Garden Hose - Standards and Connectors

Standards and Connectors

Garden hoses connect using a male/female thread connection. Spigots typically have male connectors and the hose has a captive nut which fits the threads. (The technical term for this arrangement is a hose union.)

The thread standard for garden hoses in the US and its territories is known as GHT or "garden hose thread" which has an outer diameter of 1 1/16 inches, 1.0625 inches (27.0 mm) and a pitch of 11.5 TPI. Outside the US, the more common BSP standard is used, which is 3/4" and 14 TPI. The GHT and BSP standards are not compatible.

Each end of a typical garden hose can mate with another, which allows multiple garden hoses to be linked end-to-end to increase their length. Small rubber or plastic seals are used in female ends to prevent leakage. Sometimes these seals disintegrate or fall out of older hoses, which results in high-pressure leakage spraying from the hose, although one can easily fix this by replacing the gasket.