Whether you have lived in the New Bedford, Massachusetts area your whole life or just recently re-located to the northeastern region for the first time ever, learning what items should be put into winter seasonal storage is an important part of living in New England. If you grew up in the tropics of Florida, you probably have no idea what we’re talking about and if you lived in the arid desert of Arizona, chances are you’ve never stored a water hose before either. Even if you lived in Massachusetts your whole life but this is your first time living out on your own, you might not know all of the tiny little details your parents and grandparents took care of each year while you were busy carving pumpkins and waiting for the holidays to just hurry up and get here.
Why Winter Seasonal Storage Is Important
You might thinking that a water hose only costs about $20-50 depending on the size and type you purchase at your local home improvement or hardware store. You might also be wondering why storing a water hose is important enough to elicit its own article on our monthly storage blog. There’s a lesson here that can help you in ways you might not imagine that will help you to prevent loss of equipment and things that can surely add up over the years.
Learning about things that must be stored during the winter season, such as water hoses, summer screens, lawn mowers and other fair weather tools and equipment, is part of living in the northeastern states and is something we all need to know. The water hose is just something that many people don’t think about and it stands as a reminder of many other little things that people don’t consider when its time to put things away in their self-storage unit at Affordable Storage in Fall River.
What Cold Weather Can Do
Still using the idea of storing a water hose as our main focus, there are many things that cold weather can do that are related to items that should be in winter seasonal storage in New Bedford, Massachusetts or anywhere else in this region. Here is a small list of things you can expect to experience if you don’t store your water hose for the winter:
- ruptured of weakened lining of the hose – if water is left inside the hose it can freeze and cause some really bad results
- burst interior pipes – frozen hoses that are still attached to the outdoor spigot can create pressure through the interior plumbing system even after just one hard freeze
- mold and mildew growth – even if you have a mild winter season, mold and mildew can grow inside a water hose that hasn’t been drained and put into winter seasonal storage
- cracks or kinks – permanent cracks or kinks can form from improper storage of water hoses when not in-use if they are bent or left kinked for extended periods
- dry rot – another way your hoses can become useless is by storing them outside on the ground or on the floor of your garage during the winter months
If these are all potential results of improperly storing a water hose during a typical New Bedford, Massachusetts winter, just think about all of the other things you keep outdoors and how they could be damaged. Improper storage, leaving items outside in the cold, allowing them to freeze or affect your home or property are just some of the side-effects seen of improper use of winter seasonal storage. Your representative at Affordable Storage in Fall River can help you pick a size-appropriate self-storage unit that can be used to store fall and winter items in the spring and summer and vice-versa during the fall and winter months.
How to Properly Store a Water Hose for the Winter
Here is a step-by-step guide for those who never imagined that there was a right way and a wrong way to store a water hose for the winter. Winter seasonal storage is an important part of home ownership – especially in the northeastern states and in areas that experience an extreme temperature and weather change.
Step One – Turn off the spigot and use the nozzle to spray out any excess water from inside the hose.
Step Two – Unscrew and remove the garden hose from the spigot itself, removing any attachments, such as a spray nozzle or other accessories.
Step Three – Check to make sure that the hose is completely drained. One way to do this is to elevate the end of the hose and continue holding it up as you walk the length of the hose. Another way is to hang it over a fence and allow it to drain fully.
Step Four – Check for kinks or bends and then coil up the hose. If it is already too cold outside, try this in your garage or remember to do it before it really starts to get cold. Don’t coil it too tight, make about a three foot wide circle for your winter seasonal storage.
Step Five – Connect the hose end to end. This will keep out any bugs or crawly things that might see your newly drained hose as a great hide-out during a freezing cold New Bedford, Massachusetts winter.
Step Six – Make sure to store the hose up and off the floor. Place it on a shelf or use a special hose hanger inside your self-storage unit at Affordable Storage in Fall River. Compared to leaving it in an unprotected shed or outside on a hanger, your storage unit is the best solution for winter seasonal storage for water hoses and other residential equipment.
More Storage Solutions at Affordable Storage in Fall River
Whatever it is that you want to store and protect this winter season, contact Affordable Storage in Fall River. From boats to RVs, seasonal decorations and tools to everything in between. They have a storage opportunity for you that will help you keep your home and garage clean, while protecting your items from the harsh realities of fall and winter in New England. Call Affordable Storage today for more information on Penske truck rentals, storage space openings and other helpful solutions!