How to Store Heavy Hoses for the Winter

I own 450 ft. of vinyl hose. I have four hose reels from Home Depot. This watering equipment clogs up my basement every fall when we bring it in for the winter. I can put them on the garage wall, but how heavy are they?

A 5/8 in. rubber-vinyl hose weighs about 2.52 oz. per foot. A 3/4 in. rubber-vinyl hose weighs 3.03 oz. per foot. The water in a 5/8 in. hose weighs about 2.12 oz. per foot. The water in a 3/4 in. hose weighs 3.06 oz. per foot. A Suncast hose cart weighs 12 lb, and a Liberty hose cart weighs about 35 lb.

You would naturally drain the hose before storing it. In this article, I’ll show you how to calculate the hose weight and the weight of the water in can hold. This is a worst-case scenario giving us the maximum weight of a hose with water in it. In reality, you want to get as much water out of the hose as possible, because a freezing hose is a broken hose.

Store the Garden Hoses for the Winter

It’s cold here in the winter. We bring our patio and garden equipment inside each fall. We bring the hoses inside because water + freezing = broken hoses.

We stuff my basement with piles of garden, patio and pool equipment. I want my basement back.

I want to leave the hoses on the reels. I need to know:

• How heavy is the hose?
• How heavy is the reel?
• If there’s water in the hose, how heavy is that water?*

*Warning: we’re calculating the water weight to find the absolute maximum weight we’re hanging on the garage wall. Drain the hoses of water the best you can to avoid the hoses freezing and breaking.

Why is the Hose Weight Important?

Say I have a 50 lb. capacity hook. Is it strong enough to hold a hose reel containing 100 ft. of 5/8 in. diameter hose?

The average 5/8 in. hose weighs 2.52 oz. per foot. I have 100 ft. of this hose, so I multiply the weight per foot times the number of feet, then divide by 16 to get the weight in pounds rather than ounces:

• 52 oz. /foot x 100 ft. = 252 oz.
• 252 oz divided by 16 oz. /ft = 15.75 lb.

The 100 ft. of 5/8 in. hose weighs 15.75 lb. OK, this will work with a 50 lb. capacity hook. Will it still work if I hang the hose and its reel as one unit?

The reel is a Liberty brand cart that weighs 35 lb. I add the cart weight to the hose weight:

• 35 lb. cart + 15.75 lb. hose = 50.75 lb.

The cart plus the hose weight is 50.75 lb. It’s .75 lb. over the hook capacity. It’s already overloading the hook. What happens if there is still some water in that hose? For the comical sake of an example, let’s say that the entire hose still has water in it.

The weight of water in a 5/8 in. hose is 2.12 oz. /ft. In 100 ft. of hose, that water weight is:

• 100 ft. x 2.12 oz./ft = 212
• 212 oz. divided by 16 oz. /pound = 13.25 lb.

The hose can carry 13.25 lb. of water. If I add the hose, reel and water weight:

• 75 lb. hose + 35 lb. cart + 13.25 lb. water = 64 lb.

The combination of the hose, reel and water weight is 64 lb. While we definitely do NOT want to store water in the hose, this exercise shows us that if there is any water at all, it can have significant weight. That extra weight can be the difference between a 50 lb. hook holding the weight or falling off the wall in a great disaster of a crash.

I created this article in good faith. Your mileage may vary. Please err on the site of using stronger storage hooks if you’re not sure of the weight you’re hanging. Drain garden hoses to reduce total weight and avoid water freezing inside.

How I Figured the Hose Weight per Foot

I researched the weights of multiple popular rubber-vinyl hoses. I calculated the weight per foot for each hose. Then I averaged the weights for all the hoses to arrive at one value. Your mileage may vary.

How I Figured the Hose Water Weight per Foot

I researched the weight of water in a fire hose. I translated the fire hose diameter to 5/8 in. and 3/4 in. to get the equivalent weight in water for these two hose sizes. Your mileage, again, may vary.

How Much Does a Hose Reel Weigh?

The hose reels in our examples weight 12 lb. and 35 lb. If you know the model of your hose reel, search for the specs the manufacturer offers to find out how much your hose reel weighs. I have a Suncast and a Liberty, and they weigh:

• the Suncast cart 175 ft. of 5/8 in. diameter hose and weighs 12 lb.
• the Liberty cart 225 ft. of 5/8 in. diameter hose and weighs 35 lb.

How Much Does a Garden Hose Weigh?

Garden hoses come in 5/8 in. and 3/4 in. diameter sizes, and they are both popular enough to warrant their own calculations. Below are the weights for 5/8 in. diameter and 3/4 in. diameter hoses.

How Much Does a 5/8 in. Diameter Hose Weigh?

A 5/8 in. diameter hose weighs about 2.52 ounces per foot.

5/8 in. Diameter Hose Weight Examples

• 1 foot of a 5/8 in. hose weighs 2.52 ounces
• 2 feet of a 5/8 in. hose weighs 2.52 x 2 ounces, or 5.04 ounces
• 5 feet of a 5/8 in. hose weighs 2.52 x 5 ounces, or 12.6 ounces
• 10 feet of a 5/8 in hose weighs 2.52 x 10 ounces, or 25.2 ounces

I Want to Know the Weight in Pounds Rather than Ounces

Once the calculation goes over 16 oz., we need to divide by 16 to get the hose weight in pounds rather than ounces. In the last line of the previous example, the 10 ft. hose weighs 25.2 oz. To read that in pounds, divide by 16:

• 10 feet of 5/8 in. hose weighs 25.2 oz.
• 2 / 16 = 1.575
• The 10 ft. hose weighs 1.575 lb.

How Much Does a 100 ft. Long, 5/8 in. Diameter Hose Weigh?

100 feet of 5/8 in. hose weighs:

• 100 ft. x 2.52 oz/feet = 252 oz.
• 252 / 16 = 15.75
• The 100 ft. hose weighs 15.75 lb.

How Much Does a 3/4 in. Diameter Hose Weigh?

A 3/4 in. diameter hose weighs about 3.06 ounces per foot.

3/4 in. Diameter Hose Weight Examples

• 1 foot of a 3/4 in. hose weighs 3.06 ounces
• 2 feet of a 3/4 in. hose weighs 3.06 x 2 ounces, or 6.12 ounces
• 5 feet of a 3/4 in. hose weighs 3.06 x 5 ounces, or 15.3 ounces
• 10 feet of a 3/4 in hose weighs 3.06 x 10 ounces, or 30.6 ounces

I Want to Know the Weight in Pounds Rather than Ounces

In the last line of the previous example, the 10 ft. hose weighs 30.6 oz. To read that in pounds, divide by 16:

• 10 feet of 3/4 in. hose weighs 30.6 oz.
• 6 / 16 = 1.9125 lb.
• The 10 ft. hose weighs 1.9125 lb.

How Much Does a 100 ft. Long, 3/4 in. Diameter Hose Weigh?

100 feet of 3/4 in. hose weighs:

• 100 ft. x 3.06 oz/feet = 306 oz.
• 306 / 16 = 19.125
• The 100 ft. hose weighs 19.125 lb.

How Much Does the Water in a Hose Weigh?

Below we break down the water weight of a 5/8 in. hose and a 3/4 in. hose.

How Much Does the Water in a 5/8 in. Hose Weigh?

The water in a 5/8 in. hose weighs about 2.12 oz. per foot.

5/8 in. Diameter Hose Water Weight Examples

• the water in 1 foot of 5/8 in. hose weighs 2.12 ounces
• the water in 5 feet of 5/8 in. hose weighs 2.12 x 5 = 10.6 ounces
• the water in 10 feet of 5/8 in. hose weighs 2.12 x 10 = 21.2 ounces

I Want the Water Weight in Pounds Rather Than Ounces

Divide by 16 to convert the water weight calculations to pounds.

• 10 feet of 5/8 in. hose water weighs 21.2 oz.
• 2 / 16 = 1.325 lb.

The 10 ft. hose water weighs 1.325 lb.

How Much Does the Water in a 100 ft. Long, 5/8 in. Diameter Hose Weigh?

The water in 100 feet of 5/8 in. hose weighs:

• 100 ft. x 2.12 oz/feet = 212 oz.
• 212 / 16 = 13.25
• The water in the 100 ft. hose weighs 13.25 lb.

How Much Does the Water in a 3/4 in. Hose Weigh?

The water in a 3/4 in. hose weighs about 3.06 oz. per foot.

3/4 in. Diameter Hose Water Weight Examples

• the water in 1 foot of 3/4 in. hose weighs 3.06 ounces
• the water in 5 feet of 3/4 in. hose weighs 3.06 x 5 = 15.3 ounces
• the water in 10 feet of 3/4 in. hose weighs 3.06 x 10 = 30.6 ounces

I Want the Water Weight in Pounds Rather Than Ounces

Divide by 16 to convert the water weight calculations to pounds.

• 10 feet of 3/4 in. hose water weighs 30.6 oz.
• 6 / 16 = 1.9125 lb.

The 10 ft. hose water weighs 1.9125 lb.

How Much Does the Water in a 100 ft. Long, 3/4 in. Diameter Hose Weigh?

The water in 100 feet of 3/4 in. hose weighs:

• 100 ft. x 3.06 oz/feet = 306 oz.
• 306 / 16 = 19.125
• The water in the 100 ft. hose weighs 19.125 lb.

Table: Empty and Filled Weights for 9 Lengths of 5/8 in. Diameter Hose

Table: Empty and Filled Weights for 9 Lengths of 3/4 in. Diameter Hose

Use Gravity or an Air Compressor to Remove Hose Water

Water adds significant weight to the hose. Freezing temperatures turn that water into ice, which can break the hose’s rubber and vinyl surface.

Using gravity is the easiest way to drain water from the garden hose. Unravel the hose so that it drains downhill. Slowly pull the hose back onto its reel, allowing the water to drain as you go.

Alternatively, use an air compressor to blow air through the hose. The air should pick up and remove the water as it passes out the other end.

References

• Comparing Four- and Five-Inch Large-Diameter Hose
• LDH: How to get big water to big fire
• 1 3/4″ -vs- 2″ water weight?
• Table 3.2 Comparative Diameters and Weights (100-foot lengths) of Coupled Fire Hose
• Can I leave my garden hoses outside this winter?
• Irrigation System Winterizing Tips