Brand file
Allied Precision WinterFlo Heated Hose (DH25, DH50): What Miller's Instructions Say
The WinterFlo heated hose is the farm-store hose with the item numbers DH25 and DH50. Miller Manufacturing of Glencoe, Minnesota, sells it today under its API brand as the Deluxe Winterflo Heated Hose; retailers also list it as Allied Precision. Its instruction sheet is online and states watts, the switch point and a set of strict rules. The hose is not in our Amazon product data, so this page has no product link.
The short version
The WinterFlo heated hose comes in two sizes: DH25, 25 ft, 180 W and 1.5 A, and DH50, 50 ft, 360 W and 3 A, both at 120 V. According to Miller Manufacturing's instructions, the heater turns on when the outside air drops below 40 °F. The sheet requires a grounded GFCI circuit, forbids extension cords and insulation, and warns against leaving the hose plugged in without water. The warranty is 1 year.
One hose, three names
Searches for the Allied heated hose, the API heated hose and the WinterFlo heated hose lead to the same product. The paper trail:
- The instruction sheet is headed “Heated Hose, Item # DH25 & DH50”. It speaks of “API Heated Hoses” and closes with “Miller Manufacturing, Glencoe, MN 55336 USA”.
- Miller's website lists the product as the Deluxe Winterflo Heated Hose under the API brand, in 25 and 50 ft, and marks it “Made in USA!”.
- The patent record for US 9,206,934 B2, “Heated hose assembly”, shows the inventors assigning the application to Allied Precision Industries, Inc. in 2013 and Allied Precision assigning it to Miller Manufacturing Company in 2014.
So Allied Precision is the older name, API the brand, and Miller Manufacturing the company that answers for the hose today. On our list of heated hose brands it belongs to the small group with instructions that can be read before buying.
The figures from the instruction sheet
- 180 W
- DH25, 25 ft, 1.5 A
- 360 W
- DH50, 50 ft, 3 A
- 40 °F
- heater on below this air temperature
- 1 year
- warranty, return to factory
| DH25 | DH50 | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 25 ft | 50 ft |
| Watts | 180 W | 360 W |
| Amps | 1.5 A | 3 A |
| Voltage | 120 V, 60 Hz | 120 V, 60 Hz |
| Hose and fittings (product page) | 5/8 in hose, brass garden hose fittings | 5/8 in hose, brass garden hose fittings |
The sheet states that the heater “will not turn on until the outside air temperature drops below 40°F (4°C)” and that the hoses “also turn off around 40°F”. What 180 or 360 W mean in kilowatt-hours is worked out on the page about power use.
The sheet gives no temperature rating in degrees below zero. It says that API heated hoses “supply the most heat of any hose on the market”; that is the maker's own claim, and the sheet names no comparison or test behind it.
A different build: the heater lies in the water
According to the sheet, the heating element “is contained within a food-grade PVC jacket that lies inside the water channel”, so the heat goes into the water and not into the hose wall. Miller's product page adds that the element “extends all the way to both ends, eliminating frozen connection points.” The patent abstract describes the same idea: the element runs from the first hose coupling to the second.
Two consequences are in the sheet itself:
- Hot water at first. The hoses “will heat the water more when it is stagnant inside the hose. Therefore, when you first turn on the water, expect it to be hot.” Let it run for several seconds. For an animal trough or a hand under the stream, that is worth knowing. The general question is answered under does a heated hose warm the water.
- Never dry. “If the hose is left plugged in without water, the heating element can damage the outer walls causing the hose to leak or shortening its life expectancy.”
“Both ends” refers to the hose's own couplings. The same sheet says: “This hose is not designed to provide freeze protection to your water supply.” The hydrant and anything threaded onto the hose stay unheated.
The rules, quoted from the sheet
| Topic | Miller's wording |
|---|---|
| Outlet | “Connect only to a properly grounded circuit that is protected by a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI).” |
| Cords | “Do not use extension cords.” “Inspect the cord before using.” “Do not immerse the plug.” |
| Thermostat | The thermostat, “the cylinder on the power cord”, must be exposed to outside air, not within a heated area, and shaded from direct sunlight |
| Insulation | “DO NOT INSULATE THE HOSE.” |
| Cold weather | Keep the hose plugged in whenever it is in cold weather and has water in it: “Freezing water can cause the hose to burst” |
| Not in use | “Drain any water out of the hose when not in use.” “Store indoors after winter season.” |
| Wind | Performance “is affected by wind chill”; position the hose out of direct wind where possible |
| Altering | “Do not attempt to cut or splice the hose--serious injury may result.” |
| Where | “FOR OUTDOOR USE ONLY.” |
Two further warnings are specific to this build: never let water freeze within the heater head, where the cord attaches to the hose, and never let water that is under pressure freeze in the hose. The sheet's troubleshooting note says the heating element may become loose over time if its pin is damaged or removed, and refers to Miller's product pages for a reinstallation walk-through.
How it compares with the PIRIT hose
Both makers publish the same wattage for 25 and 50 ft, and both demand a GFCI circuit, forbid extension cords and place the thermostat in open air. The differences:
| API WinterFlo (Miller sheet) | PIRIT (manual) | |
|---|---|---|
| Lengths | 25, 50 ft | 12, 25, 50, 100 ft |
| Switch point | on below 40 °F | “approaches freezing”, no figure |
| Heating element | inside the water channel (sheet) | not described in the manual |
| Drinking water | no statement | “Drinking water safe.”, no certifier named |
| Warranty | 1 year, return to factory | 18 months |
| When not in use | drain; keep plugged in while cold and full | “good practice to drain and unplug” |
The Pirit page has that manual in full.
Strengths and weaknesses
Speaks for it
- Instruction sheet online with watts and amps for both lengths
- Switch point stated: on below 40 °F
- Heating element reaches both couplings according to the maker
- Maker with an address and a factory repair service; made in USA according to Miller
Speaks against it
- Only 25 and 50 ft
- No drinking-water statement and no temperature rating in the sheet
- Standing water comes out hot at first (sheet)
- Warranty of 1 year with return to the factory, not to the retailer
- Not in our Amazon product data, so not part of our comparisons
For whom, and the alternatives on this site
The sheet and the product page describe a hose for running water in freezing weather; neither names RVs or drinking water. That places the WinterFlo in the barn and the yard: filling troughs and buckets from a hydrant. Our page on heated hoses for livestock compares the hoses for that job that we do have data for, and it is where a pick for the barn is named.
If you need a hose for an RV's drinking water, start with the heated RV water hoses. For other lengths, the 50 ft comparison and the heated water hose overview lead on. The second farm-store name people search for, the K&H Thermo-Hose, follows a different rule set: it is meant to be disconnected after each use.
Questions people ask
Who makes the Allied Precision WinterFlo heated hose?
Miller Manufacturing, Glencoe, Minnesota. The instruction sheet for the items DH25 and DH50 names API as the brand and Miller Manufacturing as the company, and Miller's website lists the hose as the API Deluxe Winterflo Heated Hose. The patent record for a heated hose assembly, US 9,206,934, shows an assignment from Allied Precision Industries, Inc. to Miller Manufacturing Company in 2014. Retailers still use the Allied Precision name.
How many watts does the WinterFlo heated hose use?
The instruction sheet lists the DH25, 25 ft, at 180 W and 1.5 A and the DH50, 50 ft, at 360 W and 3 A, both at 120 V and 60 Hz. These are the same figures the PIRIT manual gives for its 25 and 50 ft hoses. The heater is thermostatically controlled and, according to the sheet, does not turn on until the outside air temperature drops below 40 °F.
Why is the water from an API heated hose hot at first?
The instruction sheet explains it. The heating element lies inside the water channel, so it heats the water directly, and it heats standing water more than flowing water. The sheet says to expect hot water when you first turn the water on and to let it run for several seconds until the hot water has left the hose.
Is the WinterFlo heated hose safe for drinking water?
The instruction sheet and Miller's product page make no drinking-water statement and name no NSF standard. The sheet says only that the heating element sits in a food-grade PVC jacket inside the water channel, which describes one part, not a certification of the hose. If a named drinking-water standard matters to you, compare hoses whose makers state one.
What is the warranty on the API WinterFlo heated hose?
One year, according to the instruction sheet. A hose that fails within that period must be returned to the factory for examination and cannot be returned to the retailer where it was bought. If it is found defective, it is repaired or replaced and sent back postage paid. Claims go through Miller Manufacturing's customer service.
Where this comes from
- Miller Manufacturing: Heated Hose instructions, items DH25 and DH50 (PDF, dated January 2024)
- Miller Manufacturing: heated hose help page (DH25, DH50)
- Miller Manufacturing: Deluxe Winterflo Heated Hose, product page
- Google Patents: US 9,206,934 B2, Heated hose assembly (assignment record)
- PIRIT Heated Hose, care and use manual (Series V, PDF via Mor Electric Heating), for comparison
Keep reading
- Buying guideLivestock & barnA heated hose for livestock gets water from the hydrant to the tank; it does not keep the tank open. Picks by length, watts per hose and the outlet rules.
- Brand fileBrandsHeated water hose brands sorted by what can be checked: a manual (PIRIT, Miller), a maker website (Camco, RVGUARD, Kohree, VEVOR) or only a marketplace listing.
- Know-howPower useHow much electricity a heated water hose uses: 90 to 500 watts by length, per the PIRIT manual and Miller. With amps, the kWh formula and a cost calculator.
- Brand filePiritPirit heated hose by its manual: 90 to 500 watts for 12 to 100 ft, GFCI and no extension cords, thermostat placement, 18-month warranty and the 100 ft model we list.
- Brand fileK&H Thermo-HoseThe K&H Thermo-Hose comes in 20, 40 and 60 ft at 100, 200 and 250 watts. Its manual says to unhook it from the faucet after each use, and K&H rules out RV use.
- Buying guide50 ft50 ft heated water hoses for RV and garden: 360 watts and 3 amps per PIRIT and Miller, 5/8 in versus 1/2 in bore, price classes and the rules for a long run.
Compiled by
heatedwaterhoses.com Editorial Team
Spec sheets, manuals and electrical rules for winter water hook-ups
We are the editorial team at heatedwaterhoses.com. We read the manuals, spec sheets and listings of heated water hoses line by line, check drinking-water and electrical claims against primary sources such as the EPA and the National Electrical Code, and turn that into plain-English buying advice with sources on every page.
- Manuals quoted with source
- Watts and amps per the maker
- Ratings labeled as maker claims
- Compared by manufacturer data
- Publisher details in the imprint