A problem with a Hozelock connector

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This seems to be the most suitable forum for my kind of enquiry, as Gardening does not seem to be appropriate.

I am hoping that some genius out there can help with a problem that has just arisen with a Hozelock fitting.

Fixed to the outside wall of our house is a Hozelock reel. This allows the hose, which is stored inside a plastic case screwed to the wall, to be pulled out to the required length. After the watering of the garden has been done, it retracts with a spring mechanism. The outside water tap, which supplies the hose has a Hozelock push-on connection between it and the hose, which hose, when connected, runs from the tap and into the plastic hose-reel casing. Attached to the end of the hose that is pulled out from the reel-casing is a “lance”, with a trigger to control the water supply to the garden. Seemple!


For many years, there never has been any difficulty with this set-up. However, this being the start of the gardening season, today, I turned on the stop-tap, inside the house, that allows the outside tap to be used. When turned on for a test, the outside tap worked just fine and did not leak — when it was turned off, not even a drip came out. It still does not leak.


HOWEVER, when I pushed the Hozelock connector (on the hose) back onto the outside tap, then turned the tap on, water started leaking (in enough measure to be a nuisance and to cause a pool to form) from the top of the Hozelock connector. It was as if the connector was blocked. Yet, it was not blocked, because when the trigger of the “lance” was pressed, it sprayed water onto the garden, just as it ought to do. The trouble is that it is not possible to turn the outside tap on and use the hose, without an expanding pool of water forming underneath the tap/hose connector.


I examined the connector carefully, and there was nothing wrong with it that I could see (no blockage, and everything seems fine). When it is pushed onto its tallying half, on the end of the tap, it goes “ker-chunk” and plainly, it is seated correctly. I even swapped this connector for a similar one (made by Hozelock), but this made no difference — the leakage continued as before.


Logic would seem to suggest that there is a blockage somewhere, but that logic seems to be defeated by the fact that the lance and hose work perfectly.


Can anyone offer any helpful comment on this mystery?

L.L.
 
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The o ring on the spigot may be worn, when water runs it may seem fine, but when lance is turned off the pressure will build up and cause the leak. Is this the type of fitting on your tap?
ae235
 
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The O rings fail regularly. You can buy them individually, for a small sum, or do what I did - measure them up and buy a pack of one hundred for not much more.
 
As already said, usually the little black 'O' ring that fails, especially after winter has passed, (this is what happened to Challenger), because they become brittle and crack. It is usually a good idea to replace these and the washer inside the tap connector each year. They only cost pennies, (figuratively speaking), and usually cure these problems.
 
The O rings fail regularly. You can buy them individually, for a small sum, or do what I did - measure them up and buy a pack of one hundred for not much more.
Thanks Harry (and the others that have said the same). I was under the impression that they lasted forever! I shall buy some O rings and cure the problem.
Kind regards to all that responed.
L.L.
 
Not really a mystery, the hose fitting is leaking so sounds like it isn't seated properly in some way.
Denso, there is still a mystery about this Hozelock connector. I fitted a new O-ring onto the male end of the connector (the connector is shown above, and the ring went onto the end nearest to this posting), but it still leaks. I have decided to buy a new fitting altogether. Now, I'm bleating again! I measured the outside dimension of the thread on the brass tap, and it is one inch diameter, measuring as carefully as I could. The outside diameter of the O-ring (on the "nozzle", at the lower end of the part that is screwed to the tap) seems to be 5/8 of an inch. The reason for my giving you these dimensions is that I don't know which size of Hozelock fitting to order. Can you please tell me what it is?

Ta muchly!
In hopes,
L.L.
 
Did the o ring slip on nice and easy? If so then you have the wrong size. It is a struggle to get the correct size on but it can be made easier with a little washing up liquid.
 
Did the o ring slip on nice and easy? If so then you have the wrong size. It is a struggle to get the correct size on but it can be made easier with a little washing up liquid.
No conny, it was quite difficult to put on, being very tight.
 
In that case the locking mechanism on the female side may be worn/damaged. You could belt and braces it by buying both parts, so ensuring a good fit. If you take the old fitting off your tap and pop along to B&Q or any garden centre they will have a replacement fitting. Just compare your one with the range of fittings on offer and select the right one. The white fitting is a reducer so you can fit it to a smaller tap. If it doesn't fit with the white reducer simply unscrew and discard it.
 
Look out for a set of brass fittings, they last a lot longer.
 
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