, and wind up so as to expel the water (hold the reel high) but I find that an easy ritual and the bonus is the compact and neat reel when you've finished. "Normal" garden hose is very stiff in cold weather and I generally find it a pain compared to the flat one.

[Guest]

A tip given to me on here by member forum member 'keeping up' years ago is to swap the fittings so that you connect the section on the reel to the tap and walk back towards the boat unreeling the connected section as you walk back to the boat.

 

Then use the section connected to the reel centre that you would normally connect to the tap to drop into the tank (after flushing).

[ditchcrawler]

A tip given to me on here by member forum member 'keeping up' years ago is to swap the fittings so that you connect the section on the reel to the tap and walk back towards the boat unreeling the connected section as you walk back to the boat.

 

Then use the section connected to the reel centre that you would normally connect to the tap to drop into the tank (after flushing).

That is how we do it, also after use I plug the free end onto the centre connection so the hose is sealed.

[Boat&Bikes]

We have a short hose, around 12 foot, find it easy to use when in marina mooring which is close to a tap. Obviously a longer is generally required when out.

 

Ian.

[WotEver]

I've used one of these (well, two if I need more than 15m) for many years (not bought here, this was just the first link I found) https://www.leisureshopdirect.com/water/caravan-plumbing/water-hose-and-fittings/brunner-hose-reel-with-new-flat-hose

 

The advantages are that you don't have to fully unwind it to use it, it's very robust, and it's easy to rewind. The disadvantages are that it's slightly bigger than a 'lay flat' hose and the flow rate is somewhat less.

 

For me the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

 

Tony

[dmr]

Right then, hoses like bogs are a personal thing and every boater likes the one they have.

The Roll Flat ones pack away nicely, but can puncture easily and need to be unrolled to use, the rolled up again. (puncture very easily when a Jack Russel reckons they are a snake that needs killing!)

Big hose reels look very popular but are harder to store, and the water goes down the full length.

Standard garden hose is ok but it does kink very easily, especially when you are not looking.

I have tried most. An important obsrevation is that some taps have a low pressure and a long hose slows them down even more.

My current solution....a bit like standard loose garden hose but a stiffer version from Wilko that is non-kink. This is 99% true, its very hard to kink. I cut a reel of this into two sections, a standard short section that does most taps if you can get close, and a longer section for difficult taps. For really inconvenient taps they join together with the usual fittings, to make a really long hose. It works for me. Only issue is the longer hose is a bit of a handful to coil up and stash, I might divide into two sections.

 

Note: some anal boaters like to use food grade hose. No need for this but always run some water through first before filling your tank to flush out the stale water which might even contain a few dissolved plastic molecules.

 

.................Dave

[WotEver]

Dave, the hose I linked to addresses all of your list of 'negatives' above apart from flow rate. Check 'em out.

 

Tony

[valrene9600]

25 metres on reel is very handy when for various reasons you can't get close to a water point. Got me out of trouble many times in 11 years I have had it. Fits in rear locker. Ordinary garden hose, never had taste problems as have used Aqua clean tabs at every tank filling. Lovely tasting crystal clear water from stainless steel tank no filters.

[ditchcrawler]

25 metres on reel is very handy when for various reasons you can't get close to a water point. Got me out of trouble many times in 11 years I have had it. Fits in rear locker. Ordinary garden hose, never had taste problems as have used Aqua clean tabs at every tank filling. Lovely tasting crystal clear water from stainless steel tank no filters.

And on the Avon I used 2 joined together to be able to reach.

[Poster girl]

The Karcher hoses are excellent quality and there are some great offers around currently!!

[MtB]

A word of advice about hoses.

 

Whatever length hose you get, it will always be 3ft shorter than the distance from the water tap to your tank filler. So get a hose three feet longer.

 

Hope that helps.

[luggsy]

Aldi have a good one at the moment 20mtr £9.99

[DHutch]

Ordinary garden hose is fine.

Agreed, get a knitted rather than coax one, often branded as kink-free.

 

 

 

Daniel

[MtB]

Agreed, get a knitted rather than coax one, often branded as kink-free.

 

 

 

Daniel

 

That's a good idea. I wonder if Wrigglefingers would knit us all some hoses...

[Timx]

A word of advice about hoses.

 

Whatever length hose you get, it will always be 3ft shorter than the distance from the water tap to your tank filler. So get a hose three feet longer.

 

Hope that helps.

Don't think this has been thought out properly, if you do this, as suggested, and to follow this rational, you will still be three feet short, so you need it 6ft longer, otherwise you will always be three ft short.. hope that helps more.

[Rebotco]

I bought one of these new expanding non-kink hoses a few months back, and so far its been marvellous.

It does do what they say - it stretches to 3 times its original length, exceptionally lightweight, and takes very little space. (I just dump it in a small bucket or carrier bag when not in use). The only thing I would say is to not turn it on to full tap pressure immediately, but at half pressure to stretch it to the length you need, then on to full pressure. No need to wind it up either - just turn off the tap and it shrinks back to its original length in a few moments.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Expanding-50Ft-Expandable-Flexible-Garden-X-Hose-Pipe-Spray-Gun-Non-Kink-/291516440113?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6368

Sorry don't know how to shorten this link!

[MtB]

I bought one of these new expanding non-kink hoses a few months back, and so far its been marvellous.

It does do what they say - it stretches to 3 times its original length, exceptionally lightweight, and takes very little space. (I just dump it in a small bucket or carrier bag when not in use). The only thing I would say is to not turn it on to full tap pressure immediately, but at half pressure to stretch it to the length you need, then on to full pressure. No need to wind it up either - just turn off the tap and it shrinks back to its original length in a few moments.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Expanding-50Ft-Expandable-Flexible-Garden-X-Hose-Pipe-Spray-Gun-Non-Kink-/291516440113?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6368

Sorry don't know how to shorten this link!

 

I've been tempted to try one of these but put off by the spray head they all come with. I get the feeling they only expand if the spray head is fitted. Is that not the case?

Have you used yours on one of the special CRT extra-low pressure taps yet? Did it still expand?

Edited March 23, 2016 by Mike the Boilerman