Alright, let me tell you about getting this pressure washer hose situation sorted. For the longest time, I was just wrestling with that stiff hose, tripping over it, and spending way too much time coiling it up badly after washing the car or the driveway. It was always a tangled mess, stuffed in a corner of the garage. Honestly, it made me dread using the pressure washer sometimes.

So, I finally decided enough was enough and picked up a hose reel specifically designed for pressure washer hoses. Didn't go for anything too fancy, just a sturdy-looking wall-mount one. Seemed like the best way to keep it off the floor and out of the way.

Getting Started - The Install

First things first, I had to figure out where to put the darn thing. I wanted it on the garage wall near where I usually use the pressure washer, but also close enough to the power outlet. The most important part was finding a wall stud. You don't want to just hang this thing on drywall, especially with the weight of the hose and the force of pulling on it.

I grabbed my stud finder and located a solid spot. Then I gathered the tools I figured I'd need:

• Drill with a couple of different sized bits
• Socket wrench set (or adjustable wrench)
• Level
• Pencil for marking
• The mounting bolts that came with the reel (lag bolts, in my case)
• Some thread seal tape (like Teflon tape)

Holding the reel up to the wall, I used the level to make sure it was straight – nothing worse than a crooked reel staring back at you forever. I marked the spots for the mounting holes with the pencil, right over the stud I found.

Then came the drilling. I started with a smaller pilot hole, then used the bigger bit sized for the lag bolts. This just makes driving the bolts in easier and prevents the wood stud from splitting.

Mounting it up was pretty straightforward. Lined the reel up with the holes, started threading the lag bolts in by hand, and then used the socket wrench to really tighten them down. I gave the reel a good tug to make sure it felt absolutely solid on the wall. Didn't want it ripping out later!

Connecting the Hoses

Okay, reel mounted. Next step was connecting the hoses. My reel came with a short "jumper" or "leader" hose. This little hose connects from the pressure washer outlet port to the reel's inlet fitting. I made sure to wrap the male threads on the pressure washer outlet and the reel inlet with a few wraps of that thread seal tape first. This helps prevent leaks. Tightened those connections up snug with a wrench, but not crazy tight.

Then, I took my main pressure washer hose – the long one I'm always fighting with – and connected its end to the reel's outlet swivel fitting. Again, used some thread seal tape on the threads before tightening. The swivel is key, it lets the reel drum turn without twisting up the hose connection.

With both hoses connected to the reel, I carefully wound the main hose onto the reel drum. It's got a little handle, made it pretty easy. Much better than fighting it by hand!

The Moment of Truth - Testing

Alright, everything looked good. Time to see if it actually worked without spraying water all over the garage. I hooked up the water supply to the pressure washer, plugged it in, and turned the water on. I watched all the connection points like a hawk – the connection at the washer, the connection from the washer to the reel inlet, and the connection from the reel outlet to the main hose.

Success! No drips, no leaks. I pulled out some hose, turned on the pressure washer itself, and did a quick test spray. Everything worked just like it should. Winding the hose back up using the reel handle was smooth and easy. What a difference!

Now, that bulky pressure washer hose lives neatly on the wall. It's super easy to pull out what I need and just as easy to wind it back up when I'm done. No more tripping hazard, no more tangled mess. Took a little bit of work to get it installed, maybe an hour or so, but totally worth it for the convenience.