Installing a Garden Hose Reel

In our last post, we planted our new Lychee tree on the front lawn. So, now that she’s in, we’ll need to water her. In keeping with our home’s complete lack of normal things, the front faucet did not have anything to hang a hose. So to make life easier we’ll go through a typical installation. Most, if not all houses, can have a reel installed in a similar fashion so you can use these steps for your own application.

Parts for this DIY:

• Garden Hose Reel
• A Garden Hose
• Concrete Screws or Anchors

Tools You’ll Need:

• Drill
• Screwdriver Set
• Pliers

First up you’ll want to pick a spot on the wall to mount the reel. Depending on the spot, you’ll need to decide what type of reel to purchase. The most generic type is a flat, plastic reel. These are cheap and will work for a while, but they are really cumbersome. Other people like to use a box reel that goes on the floor. While these are cleaner and can be moved around somewhat, they tend to get full of lizards, frogs, and other moldy types of situations. My preferred reel style is metal framed with some sort of swivel. They are more expensive but infinitely more reliable and comfortable to us.

After picking your reel you now have to pick a spot to install it. When deciding where to put it keep in mind what will be surrounding the reel, as well as how far away you want to mount the reel from the actual faucet. Most reels you purchase will come with a small length of hose to attach the reel’s inlet pipe to the faucet. Make sure you don’t place the reel too far away. Another thing to keep in mind is what height to put the reel at. While placing it lower makes the reel less visible, it also makes it more cumbersome to use. I like to put it nice and high so it’s comfortable to roll up.

After picking the spot you’ll have to determine what type of material your house is constructed of. In Florida, 100% of our houses are cinder block, so I used a masonry/concrete screw. I purchased Stainless Steel fasteners as the reel is clearly outside and will see substantial rain. This way it’ll stem the tide of rust for a bit.

The actual installation process is straightforward. Line up your reel and make sure it’s level. Mark the holes. Drill them out with the supplied concrete bit. If the bolts you purchased do not bring a bit, make sure you use the appropriate size, as a hole too large/small will make it difficult to install. Then just bolt her up.

The only thing to keep in mind is to check for leaks and rust. Leaks can be fixed with new rubber grommets and bushing, while rust can always be cleaned and painted. Hopefully, you’ll love your hose reel as much as we love ours. The flexibility really makes watering the plants much easier and enjoyable.

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