There may be parts of your yard or home that your regular hose can’t reach. Fortunately for you, if you already have a pair of hoses, you can easily connect them to form a longer one; there’s no need to invest in a longer hose.
The quickest way to connect two hoses together is to attach the male connector of one hose to the female connector of the other. To achieve this, your hoses need to have the standard fittings and necessary connectors, but adapters are cheap and easy to install.
Hoses vary in appearance and size, but they all follow the same general processes in terms of getting connected. You may need some specific tools and supplies, depending on the fittings of the hoses. Such devices include a measuring tape or ruler, a functional knife, and a screwdriver. Let’s look at how to securely connect two hoses together, the different connector types, and how to install hose connectors.
Can You Connect Two Garden Hoses Together?
Yes, you can connect two garden hoses together as long as they share the same diameter. Hoses of the same size can be joined by fitting the male connector of one hose to the female connector of the other.
Before joining the hoses together, ensure that the back end of the main hose is connected to a water source but not running. This will prevent you from getting soaked in the process.
However, if you need to connect your two hoses when the water is flowing, you will need a pair of push-in or quick-connect adapters like the this Garden Hose Quick Connect example (on Amazon), on both male and female ends of the hoses you’re trying to connect. After getting the adapters, you can screw them to your hose connectors, then join the hoses with the following steps:
- Retract the spring-loaded ring on the female connector.
- Slot in the male connector into the female one and push it in.
- Release the ring on the female connector to secure the two halves together.
To separate the hoses, follow the reverse procedure used in joining them, and you can change to the standard hose connections by simply unscrewing and removing the quick-connect adapters.
Can You Connect Two Expandable Garden Hoses Together?
Expandable hoses like the DuLaSeed Expandable Garden Hose (on Amazon) expand to several times their original length when the water pressure is on. These are easy to use and are becoming popular because of their benefits and convenience. Connecting a pair together is possible, provided you have the appropriate measurements.
The similar sizes enable you to simply attach the male connector of one hose to the female connector of the other, just like you would with a regular hose.
These hoses are a bit trickier as they expand three times their initial length when water flows through them and then contract when the water is off. If your hoses have a push-in connector but can’t fit when you connect them, you need a push-in adapter with a threaded female end to nicely join the two hoses together.
How Do You Connect Two Water Hoses Together?
As we mentioned earlier, the procedures involved in connecting two water hoses depend on the hoses’ size, which will be further detailed below.
A standard commercial hose has a diameter of 5/8-inch, and every garden hose comes with compatible male and female connectors. The male connectors are threaded on the outside, while the female ones have the thread on the inside.
Your garden hoses should have these connectors before connecting them together; however, if you cut either the male or female connector of your hose, you can always install new ones.
Every connector features the following parts: a 3/4-inch male or female hose thread connection, a spikey rod structured to match the inside of a hose of 3/4, 5/8, or 1/2 inches, and a crimp ring with screws for making it tighter.
How to Connect Garden Hoses of the Same Size
To connect garden hoses of the same size, you need to follow these simple steps:
- Check if you already have a pre-installed male connector on your hose’s ends, as garden hoses usually come with one. If you find one, you have two male connectors, which means you need to install a female hose thread into one of the male connectors.
- Measure the diameter of the interior of your hose to determine the correct size fitting you will purchase. Then, determine the type of connector you will buy, either male or female, by checking the one you need to replace.
- Remove the hose’s old fitting by using a functional knife to neatly cut two inches off the end of the hose in a straight fashion. Do this in one smooth movement to prevent uneven edges.
- Prepare your hoses’ ends for the connectors to be installed. If your garden hose is vinyl, you need to soften it a bit by soaking it in hot water for some minutes. Installing the connectors is usually based on the type you purchase.
- However, you can otherwise install them by fitting the featured spikey rod into the hose till the tip of the hose is even with the connector. After that, attach the crimp ring around the hose’s end and connect the two halves with the featured screws.
- You can now connect the two hoses by screwing the male connector into the female connector.
You don’t always have to install the connectors on your hoses’ ends. Instead, you can use a coupler that features a spikey rod and a pair of crimp rings. The rod fits inside the hoses to be connected while the crimp rings fold each hose onto the rod. Installing a coupler involves the same procedure as installing a connector; however, you can only use a coupler to connect two hoses with the same diameter.
When connecting the hoses, make sure the connector threads are equally aligned, as cross-threading will make them difficult to separate or may break the connectors.
How to Connect Garden Hoses of Different Sizes
You can connect two different-sized garden hoses with an adapter to enable them to fit together by using either a narrowed adapter or a T-shaped one. For instance, joining a 3/4-inch hose to a 1-inch hose can be done with similar adapter measurements, i.e., a 3/4-inch to a 1-inch adapter (on Amazon).
Follow these procedures to connect any pair of garden hoses with different sizes:
- Measure both hoses and determine which one needs a male connector and which needs a female one.
- Follow the exact instructions above on how to cut the hose and install the connectors to each hose.
- Finally, to connect the hoses, you have to screw on the adapter by attaching each connector to the right side of the adapter. Turn the screws until they are very tight, and ensure you do not cross-thread.
Hose Connector Types
The following are the different types of hose connectors with their features:
- Compression Fittings: They provide a more secure closure and are the strongest of all the hose connector types listed here. They come in two parts, including a metal one with a circular plastic space and an extra clasping ring.
- Clamp Ring Fittings: They are smaller and easier to install. The fittings also come with a ring, housing, and screw, which are all made of stainless steel. The clamps are pretty flexible and can fit into a hose with varied diameter measurements, depending on the type you purchase.
- Barbed Fittings: These are the easiest of the bunch to install as you do not need extra tools. They feature spikey barbs instead of a separate ring like the other fittings. The downside of this fixture is that it does not last as long as the other fittings.
All the above connector types use a thread connection to attach a pair of hoses.
How to Install Hose Connectors
Based on the hose connector types listed above, here are the ways you can install each fitting:
- Compression Fitting: When installing a compression fitting, you will notice it has a round gap on its side where you are meant to attach the hose. Place the hose into that gap and force it in until it’s even, after which you can attach the ring around the connector.
- Clamp Ring Fittings: Place the fitting into the hose’s mouth and then slide the ring around it. You can now secure the ring by using a screwdriver to turn the side screw.
- Barbed Fittings: The spikey barbs attach themselves to the mouth of the hose’s interior, so you can simply push the connector into the hose as much as possible, and the barbs will stop it from coming out.