We love quick connector hose fittings. I use them everywhere we have a hose going anywhere… one on the water faucet pressure valve, one on the hose going to and from the water filters, another on the water softener, one on the flush hose and even on the water sprayer!
We travel a lot in the RV and if we have a park water hookup we will usually connect to water. Quick connectors make it so much quicker… except when they don’t. And when they don’t, they leak. Having RV’d for so many years, we seem to have acquired a collection. A collection of different brands, different sizes and different materials. Mixing and matching does not work on hose connectors!
We have been through plastic ones and they last, if we’re lucky, for just one season. Aluminum lasts a little longer but are easily bent and eventually leak, too. My husband was truly tired of trying to stop large leaks and tiny drip, drip, drips when connecting the water, filters and softener.
I bit the proverbial bullet and bought two full sets of SHOWNEW garden hose quick connectors. One female and one male set. I wanted solid brass, no plastic, lead or aluminum ones, and wanted all the same brand. I looked at dozens of connectors and purchased these SHOWNEW quick-release garden hose connectors from Amazon.
Hose quick connectors
I checked the connection before installation and they inserted easily and held securely. They also disconnected easily. No tugging or twisting to disengage.
We installed them on all the hoses and then turned on the water again for a true test. Wait, not even a drip. Turned the water off and on again, not quite believing all the connections were drip-free.
Drip-free! Yippee!
Went back and checked in the morning. They were still drip- and leak-free.
Out with the old
Success! Only one thing left to do—reluctantly toss out the old, worn, mismatched hose connectors. Why in the world didn’t I change them up sooner?
Again, these were the ones I bought.
##RVT1100
Thank you, Nanci!
Love them. Would never camp without them. Makes all hook ups fast and easy.
I guess I don’t understand the need for quick connects on garden type hoses for the RV to begin with. If you are hooking and unhooking them alot to the same place like home it would be different. To me your just adding an extra step and an extra chance for a leak. JMHO
I have used the brass quick disconnects. They work fine, but here in South Texas, the water will corrode them over time and they weld together if left for a length of time.
Note that there are two “sets” of connectors illustrated. Do yourself a favor and get just one “type”. The upper set converts male screw to male quick-connect and vice versa. I’m baffled why the second set, which reverses that sequence, even exists. But note that if you try mixing them, you’re gonna have a problem…
They give you the option of where you want the nipple end and where you want the female end.
I love the quick connects but always concerned about lead content in water. Are the Showmen quick connectors lead free, suitable for potable water usage?
Two things. First, I switched to the type of connectors Nanci showed a couple of years ago. The rubber-tipped connectors create a very good seal and connection, while metal-on-metal ones build up calcium, making them hard to connect. Second, be careful not to use a connector made of a different material than your hose uses. Different metals will end up fusing together, making it almost impossible to unthread them.
I just replaced mine after 2 years. I figure for the price, 2 years ain’t bad.
Love the quick connects. I put a 90 degree fitting on my RV water input so the hose does not take a bend at the entry point.
I’m using plastic fittings now, may change to brass when and if they leak.
As to water safe for consumption. We do not drink any external provided water. Traveling with pets, we do not need the effects of strange water on their systems, or ours.
While I like the sturdiness of brass connectors, I have two issues for RV use. 1st, are they specified as safe for potable water? Many brass garden hose fittings often use at least some lead to help lubricate moving parts. 2nd, most leaks with well built quick disconnects are poor connections as a result of mineral buildup or gasket degradation.
As drinking water safe brass connectors are both harder to find and unless you are willing to take the time to periodically soak them in something in CLR and use food grade silicon to condition the rubber seals, they last no longer than less expensive high-grade plastic connectors. I buy the plastic connectors and replace them when they start to leak at 40-50 psi.
I’ve tried them and they leaked after a year…like the concept but cheaper with the regular hand twist…just have a bunch of rubber hose gaskets….I’m retired so no rush….