Air Hose Reel Outside?

[AKMopar]

I am thinking of installing an airhose reel on the exterior of my house but I have some concerns about the survivability of the hose and the reel in the rain and sun. Having one outside would give me quite a bit of extra reach and would definitly come in handy but I don't want to ruin my equipment. Has anyone else done this? Any recommendations? It would seem as though a manually operated reel would be the most likely to survive the elements but I still worry about the hose and UV issues. Thanks for any input.

Jeremy

 

[Lippyp]

Why not build it into a small wooden cupboard hung on the wall, keeps the weather off it and can be locked to keep thieving hands off it too.

 

[Milton Shaw]

I put one outside, $80 reel and pvc hose. They seem to be holding up ok, It gets very stiff in cold weather but still beats moving everything just to check air in tires. I also put a hot water faucet next to the cold water faucet outside on the same slab. It really makes it nice in cold weather to have hot water to clean up with. I have one of those "Y" hoses so I can mix hot/cold to wash with instead of scalding myself with just hot water. Make sure you put a valve on the reel so you can turn of/off without having to do the whole system.

 

[justanengineer]

Mount the reel inside near the door or simply bored a hole in the wall for the hose to go through. We tried leaving one outside when I was in Iraq during the winter. It did not survive long before the recoil spring corroded and malfunctioned.

 

[W650Mike]

A cabinet or just inside a door would be my choice but in a dry climate, a quality reel would last many years outdoors. Look at what reels are being used outdoors on local mobile service trucks. Probably Cox or Reelcraft. They seem to last outside quite well.

Above all, buy a good one the first time.

 

[shopnut]

Buy an all stainless one and then there are no worries.

Even the "great" deals are pricy, however. I picked up this $750 reel for $250 used. I happen to be using it for water outside at the Asylum, but air wouldn't be any different.



At the house in our pool area, I went with a Reelcraft RT series version (with a poly reel drum) mounted under the soffit, again for water. Mrs. Shopnut was a bit skeptical at first, but now she would never give it up. This one got spruced up a bit with a white disk so it didn't look so industrial.



So far, both are working fine outside in FL humidity, but they are under some cover to protect them from direct rain.

 

[dirttracker18]

Why not run a quick connection through the wall and just use one of those inexpensive recoil hoses for out door use when necessary?

I know where I am an outdoor reel would not last long.

In your case, however, we don't know where you are so hard to guess?? Of course an update of your profile would help

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

...an update of your profile would help

OP is "AK Mopar". THINK he's in Arkansas?

 

[paullie]

Why not run a quick connection through the wall and just use one of those inexpensive recoil hoses for out door use when necessary?

I know where I am an outdoor reel would not last long.

In your case, however, we don't know where you are so hard to guess?? Of course an update of your profile would help

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this is what i did, works just fine

 

[dirttracker18]

OP is "AK Mopar". THINK he's in Arkansas?

Could very well be his initials?

Isn't AK Alaska anyway?

 

[coldfusion21]

Ak is def Alaska.

We have reelcraft reels outside at work. Been there for couple years at least. I would do as others suggest, build a little box for the reel, will help longevity a bunch I bet.

 

[Aberdale]

I have a reel in the back of my farm pickup. (It has a compressor under the hood, and a tank under the bed). It's been in there since 1994, and still works fine. I also have a 1/2" rubber air hose coiled on a hanger outside the barn that has been exposed to the direct sun for 13 years. It's sun bleached and starting to crack, but has given good service for 13 years. A PVC hose might hold up longer, but it gets too stiff when it gets cold.

I've found an outdoor hose is much more convenient than having one inside the door. Especially in the winter. I don't like letting the heated air out of the shop by leaving the door open.