My Garden Hose Still Leaks, But Not as Badly
Apparently, my wife ran over the end of the hose that the spray nozzle screws onto. If you have ever had to deal with a hose that has been run over at that end, then you are no doubt able to relate to the difficulty of trying to pound it back into precisely the proper shape so that water doesn't like from the bottom of the screw-on nozzle.
The easiest solution, of course, would have been to run down to the nearest Wal-Mart and pick up a new hose. However, because I live in what most would term "the boonies", running down to the nearest Wal-Mart was not as viable an option as it may seem. Additionally, I felt compelled to fix the hose, as parting with $15 to replace an entire hose that could otherwise be repaired seemed indecent.
Arming myself with a hammer and needle-nose pliers, I set off on the task of bending and shaping the misshapen threads at the end of the hose, attempting to restore the sprinkler end of the hose back to its circular shape and with its threads properly aligned.
Following the famed trial-and-error method for a half-hour or so proved futile, and with the sun on its way below the mountains afar, I was faced with the stark reality that I might not be able to wash my car. (Incidentally, that last sentence rhymes. Please read it a second time.) At least not without consequence of severely wetting myself in the process.
Perhaps you have seen the movie Apollo 13, and recall the scene in that movie where the ground-based crew was given a table full of items known to be available in the Apollo spacecraft, and was tasked with fashioning a device that would save the space-borne crew using those parts. This is not unlike what transpired for me.
Rifling through my tool box, I came across a roll of electrical tape. Hastily grabbing the roll in my race against time, I darted out of the garage, grabbed the hose, and began to wrap a strip of tape tightly around the sprinkler end of the hose.
I then attached the spray nozzle over the taped end of the hose, which required an unusual amount of effort and strength, but I would not be denied this moment of victory.
Then came the critical moment. I turned on the spigot and waited for the air to be displaced from the hose. Moments passed. Finally, a small, but manageable stream of water began leaking from the connecting end of the spray nozzle.
I turned on the spray nozzle and water flowed with sufficient pressure to accomplish the task of washing my car, with only a small amount of water leaking, and the world of the Supreme Aglet is once again in perfect balance.
The easiest solution, of course, would have been to run down to the nearest Wal-Mart and pick up a new hose. However, because I live in what most would term "the boonies", running down to the nearest Wal-Mart was not as viable an option as it may seem. Additionally, I felt compelled to fix the hose, as parting with $15 to replace an entire hose that could otherwise be repaired seemed indecent.
Arming myself with a hammer and needle-nose pliers, I set off on the task of bending and shaping the misshapen threads at the end of the hose, attempting to restore the sprinkler end of the hose back to its circular shape and with its threads properly aligned.
Following the famed trial-and-error method for a half-hour or so proved futile, and with the sun on its way below the mountains afar, I was faced with the stark reality that I might not be able to wash my car. (Incidentally, that last sentence rhymes. Please read it a second time.) At least not without consequence of severely wetting myself in the process.
Perhaps you have seen the movie Apollo 13, and recall the scene in that movie where the ground-based crew was given a table full of items known to be available in the Apollo spacecraft, and was tasked with fashioning a device that would save the space-borne crew using those parts. This is not unlike what transpired for me.
Rifling through my tool box, I came across a roll of electrical tape. Hastily grabbing the roll in my race against time, I darted out of the garage, grabbed the hose, and began to wrap a strip of tape tightly around the sprinkler end of the hose.
I then attached the spray nozzle over the taped end of the hose, which required an unusual amount of effort and strength, but I would not be denied this moment of victory.
Then came the critical moment. I turned on the spigot and waited for the air to be displaced from the hose. Moments passed. Finally, a small, but manageable stream of water began leaking from the connecting end of the spray nozzle.
I turned on the spray nozzle and water flowed with sufficient pressure to accomplish the task of washing my car, with only a small amount of water leaking, and the world of the Supreme Aglet is once again in perfect balance.
posted by The Supreme Aglet at 10:39 PM
<< Home