Giraffe is one of the best hose reel manufacturers globally and manufactures a wide range of other gardening products. Giraffe hose reels come in a wide range of designs and styles, but retractable hose reels are pretty popular. In this post, we look at how retractable hose reels operate.
How does a retractable hose reel work?
There is no single way of explaining how a retractable hose reel works. This is because there are several forms of retraction. Therefore, to understand how it works, you must break it down into various forms of retraction. Below are these retraction techniques and how they work;
1. Spring retraction
Spring-driven retraction uses a spring mechanism to retract the hose automatically. What happens is that when you stretch the hose, it causes the reed box and detection unit within the hose reel to rotate in a counterclockwise direction. As this happens, the inner end of the spring is fixed while the outer end is rotated.
This applies a torque on the mandrel in the reed box that starts bending and causing elastic deformation on the spring. The spring becomes twisted, and energy storage is achieved. In simpler terms, pulling on the hose causes pressure on the springs. Therefore, once the hose is contracted, the stored energy (pressure) is released on the spring. This causes the unit to rotate in a clockwise direction automatically. This helps achieve the automatic winding or retraction function. This process differs from one brand to the next, depending on the type of springs used and the hose reel design. For instance, Giraffe hose reels use flat springs. These are springs using a thin spring material.
2. Motor-driven retraction
This type of hose reels uses a motor for the retraction tasks. The motor is usually attached to the reel. The market features a wide range of motors that can be applied to hose reels. The type usually affects the way the retraction technique works. The most common types of motors are pneumatic, hydraulic, and electric motors. Regardless of the type, motor-driven retraction is highly beneficial as it is effortless and does not require any physical energy. It is also eco-friendly and can be used for extremely long hoses.
3. Hand-driven retraction
Also known as the hand crank retraction technique, this is the simplest and easiest retraction technology on the market. Here, you must turn the crank in one direction as you pull on the hose. Once you are done using the hose, you have to turn the crank in reverse. Doing this recoils the hose back onto the reel. While it is the most straightforward technique, it also happens to have some downsides. The primary downside is that it requires physical effort.
Final word
The retraction method is one of the primary factors that you must consider when purchasing a hose reel. This is because it significantly affects the performance of the hose reel. The retraction technique also affects the price of the product. Note that the retraction method usually depends on the size and length of the hose.