Hose reel won't retract
Updated: October 2026
The hose is still across the patio, the spring has taken some of it, and the last few metres will not move. A hose reel won't retract is usually pressure, a bend, or grit before it is a dead spring. The checks stop at the outside of the case. The [wall mounted hose reel comparison](/hub/garden-watering/wall-mounted-hose-reel) is the set of nine listings. The Products Compared editorial team used the Hozelock FAQ, the Auto Reel booklet, and review patterns already read on 15 October 2026. This is not a repair manual. A purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
The hose is still across the patio, the spring has taken some of it, and the last few metres will not move. A hose reel won't retract is usually pressure, a bend, or grit before it is a dead spring.
The hose is still across the patio, the spring has taken some of it, and the last few metres will not move. A hose reel won't retract is usually pressure, a bend, or grit before it is a dead spring. The checks stop at the outside of the case. The wall mounted hose reel comparison is the set of nine listings. The Products Compared editorial team used the Hozelock FAQ, the Auto Reel booklet, and review patterns already read on 15 October 2026. This is not a repair manual. A purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Rewind | Length lock | Before rewind | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  ROYWEL ROYWEL 20 m RY20MBK | Automatic, slow return | Self-locking | Tap off and fit an attachment | 8.1 | about £59.59 | View offer |
 Hozelock Hozelock Auto Reel 30 m | Automatic | Yes | n/a on the listing | 8.2 | about £135.97 | View offer | |
| Alternative |  Giraffe Tools Giraffe Tools 30 m | Auto; spec also says manual | Any length | n/a | 7.1 | about £99.99 | View offer |
On this page
Pressure still in the hose
Turn the outdoor tap off. A hose still at mains pressure swells, and the drum cannot pull a rigid pipe through the guide. ROYWEL’s listing, on the best value 20 m reel, says leave the pressure in and the last few metres stay out. Open the gun so the water can leave. Hozelock’s booklet for Auto Reel models 2401, 2402 and 2403 says the same order: tap off, open the gun, then deal with the latch.
Do that before you decide the spring is broken. If the hose will not pull out at all, Hozelock’s FAQ says check that the locking lever is off. That check is for the Auto Reel’s lever, not a reason to prise a Giraffe or a SUNPOW case.
Pull it straight, then walk back
Pull the hose out in a straight line, away from the downpipe and the corner of the step. A loop is enough to stop the guide. On the Hozelock Auto Reel, the booklet then says a pull of about 15–30 cm at the reel to release the latch, and you walk the end back. That distance is Hozelock’s. Do not measure 15–30 cm on a Giraffe Tools reel, a ROYWEL, a Bietor, a LYMIN or a SUNPOW.
Walk. Do not let go so the spring can finish the job. Hozelock’s FAQ says never let the reel fly, because that can damage it. Nothing in these checks opens the housing.
When the spring has stopped
If the tap is off, the nozzle is open, the hose is straight, the grit is wiped and the end is in your hand, and the drum still will not take the hose, treat the spring as failed. You will not confirm that by opening the case. Hozelock says the pre-2016 30 m Auto Reel is sealed, and the support pages do not answer a failed rewind with a home strip-down.
A SUNPOW recoil note cites about £90, which is not the £55.94 listing. A replacement is chosen on the best wall mounted hose reel page.
Stop and talk to the seller
Contact the seller when the outside checks have failed. The Consumer Rights Act 2015, sections 9 and 22, covers goods that are not of satisfactory quality, and the usual right to reject is 30 days. After 30 days you are dealing with the seller and any guarantee the listing states.
Hozelock’s Auto Reel specification says three years plus two years if you register. Giraffe Tools states 24 months. SUNPOW, LYMIN, HICHIKA, Bietor and both ROYWEL rows do not state a warranty period. The Fast Reel is the wrong flowchart: a stiff handle is not a dead spring. That difference is on the auto rewind versus manual hose reel page. Stop if you are about to remove screws from the cassette.
Common questions
Why will the hose not retract when the tap is still on?
Mains pressure left in the hose swells the last few metres, and the spring cannot pull a rigid pipe in. ROYWEL states that on the listing. Turn the tap off, open the nozzle, and let the water out before you try again. A hose that then retracts while you walk it back was never a broken spring.
What should I do before I assume the spring is broken?
Tap off, nozzle open, hose pulled out straight, grit wiped if the hose is dirty, and the end held as you walk back. On a Hozelock Auto Reel, the booklet’s release is about 15–30 cm at the reel, and the FAQ says to check the locking lever if the hose will not pull out. Other brands only get a tug where their own listing says so.
Why do the last few metres stay out?
Usually because the hose is still charged, or because a bend or grit is in the guide. Empty it and walk a straight hose back. If the last metres stay out after that, Auto Reel and Giraffe reviews show real early failures, and the next step is the seller rather than a harder tug. Do not lift the reel as a fix.
Is it safe to let go so the spring finishes the job?
No. Hozelock’s FAQ says never let the auto reel fly, because that can damage it. Giraffe reviews describe a hose that came off the internal spool when the return was not held. Hold the nozzle and walk. A slow-return claim is not permission to release the end, and it is not a reason to open the case.
Should I open the case?
No. Do not open a sprung cassette, including a pre-2016 Hozelock 30 m Auto Reel, which Hozelock says is sealed. Support pages mention spring and hose changes and do not hand you a strip-down. If the outside checks fail, use the seller. A season of working first does not change that order.
Does this apply to the Hozelock Fast Reel?
No. The Fast Reel is a handle and a layering guide, not a spring. A stiff wind near the end of 40 m is not this fault. Use the handle, with the tap off. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 normally gives 30 days to reject goods that are not of satisfactory quality. After that, use the seller and any guarantee written on the listing. Hozelock’s five-year line applies only if you register.
Related pages
Sources
Sources checked for this comparison; listings and public pages read on 15 October 2026.
- Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- Water Regs UK, backflow protection for hose taps (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- Southern Water, plumbing guide (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- Ofwat, hosepipe bans and non-essential use bans (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- Met Office, hosepipes and hidden health risks (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- Royal Horticultural Society, October structures (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- Hozelock, measure your tap and choose a connector (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- Hozelock, Auto Reel with 20 m or 30 m hose (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- amazon.co.uk listings for the ASINs in this comparison (retrieved 15 October 2026)