Are you tired of the hose reel arrangement job every day?
If so, the automatic garden hose reel with an automated retraction mechanism is the solution to your problem.
The automatic garden hose reel or automatic water hose reel works as a storage system for your garden water hose. It saves you from the everyday tiresome job of rolling the long and heavy hose reel back and storing and keeping it organized.
They are generally wall-mounted units you can install at any convenient place, to keep it ready for use whenever required.
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What is an Automatic Hose Reel?
The automatic hose reel is a compact mounting unit for storing a self-winding hose reel. It helps you to roll back the long garden hose automatically after use without any manual effort.
You can use these hoses for watering the plants in your garden, washing your vehicles, or any other cleaning job.
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Whenever required, simply pull the water hose and lay it straight on your lawn. After use, you can allow it to retract back to the mounting unit with a push of a button to escape the job of collecting the duct, rolling the reel, and storing it in a safe place.
Types of Automatic Hose Reels
There are mainly three types of automatic hose reels that differ from one another in mechanism and how they operate.
Water-Powered/Hydropower Hose Reels
This type of hose reels utilizes the aqueous pressure to roll back the hose after use. It offers a superb retraction mechanism that does not require any form of charging or electricity for operation.
Battery-Operated Hose Reels
The battery-powered water hose reels run on a rechargeable battery. You need to charge it from the charging unit periodically depending on the use.
Spring-Driven Hose Reels
The spring operated hose reels work on the spring tension system to retract the hose back into the mounting bracket.
There are certain limitations in choosing spring-driven hoses. As you keep pulling the reel to a greater length, the tension on the spring keeps increasing. Hence, you need to apply greater force to pull out the entire hose to put it to work.
The mechanism works well for reels of up to 30 meters only. In case, you need a longer hose for your garden, look for other forms of hose reels.
Note: You need to keep the tap open for running water supply in order to retract the hydropower hose reel back into the mounting bracket. This means you require an adequate water supply during the process. If your hose is too long, you may end up wasting up to 4-6 gallons of water every time you roll back the hose reel.
During the process, the water is ejected through the main hose or the drain pipe. You can, however, collect and store this water in pots or other storage units for outdoor cleaning, water the container plants, etc.
How does the Automatic Hose Reel Works?
The functionality of the automatic water hose reel depends on the type of mechanism used in the model. The chief function of the automatic hose reel is to retract back the hose reel after use.
Naturally, it requires a reliable source of energy to support the quick-rolling operation.
We have already mentioned the different types of automatic garden hose reels above in this article. Now let’s take a look at how each of these functions based on the technology used in them to retract the hose back into the reel drum.
The Mechanism in Spring-Driven Hose Reels
As you start pulling the hose for use, the built-in spring inside the reel starts uncoiling itself to produce tension on the spring coil. The more you pull the hose, the greater will be the tension created in the coil.
Generally, all models have some type of stopper to lock the hose and prevent it from rolling back into the bracket when in use. This totally eliminates the chances of any sort of accident during use.
When you are done using the hose, you need to release the stopper to allow the hose to roll back in proper position inside the bracket. Hence, this type of automatic water hose reel works on the spring-lock mechanism.
Hydropower Technology in Water-Powered Hose Reels
As discussed previously, this type of hose reels retracts back after use with the help of water-generated force. When you flip the knob to release the stopper, the built-in mechanism utilizes hydropower generated inside from the running tap water to provide energy to recoil the hose neatly into the bracket.
Electric Motor Technology in Battery/Electricity Operated Hose Reels
There is an on/off switch on the mounting bracket of this type of automatic hose reels. The mounting unit in the electricity or battery operated hose reels has an internal motor connected to the reel with the help of an electric circuit that helps to roll it back into the bracket properly.
After using the hose, you just need to switch on the power supply to run the motor. The rest of the action takes place on its own.
Automatic vs. Manual- Which is Better
Whether it is convenient to choose a manual hose reel or an automated retractable hose reel entirely depends on some considerable factors:
Convenience: The ease of use is the prime consideration when choosing between an automatic or manual hose for the garden. The automatic reels reduce your efforts to keep your hose reel neatly bundled up. The automatic reels are easy to connect to the water supply and mount on the wall bestowing a smart and tidy look.
Required Reel Length: This is one aspect to think about when choosing between the automatic or manual hose reels. If you need a small hose of about 3-5 meters, it is easy to roll it manually after use. However, if your requirement beyond this length, it can be too heavy to wind up the entire hose after using it.
Wrapping It Up
Choosing the type of hose reel for your garden depends on your preferences, convenience, and budget. Now that you know how different types of automatic retractable hose reels work, it will help you to make an informed purchase decision.
I hope this article has given you the required information to help you choose the best automatic hose reel for your garden.