Those of you that use hose reels......with a pressure washer

Do you uncoil ALL of your pressure hose before running your unit?

  • Always

    Votes: 40 32.8%

  • Sometimes

    Votes: 52 42.6%

  • Never

    Votes: 22 18.0%

  • I don't have hose reels

    Votes: 8 6.6%
  • Total voters
    122
Mike Hughes

Mike Hughes

Former Board Administrator
Do you uncoil ALL of your pressure hose before running your unit?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
ron p

unroll all of it every time.
Dont want hot water to cook my hose or my reel.
I use the 2 wire pressure line and have never replaced a line.
I never let a truck roll over it.
I use a small whip hose right at the beginning of the run at the reel. This is where it is most stressed. I replace the $12 whip hose at the begginning of each season.
I also use a whip hose at the end that's working. Second most stressed spot. I replace that once a year.
To tell you the truth, by going it the way i do and never running over the line, i cant see it ever wearing out.
At least not with the washing i do.
trucks and houses.
We will see when i start flatwork.
I only use a 100 ft and add if i need it. If i had a reel that held 300 ft. I wouldnt have it connected to my wash unit. I would just use the reel to store the line. Then just peel it off and connect what i needed.
I will be switching to 1 wire hose for house washing.
Much lighter.
 
I have a cold water unit and sometimes I don't have to uncoil all of it, especially the garden hose. Though I probably should uncoil the HP hose since I have a hand crank. Just too lazy sometimes.

Reed
 
I got tired of leaky swivels and such, so I wind the hose on the reel backwards. That way, in order to use the hose, I can be assured that it is all coming off, and then I get to inspect the hose after each use. I do put the Feed hose, (300 feet) on the way the reel was designed, so that we can hook up to a hose bib fast and start washing. Usually I can get set up and start washing in under 3 minutes. Tear down is nearly as quick.

Scott
 
Hello Mike,

I have never found that removing all of the hose from the reel helps wear and tear on the jacket of the hoses. We take off the amount that we need for the job at hand. Even if we need all of the hose we leave at least one complete turn of hose on. If the fitting blows at least it will take some of the force before it flies off of the truck. Mose of our problems are fitting failures. Just this passed weekend I had a hose blow right of of the crimp! 4000 psi hose on a 1800 psi machine! It was not on a reel but hooked to the machine suppling the reels.

We do Always relieve the pressure before rotating the reel. If you look at the picture it shows the ballvalves that we have in the lines leading to the hose reels. We can shut one off while the other one is working.

Dave Olson
 

Attachments

  • hose reels & plumbing.jpg
    hose reels & plumbing.jpg
    24.7 KB · Views: 371
I was wondering how much damage it actually does to the hose when left on the reel. I like to use one continuous stretch of hose on my reels. I do not like having all those quick connects on my hose when it is on the reel. I see some people try and wind up 250' of hose on a reel and they are all in 50' sections with Q/C's. I just take out the Q/C's and get a FPT/FPT fitting and screw them together. If I have to replace my hose once a year because it fails sooner because I leave it on the reel that isn't too bad. I used to just use my reel for storage but now I am using it to hook to my machine. I have 2 100' sections on my working reel and I keep 150' in 50' sections on my storage reel. I think I would rather buy new hose then to keep unwind it all every time. I figure it like this, the most that would get damaged being on the reel is the first 100' section. I will just about always have at least 100' rolled out. So to replace that 100' hose will cost me less then $90. I buy E-Spec's hose and have had no problem with it. I know some people don't like it but I have not had one leak or bust yet. I figure that if I have to replace that $90 hose once a year because it fails premature then oh well. It beats paying for the increase labor costs in the long haul of unwinding the extra 100' if I don't need it. I know people will say it doesn't take that much longer to wind it up. Well, if it takes you an extra 2 minutes a day messing with it then it all adds up. 2 minutes a day = 10 minutes a week = 43 minutes a month = 8.5 hours a year(of course that is if you worked everyday). I know I am being crazy but I think I would pay the extra just for the convenience of not having to always unwind it all. BUT if it fails sooner then a year and causes damage to the reel then I will have to look at unwinding it all. That is what I am here trying to find out. Maybe I should just keep 150' on the reel and the rest on my storage reel. I am interested in what others say about leaving it on the reel. Sorry if it seems like I write novels everytime I post.
 
My answer is similiar to Dave Olsens. I only take off what I need and hook it straight to the PW. I have 4 100' Sections on this reel pictured and its rare when I need all of it maybe just a couple of times of year. The reason why I don't have longer section of hoses is in case the hose goes bad i can just put in another 50'or100'section. Its much cheaper this way.

As for the Garden hose I take out whats needed but the Reel is in this case hooked to the PW because there is only about 60 pis of pressure going through this hose.
 

Attachments

  • p5100009.jpg
    p5100009.jpg
    71.7 KB · Views: 358
ON my crank steel eagle reels, I roll off all of it because if I don't, because it spins freely will backlash on my reel, then I have to unroll it completly and rewind it tightly.
ON my Electric cox reels it has enough tension on the reels to prevent it from backlashes so I only reel out what I might need..
When I use hot water after reading this I might unroll all of it.
 
I pull off what i need, and most of the time it's the full 150 ft.
 
How often do you guys have to replace your hose's? I do alot of car lots so my hose cant have any wires showing. I have to replace 2 150' sections about every 3 months.
 
I get about a year out of the double braided 4500 psi hose. And thats doing alot of dragging.
 
alvisishere said:
Oh...I was wondering what them things was for...!!!:D
Click to expand...

seriously , some lock pins will prevent this but if your reel is full it will expand and contract and become loose , as a general rule I roll all the hose off at the end of the shift and roll it up correctly , as I travel from site to site it may look a little "discombobulated":D
 
I usually do. I remember when I first started. I had one of those cheap Rapid-Reel copies from Ebay. A soon as I cranked up the PW it crushed the spool!
 
Has anybody seen these, at Pressure Tek, yet? I know I will be ordering a set, for my heated unit, soon!:)
 
WHY WHY WHY ??? Ionly roll out what I need I use 5400 psi double braid non marking hose... ( Now ) It is a pretty shade of blue... And On the other reel is 150 ft of ugly grey garden hose... I dont think I have ever rolled out all the garden hose.. But I have rolled out the 200 ft HPH on Occasion... Also just to make me seem( reel ) Lazy I usually just roll it on I dont do the pretty thing like lining each roll up... I dont have that much time... I do love my hose reels though,,,,,
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top