Garden Soaker Hose Connector Repair

Two of Mary’s garden soaker hoses failed their pre-installation checks with leaks from around their connectors. The problem seemed to be a break in the hose inside the connector, with water spewing out of the connector around the hose. Having previously fixed a gash in another hose, I figured I might have some success at fixing these leaks.

The general idea is to squish enough silicone rubber inside the connector to seal around the hose, then clamp the hose and connector snugly enough to hold the rubber in place:

Soaker Hose Connector Clamp - Show view
Soaker Hose Connector Clamp – Show view

The enlarged recess fits around the brass connector shell, which is squashed loosely around the hose and from which the leaking water emerges. Of course, because this is a different hose, the previous model didn’t quite fit and I had to doodle up new geometry:

Soaker Hose Connector repair - Dimension doodle
Soaker Hose Connector repair – Dimension doodle

As before, I bandsawed aluminum backing plates to ensure the plastic didn’t get all bendy in the middle:

Soaker hose connector leak clamps
Soaker hose connector leak clamps

The hose clamp (!) around the connector on the far right ensures a split in the brass shell doesn’t get any larger.

They’ll spend the rest of their lives under the garden mulch, where nobody will ever see those bulky lumps. Life is good!

The OpenSCAD source code as a GitHub Gist:

// Rubber Soaker Hose End Connector Clamp
// Helps hold silicone rubber in connector
// Ed Nisley KE4ZNU June 2019
Layout = "Build"; // [Hose,Connector,Block,Show,Build]
//- Extrusion parameters must match reality!
/* [Hidden] */
ThreadThick = 0.25;
ThreadWidth = 0.40;
HoleWindage = 0.2;
Protrusion = 0.1; // make holes end cleanly
inch = 25.4;
function IntegerMultiple(Size,Unit) = Unit * ceil(Size / Unit);
//----------
// Dimensions
// Hose lies along X axis
Hose = [200,26.5,11.6]; // X=very long, Y=width, Z=overall height
RimThick = 10.3; // outer sections
RimOD = RimThick;
RimFlatRecess = 1.0; // recess to front flat surface
OuterOC = Hose.y - RimOD; // outer tube centers
RecessM = 0.8; // back recess chord
RecessC = OuterOC;
RecessR = (pow(RecessM,2) + pow(RecessC,2)/4) / (2*RecessM);
RidgeM = 1.6; // front ridge chord
RidgeC = 7.5;
RidgeR = (pow(RidgeM,2) + pow(RidgeC,2)/4) / (2*RidgeM);
HoseSides = 12*4;
Connector = [5.0,33.0,13.0]; // oval brass: X=snout Y=width Z=dia
Block = [20.0,50.0,4.0 + Hose.z]; // overall splice block size
echo(str("Block: ",Block));
Kerf = 0.5; // cut through middle to apply compression
ID = 0;
OD = 1;
LENGTH = 2;
// 8-32 stainless screws
Screw = [4.1,8.0,3.0]; // OD = head LENGTH = head thickness
Washer = [4.4,9.5,1.0];
Nut = [4.1,9.7,6.0];
CornerRadius = Washer[OD]/2;
ScrewOC = Block.y - 2*CornerRadius;
echo(str("Screw OC: x=",ScrewOC.x," y=",ScrewOC.y));
//----------------------
// Useful routines
module PolyCyl(Dia,Height,ForceSides=0) { // based on nophead's polyholes
Sides = (ForceSides != 0) ? ForceSides : (ceil(Dia) + 2);
FixDia = Dia / cos(180/Sides);
cylinder(d=(FixDia + HoleWindage),h=Height,$fn=Sides);
}
// Hose shape
// This includes magic numbers measured from reality
module HoseProfile() {
rotate([0,-90,0])
translate([0,0,-Hose.x/2])
linear_extrude(height=Hose.x,convexity=4)
difference() {
union() {
for (j=[-1,1]) // outer channels
translate([0,j*OuterOC/2])
circle(d=RimOD,$fn=HoseSides);
translate([-RimOD/4,0]) // rear flat fill
square([RimOD/2,OuterOC],center=true);
translate([(RimOD/4 - RimFlatRecess),0]) // front flat fill
square([RimOD/2,OuterOC],center=true);
intersection() {
translate([Hose.z/2,0])
square([Hose.z,OuterOC],center=true);
translate([-RidgeR + RimOD/2 - RimFlatRecess + RidgeM,0])
circle(r=RidgeR,$fn=HoseSides);
}
}
translate([-(RecessR + RimOD/2 - RecessM),0])
circle(r=RecessR,$fn=2*HoseSides);
}
}
// Outside shape of splice Block
// Z centered on hose rim circles, not overall thickness through center ridge
module SpliceBlock() {
difference() {
hull()
for (i=[-1,1], j=[-1,1]) // rounded block
translate([i*(Block.x/2 - CornerRadius),j*(Block.y/2 - CornerRadius),-Block.z/2])
cylinder(r=CornerRadius,h=Block.z,$fn=4*8);
for (j=[-1,1]) // screw holes
translate([0,
j*ScrewOC/2,
-(Block.z/2 + Protrusion)])
PolyCyl(Screw[ID],Block.z + 2*Protrusion,6);
cube([2*Block.x,2*Block.y,Kerf],center=true); // slice through center
}
}
// Splice block less hose
module ShapedBlock() {
difference() {
SpliceBlock();
HoseProfile();
Connector();
}
}
// Brass connector end
module Connector() {
translate([-(Block.x/2 + Protrusion),0,0])
rotate([0,90,0])
linear_extrude(height=Connector.x + Protrusion)
hull()
for (i = [-1,1])
translate([0,i*(Connector.y - Connector.z)/2])
circle(d=Connector.z);
}
//----------
// Build them
if (Layout == "Hose")
HoseProfile();
if (Layout == "Block")
SpliceBlock();
if (Layout == "Connector")
Connector();
if (Layout == "Show") {
ShapedBlock();
color("Green",0.25)
HoseProfile();
}
if (Layout == "Build") {
SliceOffset = 0;
intersection() {
translate([SliceOffset,0,Block.z/4])
cube([4*Block.x,4*Block.y,Block.z/2],center=true);
union() {
translate([0,0.6*Block.y,Block.z/2])
ShapedBlock();
translate([0,-0.6*Block.y,Block.z/2])
rotate([0,180,0])
ShapedBlock();
}
}
}