Air/Water/Hydraulic Quick Couplers

[Bird]

I have lots of brass quick couplers with my air-compressor and air tools. And I used lots of brass hydraulic quick couplers on my own tractors in the past as well as others. None of them have/had any rubber gaskets and none leaked.

Now I also have lots of brass quick couplers for my garden hoses, nozzles, sprinklers, etc. But they all require a special type of rubber washer, and those washers don't last very long without starting to leak.

Can anyone explain to me why the water couplers are not as good as the air and hydraulic couplers?

 

[gwdixon]

It is not the coupler, it is the washer. Buy high quality washers in bulk from the OEM company. Just replace as necessary.

I have used the "O" ring washers instead of the special ones and have had excellent results. The "O" rings are fairly expensive however. But they last a long time and seal very well. In fact, just today I ordered more as I'm replacing all hose washers with these. It is amazing how many hoses, couplers, hose end attachments, and sprinklers are on the farm.

Amazon.com : Nelson 50381 Premium O-Ring Style Hose Washers : Pressure Washers : Patio, Lawn & Garden

Air and hydraulic couplers are more expensive and have to deal with much higher pressures than a garden hose. Plus, a failure of the coupler could cause disastrous consequences leading to lawsuits, injury, and so forth. A leaky hose won't have those troubles.

 

[Bird]

I appreciate the response, but that's not the problem. I have some of those "O" ring washers, but they will not work for the water quick couplers. Maybe you can see in this attachment the kind of rubber (actually vinyl) washers you have to use:
Amazon.com: Dixon DGH7C Brass Quick-Connect Fitting, Garden Hose Female Coupler, 200 psi Pressure: Patio, Lawn & Garden
They are flat washers but the part that the front end of the male coupler seals against is thinner than the part the hose screws against. In other words, they are one piece but the outer part is thicker than the inner part.

And air couplers are not more expensive than these garden hose couplers.

 

[gwdixon]

I appreciate the response, but that's not the problem. I have some of those "O" ring washers, but they will not work for the water quick couplers. Maybe you can see in this attachment the kind of rubber (actually vinyl) washers you have to use:
Amazon.com: Dixon DGH7C Brass Quick-Connect Fitting, Garden Hose Female Coupler, 200 psi Pressure: Patio, Lawn & Garden
They are flat washers but the part that the front end of the male coupler seals against is thinner than the part the hose screws against. In other words, they are one piece but the outer part is thicker than the inner part.

And air couplers are not more expensive than these garden hose couplers.

Yes, I see the special bi-level washer and the price (!) of the fitting. I have those special washers in my box of water hose quick connectors. They were taken out of the fitting when the O-rings were installed.

Maybe it works for me because there are different thickness of O-rings. The premium O-rings from Amazon that I put a link to in post #2 seem to work and are very thick compared to others. On the right side of the listing is a source for those rings for $4.06 for 10 units with free shipping. You might try a pack just for the heck of it.

If they don't work for your particular brand of quick attach then they can be used as normal hose washers. As stated before, they are excellent and I've never had to replace one of those. The yellow flat hose washers and OEM hose washers seem to start to leak and deform within a year's time.

Oh, and I made the mistake of buying Harbor Freight air couplers. They start leaking within 3 months if not immediately. It is Milton for me from now on. eBay had a bunch of Milton male and female fittings that were purchased. Now I'm set for life and will likely never use them all.

 

[boggen]

*ughs* garden hose connections, i hate them. from cheap hose to expensive hoses, to various spray guns / nozzles, to sprinklers to even pressure washers.

the metal/plastic pieces for the ends, are not very forgiving, a little out of shape and there goes a leak.... also the threads (big frown) do not really create a interlocking mesh, that stops water, but rather allows water to flow around and through the threads.

ya you could use "pipe dobe" or pipe thread tape, but kinda defeats purpose of garden hose ends of quick interchangeable to something else.

normally a pair of channel locks are always grabbed when dealing with regular garden hose stuff. to either tighten things up, or undo them. if ya don't get the hose connects tight enough and seated properly the gasket (washer or 0-ring) never actually presses against both inside the female end, and gets a good smooth connection on the male end and end result a leak. until ya compress that washer or 0-ring enough, by tightening things up. but the issue... is how many ends more so male ends, are all banged up, and female ends not all gummed up from old washers, or washers all out of whack with age...

==========
ya got me thinking, i am so use to having a pair of channel locks with me, that i never think about it anymore, it is just grinded into me, to point it is 2nd nature to me. it would be interesting to see various pictures of quick connect couplers and regular garden hose connectors.

 

[Scooby074]

i use the Gilmour ones and never get leaks. They hold up real well.Gilmour 9QC Brass Hose Quick Connector Set: Amazon.ca: Patio, Lawn & Garden

 

[k0ua]

I have lots of brass quick couplers with my air-compressor and air tools. And I used lots of brass hydraulic quick couplers on my own tractors in the past as well as others. None of them have/had any rubber gaskets and none leaked.

Now I also have lots of brass quick couplers for my garden hoses, nozzles, sprinklers, etc. But they all require a special type of rubber washer, and those washers don't last very long without starting to leak.

Can anyone explain to me why the water couplers are not as good as the air and hydraulic couplers?

Bird as best as I could figure the brass water hose couplers are built to very loose tolerances.. They seem to have a whole lot of side to side slop, making the washer seal iffy at best.

 

[Bird]

i use the Gilmour ones and never get leaks. They hold up real well.Gilmour 9QC Brass Hose Quick Connector Set: Amazon.ca: Patio, Lawn & Garden

View attachment 390062

I have Nelson, Orbit, and Gilmour, too, and they don't leak . . . as long as the washers are fairly new. And the rubber/vinyl washers last longer if you do NOT leave the couplers hooked up when not in use. Keeping them hooked together will cause the washer to deform sooner.

I guess I didn't word my original question very well. I guess my question is why washers are needed at all. If air and hydraulic couplers require no washers, why do water couplers? Or why has no one made a decent washerless water coupler? Or does such exist without me knowing of them?

You can order more washers on Amazon, but they're cheaper at Ace Hardware, and I'm surprised that Home Depot and Lowe's have the couplers but no extra washers.

Amazon.com : Nelson 50339 Hose Quick Connector Washer Set : Garden Hose Parts : Patio, Lawn & Garden

 

[farmer2009]

I gather you are talking of water hose and not high pressure hoses. But here is what I do on high pressure hoses. I put a hydraulic quick coupler on them. Don't leak and can handle the pressure.

 

[Scooby074]

Interesting. All my couplers are several years old (newest is 2 yrs old) and always have an attachment attached. Never changed a washer yet. Maybe its your climate that is harder on the gaskets?

I dont know of a washerless hose coupler. There are ones heavier duty (higher flow) than the brass ones, like the ones used on golf courses (my brother is a Greenskepper) , but they have washers too. Camlocks and 1/4 turn.Rittenhouse | Quarter Turn Hose Couplings

Rittenhouse | Garden Hose Camlock Kit 3 for Accessories