A Comprehensive Guide (Return to the purchase page)
"Cleaning with power washer is very stress-relieving, but dealing with the tangled hose afterward is a real headache." My friend Jame said ten years ago. Since then, I have been searching for suitable hose reels for my customers.
Today, there are various types of hose reels available. To choose the best one for your cleaning needs, several must be considered in advance.
1. Hose Diameter and Length
3/8" hose reel is commonly used in car wash shops and other commercial services. Ensure that the reel can accommodate the full length of your hose and that the diameter is appropriate.
2. Working Pressure and Flow Rate
We should choose a reel rated for pressure washers. This ensures it allows for adequate water flow and maintains the equipment's efficiency.
3. The Reeling Mechanism (hand crank or automatic)
It is mainly based on the frequency of use and the hose length when choosing between a manual hose reel and an automatic winding one.
Automatic/Spring Rewind: This is a good choice for frequent users due to its convenient, self-retracting system. But the maximum length available just 100 feet. These reels typically in fixed car wash stations and factories.
Hand Crank/Manual Rewind: Manual hose reels are simple, durable, and cost-effective. They are an ideal choice for occasional use or for heavy hoses where a motor is not suitable.
The motorized rewind hose reels (electric/air) are heavy-duty and industrial-grade tools. They are not necessary for typical commercial cleaning or DIY users.
4. Fittings:
It is essential to ensure that the fittings are compatible. One useful is to avoid using and aluminum together, as they can corrode and fuse due to galvanic corrosion.
Someone mistakes an air hose reel for a water hose reel because their appearances are similar. However, their swivel joints are completely different. This can lead to leakage at the rotating joint, pipeline bursts, and premature failure of the spring mechanism.
5. Reel's construction materials
Plastic/Polypropylene: Lightweight, Lightweight and rust-resistant, but with pressure resistance(200-300Bar). These materials suitable only less demanding applications, as DIY car washing or gardening.
Powder-Coated Steel: Low cost and strong, but prone to rust; suitable only for certain indoor industrial applications.
Aluminum: It offers the advantages of being lightweight and moderately corrosion-resistant. However, its high cost and weaker joints have led more people to choose stainless steel hose reels.
Stainless Steel: As the most popular type of hose reel, stainless steel reels are corrosion-resistant, have a long lifespan, and are easy to clean. They are increasingly used across various industries.
Now, Jame have installed a 150ft stainless steel manual hose reel on his mobile car and a plastic retractable hose reel in his garden. " The stainless steel are more durable. Next month I will buy a new one for my garage."