Brand file
K&H Thermo-Hose: A Heated Hose You Disconnect After Every Use
The Thermo-Hose is the heated hose of K&H, the Colorado Springs maker of heated pet and farm products. K&H lists it in 20, 40 and 60 ft at 100, 200 and 250 watts, with a 2-year warranty. Its manual sets it apart from the hoses on the rest of this site: connect it to the faucet only while you use it. K&H states that it is not meant as a water source for RVs. The hose is not in our Amazon product data, so this page has no product link.
The short version
The K&H Thermo-Hose is a thermostatically controlled heated hose for chores such as filling stock tanks. K&H lists 20 ft at 100 W, 40 ft at 200 W and 60 ft at 250 W, a 6 ft power cord and a 2-year warranty. The manual requires a GFCI outlet and tells owners to unhook the hose from the faucet immediately after use, because only the hose is heated. K&H says it is not for use as a water source for RVs.
Who is behind the Thermo-Hose
The care and instruction sheet names K&H Manufacturing, LLC, Colorado Springs, Colorado, and states that the hose is made in China. The product is sold on the website of K&H Pet Products. Searches for “thermo hose”, “K&H heated hose” and “Thermo-Hose heated water hose” all mean this product.
On our list of heated hose brands it belongs with PIRIT and Miller Manufacturing: makers whose instructions can be read online before buying.
Lengths and watts
- 100 W
- 20 ft (K&H product page)
- 200 W
- 40 ft (K&H product page)
- 250 W
- 60 ft (K&H product page)
- 2 years
- limited warranty (manual)
According to K&H's product page, the hose is a 5/8 in double-walled rubber hose with solid brass couplings and a 6 ft power cord, and it is MET safety listed. The page names stock tanks, ponds, water gardens, hot tubs and kennels as uses.
The lengths differ from the 25, 50 and 100 ft steps of the other makers, so the figures do not line up length for length. One comparison of stated figures is possible: the PIRIT manual and Miller's sheet both list 360 W for a 50 ft hose, and K&H lists 250 W for 60 ft. K&H publishes no temperature rating in degrees and no drinking-water statement in the documents we read.
A different way of working: thaw, use, unhook
Most hoses on this site are built to stay full, connected and plugged in through freezing nights. The Thermo-Hose manual describes another routine, in two modes:
| Occasional use | Heavy or frequent use | |
|---|---|---|
| Power | plug in 5 to 30 minutes before use | leave plugged in all winter |
| Thermostat | not mentioned for this mode | turns the hose off when the air rises above freezing |
| Water | “Only hook up to water source when in immediate use” | the same; unhook immediately after use |
For the first mode the manual gives thawing times: on colder days “it can take 15 to 30 minutes to completely thaw the hose”, on warmer winter days as little as 2 or 3 minutes. So the hose may sit frozen between chores and is thawed by its own heater before the next one.
The reason for unhooking is stated in the safeguards: “Thermo-Hose™ will not keep water source from freezing. Only the hose itself is heated. Failure to disconnect from water source can cause your water source to freeze and become damaged.” PIRIT and Miller say the same thing about their hoses in other words; K&H draws the stricter conclusion and takes the hose off the hydrant. What a hose left on a faucet can do to it is described under frozen spigot.
The rules, quoted from the manual
- Outlet. The hose “must be plugged into a GFCI electrical outlet intended for outdoor use.” If you are unsure whether you have one, the manual says to contact a qualified electrician to check and install a properly grounded outlet, acceptable for outdoor use and protected from snow and rain.
- Cord. “Inspect cord before using. If the cord is damaged do not use.”
- Traffic. Keep the hose out of the path of foot and automobile traffic; do not run over it with automobiles, wheelbarrows or carts.
- Pressure. With a sprayer or another attachment, do not leave the hose under pressure for extended periods of time.
- No cutting. “Never try to cut or splice your Thermo-Hose™.”
- No crank reel. “Do not use Thermo-Hose™ on a crank style hose reel.”
- Long breaks. Unplug at the receptacle when the hose is not in use for extended periods.
- Summer. Completely empty the hose, roll it up and store it in a dry location out of direct sunlight.
The manual says nothing about extension cords, about the position of the thermostat or about added insulation. PIRIT and Miller Manufacturing forbid extension cords for their hoses; where K&H's manual is silent, we do not read permission into it.
Not for RVs, by the maker's own words
K&H's product page states that the Thermo-Hose is not intended for a permanent water-supply connection and not for use as a water source for RVs. That follows from the routine above: an RV hook-up stays connected and under pressure day and night, which the manual rules out. For a camper, the hoses whose makers name RV and drinking-water use are compared under heated RV water hoses.
Strengths and weaknesses
Speaks for it
- Manual online, with clear rules and thawing times
- Wattage for each length on the maker's page
- 2-year limited warranty, claim through the place of purchase (manual)
- Safety listing mark named by the maker (MET)
Speaks against it
- Must be unhooked from the faucet after every use (manual)
- Not for RVs and not for a permanent connection (K&H)
- No temperature rating and no drinking-water statement in the documents we read
- Lengths of 20, 40 and 60 ft only
- Not in our Amazon product data, so not part of our comparisons
For whom, and the alternatives
The Thermo-Hose fits the chore it is described for: a hydrant near the barn, a tank to fill once or twice a day, and an owner who unhooks the hose afterwards. If the hose has to stay connected to an automatic waterer, its own manual excludes it.
For both cases, our page on heated hoses for livestock compares the hoses we have data for and names a pick for barn runs. The question page on a heated hose for a stock tank or chicken waterer covers the tank itself, which no hose keeps open. The other farm-store hose with a readable sheet is the Allied Precision WinterFlo, built to stay plugged in with water in it; the Pirit heated hose reaches 100 ft. The heated water hose overview sorts every length.
Questions people ask
How many watts does the K&H Thermo-Hose use?
K&H's product page lists 100 watts for the 20 ft hose, 200 watts for the 40 ft hose and 250 watts for the 60 ft hose. The care and instruction sheet states no wattage. The hose is thermostatically controlled; according to the manual, the thermostat turns the hose off when the ambient air temperature rises above freezing, so it does not draw its rated watts all winter.
Can the K&H Thermo-Hose stay connected to the faucet all winter?
It can stay plugged in, but not connected. The manual allows leaving the hose plugged in all winter for heavy or frequent use, and adds: only hook up to the water source when in immediate use, and unhook immediately after use. The reason given is that the Thermo-Hose will not keep the water source from freezing, because only the hose itself is heated.
Can a K&H Thermo-Hose be used for an RV?
K&H says no. Its product page states that the hose is not intended for a permanent water-supply connection and not for use as a water source for RVs. An RV hook-up is exactly that: a hose that stays connected and under pressure for days. For that job, look at hoses whose makers name RV use, compared on our page for heated RV water hoses.
Is there a PVC and a rubber Thermo-Hose?
The care and instruction sheet is headed PVC or Rubber Thermo-Hose, so the instructions cover both builds. K&H's own product page, as we read it on October 11, 2026, describes a 5/8 in double-walled rubber hose with solid brass couplings. Which versions a given retailer stocks is something we did not research.
What is the warranty on the K&H Thermo-Hose?
Two years from the date of purchase for the original consumer, limited to replacement of the product, according to the manual. To claim, return the hose to the place of purchase with the original receipt; if that is not possible, K&H takes it back with dated proof of purchase and a return authorization number. Damage from accident, unreasonable use or tampering voids the warranty.
Where this comes from
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.
- Brand fileAllied WinterFlo (API)The WinterFlo heated hose, sold as Allied Precision or API, is a Miller Manufacturing product: 180 W at 25 ft, 360 W at 50 ft, on below 40 °F, 1-year warranty.
- 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.
- Buying guideRV & camperHeated RV water hoses by what the makers put in writing: which length fits your site, what the ratings mean, power draw at the pedestal and the hook-up rules.
- QuestionCan You Use an RV Heated Hose for a Stock Tank or Chicken Waterer?Yes: an RV heated hose is the same product makers also name for livestock. It fills the tank or waterer but does not keep it open. What the makers put in writing.
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