Does your garden hose look like a snake digesting a rat? Perhaps it has a small pinhole leak that occasionally spritzes your face. Worse yet, your hose might be leaking massively, wasting gallons of precious water and leaving you with little or no water pressure.

Don't despair. Repairs often can be simple and inexpensive certainly less than the cost of a new hose.

Before we discuss the repair process, we'll examine a few of the most common reasons for damaged hoses.

The most common: the hose is never long enough. Folks tend to think that just because the hose is more flexible than a run of solid pipe it can be stretched the extra foot or so to reach that remote spot in the yard. Each time the hose is stretched, the connection at the fitting that is attached to the hose bib becomes weaker. Eventually it will leak or become detached. Instead of yanking on the hose, extend it with a small hose section or locate additional hose bibs at those hard-to-reach points in the yard.

For added protection, install a rubber sleeve or metal spring guard to surround the hose at the location where it attaches to the hose bib. This will minimize stress at this very vulnerable location.

If you live in an area with freezing temperatures in winter, be sure that garden hoses are placed in storage. Water in the hose can freeze and cause the hose to expand, resulting in damaged fabric or perhaps even a leak.

Driving over a hose, especially when it's under pressure, can lead to its early demise. Lawn mowers, sharp garden tools and, believe it or not, some pets can have a devastating effect on an otherwise healthy garden hose.

Never fold over the hose or "kink" it to temporarily stop the flow of water. This is sure to shorten its life.

It's important to keep a hose out of the hot sun. Extreme heat can cause the material to permanently stretch, and ultra-violet rays can break down the finish.

Keep the hose loosely wound on an suitable hose rack. A large nail, a piece of pipe or other makeshift hangers simply won't do. Hose replacement parts and repair kits are available at most hardware stores, home improvement centers and garden supply shops.

There are two common hose-repair kits sold. The first is a metal clinch-type, the other is a plastic screw-together clamp. Both are reliable, however the plastic screw-together clamp can be used over and over again, the clinch-type cannot.

Use a sharp utility knife to cut out the damaged section of hose. Try to cut the hose ends as square and straight as possible. This will allow the ends to fit snugly against the repair part for a secure connection.

To install the one-piece clinch-type fitting, force the ribbed shaft at the end of the fitting into the end of the hose. If the fit is too tight, making it difficult to get the hose over the end of the fitting, soak the end of the hose in hot water. Lubricating the fitting with a little soap also will help.

Once the fitting end is pushed into the hose, use pliers to squeeze down the individual metal fingers that surround the hose. Repeat this procedure to attach the mating length of hose to the remaining end of the fitting.

The screw-type clamp works essentially the same way as the clinch-type fitting. The difference: instead of using pliers to squeeze down on metal fingers, a screwdriver is used to attach plastic clamps to either side of the repair.

Leaks at hose ends are generally caused by damaged brass fittings. Threaded fittings also can be replaced. There is a trick to replacing fittings. You'll want to be sure to get the right part either male or female.

Metal clinch-type fittings are available for hose ends too. Push in fittings can also replace threaded fittings. Slip a metal hose clamp over the hose, insert the fitting and tighten the clamp.