How to Replace a Hose Faucet Not Easy

Penny "Psyche" Skinner is a tech user, providing advice to benefit functionality with frugality.

3 Ways to Attach a Hose to an Unthreaded Faucet

Many indoor faucets do not have a thread on the inside or the outside. They also come in a wide variety of shapes and designs. This is great for fitting in with your design style but can be a challenge when it comes to using fixtures and fittings. For example, there are many reasons why you may want to securely fit a hose to an indoor tap.

In my particular case, I use the hose most often to fill my aquariums, but it can also be useful for plants and hydroponics, to attach small appliances, for cleaning, and many other applications. It was surprisingly difficult to get a tight and flexible attachment that would work on an indoor tap, but this is what I learned.

1. Use a Water Bandit

I tried all the options on this list, but ultimately, the best option turned out to be the Camco Water Bandit. This fitting is flexible enough to avoid leaks even at higher water pressures. And the range of taps it will fit is wide, due to a stepped funnel shape. This fixture has a standard thread and so will attach to any water hose and allow your hose attachment to be as long as you need!

Level Adapter

2. Use a Lever Adapter

One type of adapter uses a lever to press the tap down onto a rubber ring, to create a tight seal. The best example of this is probably the Koala faucet adapter.

Cons: The main limitation of this design is that it only works for a faucet with the 90 degree angle at the end, and within a small range of diameters. For a faucet that is exactly the right design the seal is reasonable good, but can still leak under higher pressures. This type of adapter is one of the more expensive options; typically around $20-30.

My experience: In my case none of my indoor taps was the right design. One was too wide, one was too square and the other had a broad U-shaped bend rather than a 90-degree angle. So the major limitation of this design is that it does not work with most tap designs.

Reflexed Rubber

3. Use a Reflexed Rubber Fixture

A very common option is a flexible rubber bell that folds internally to try and create a flexible seal that will fit range of taps.

Cons: There are two limitations to this device. One is that it fits a smaller size of hose. So attaching this to a longer, standard-sized garden hose can be challenging. The other is that they tend to leak at even the lowest water pressure. This might not matter match inside a bath tub, but over a sink or any other surface you will tend to get water everywhere other than where you want it.

My experience: I attempted to get a better fit hose-clamps and other devices, but none of these efforts was very effective.

Which Method Is Best?

Having tried all three products, the Water Bandit is a clear winner on all four important criteria.

1. It fits my tap and would fit a very wide range of faucet designs.
2. It is compatible with standard threaded garden hoses.
3. It does not leak even at high water pressures.
4. It is also the cheapest option at around $6!

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Hopefully, my expense and experiences can save you time and money in solving your own indoor watering needs and applications!

Re-Enforcing Connections

I found the water jack alone was very effective, but if you have a small or odd-shaped faucet or very high water pressure you might want to also use a metal cable tie--the type that is tightened and released with a screwdriver.

These can be sourced cheaply at any hardware or auto-supplies store. This will assure a good water-tight connection. But remember not to get a usual-size hose clamp, as this fix will be considerably wider in diameter. You want something that will clamp onto 1.5 times the diameter of your faucet's outside surface.

With repeated use, the hose may also start detaching from the Water Bandit. This is easily fixed with some reinforced water-proof tape, such as good-quality duct tape.

Troubleshooting

The water bandit detaches from the tap:

• Try using a kink-proof hose to avoid any pressure building up in the hose.
• Reduce water pressure by turning faucet only part way.

Questions & Answers

Question: I bought a water hose but my faucet has a small diameter so it doesn't fit in. What are the possible solution?

Answer: As an immediate solution you can use an expanding hose or other soft attachment and attach with a cable tie.

Question: Do you have any problems with water/debri/contaminants siphoning back into the water lines?

Answer: I have not had this problem, and it should not occur with normal domestic levels of water pressure.

Mike Hardy from Caseville, Michigan on June 20, 2018:

Good ideas. I have an older faucet in our cottage with no threads. I will have to check out the adapters.

littleangelfire on August 14, 2017:

Than you for this. I went through the process to sign up just so I could comment. We're having our 3rd homebirth/water birth in a couple months and have changed faucets since last time and can't hook a hose using the standard adapter at the hardware store. I'm hoping the third option you showed will work!

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Source: https://dengarden.com/home-improvement/How-to-Connect-a-Hose-to-an-Inside-Unthreaded-Faucet

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