Brass hose connectors

Hello. I'm thinking of replacing my plastic hose connectors with brass ones. However, I see that the brass ones have a small screw on the side and I can't find an explanation as to what it's for. Can anyone tell me?

Many thanks.

 

It may be so that you can take it a part

 

To join two hoses together, or to join a hose onto a tap?

For hose-to-hose I use Geka. They are brass, very simple design, have a "rubber" O-ring and are indestructible. All the Hoselock style plastic ones I have had and left out all year deteriorate rapidly, I have never had to replace an O-ring in my Gekas, and they have been left out for 5 years or more.

Geka is also one size/shape, so you don't need female-male/male-female to make a connection (i.e. that requires paying for 3 Hozelock pieces and it reduces the bore of the connection fairly significantly.

Geka is also same fitting regardless of hose diameter, so you can have 3/4" hose (which carries significantly more water if you have a long run) mixed with 1/2" (same fitting up to 1.5" hose I think ...)

But they won't fit onto devices (Sprinklers / Guns) with Hoselock connectors. I have a short piece of 1/2" hose with a Geka one end and Hoselock the other. I also have a watering gun with a Geka connector

I have bought some brass Hoselock connectors ... they are more robust, expensive, and ALL the innards (the bit that "bites" the hose) are plastic :( so I reckon they are pointless.


Geka connector. Secure to hose with e.g. Jubilee clip. About £3 each


These are NOT Cheap (compared to Hoselock Y-fittings)

Geka fittings available to fit onto BSP thread on a tap, but there is considerable rotational effort required to join/uncouple and I find that "loosens" the connector on the tap, so my preference is to have whatever hose-tap connection leaks the least and a couple of feet of hose, then a Geka on the end of that.

 

It's to connect the small piece of hose to the tap at one end and the reel on the other, Kristen. The same fitting required for both. I got the brass ones and they connect perfectly but the flow is severely reduced so they're being returned. I'll maybe look into your Geka's - thanks for the comprehensive post on them.