Freeze Less Faucets
 

I screwed up and left the hose connected to my "freeze-less" outdoor faucet.
Now when I try to use it water shoots out of the fixture. The shut-off valve
still works, so the problem is in the faucet. Is there a repair kit for
these things, or do you need to replace the entire unit? I can see where it
connects to the copper line in the basement. I can't tell if it will just
unscrew or need to be un-soldered. I've looked for a web site that deals
with repair\replacing them, but I've had no luck in finding one. I live out
in the country & getting a plumber out would be very expensive. Does anyone
know of a web site I might visit?

"Patch" wrote in message
...
I screwed up and left the hose connected to my "freeze-less" outdoor
faucet. Now when I try to use it water shoots out of the fixture. The
shut-off valve still works, so the problem is in the faucet. Is there a
repair kit for these things, or do you need to replace the entire unit? I
can see where it connects to the copper line in the basement. I can't tell
if it will just unscrew or need to be un-soldered.

If it is the outer tube that split, the entire unit has to be replaced.
Mine is soldered in place, but there are threads on the outside so threading
it into a fitting is also an option. Yours may be different. If it is
screwed in place, replacement should be fairly easy. Take out the old,
screw in the new. Use pipe sealant on the threads and, of course, turn the
main water supply off first.

Agreed. The ones I;ve used can be either threaded on or soldered on
using the same device. There's nothing to replace because what
happened was the water froze and split the pipe part of the device
between where the valve is and the spigot.

What you need is a new freeze proof sill cock. They come in various
lengths, so take out the old one first.

On Fri, 25 Mar 2005 13:27:43 -0600, "Patch"
wrote:

I screwed up and left the hose connected to my "freeze-less" outdoor faucet.
Now when I try to use it water shoots out of the fixture. The shut-off valve
still works, so the problem is in the faucet. Is there a repair kit for
these things, or do you need to replace the entire unit? I can see where it
connects to the copper line in the basement. I can't tell if it will just
unscrew or need to be un-soldered. I've looked for a web site that deals
with repair\replacing them, but I've had no luck in finding one. I live out
in the country & getting a plumber out would be very expensive. Does anyone
know of a web site I might visit?



Are you saying the body is cracked? If so, it appears you will need
to replace it.

Thank goodness the seat holds and the 'shooting' isn't in the house.

later,

tom @ www.CarFleaMarket.com

When putting in the floor the builder drove a nail through the pipe in mine.
It had a theaded connection in the house so all I had to do was screw it
out. Once I got it out I just soldered in a new piece of copper pipe.


"Patch" wrote in message
...
I screwed up and left the hose connected to my "freeze-less" outdoor
faucet.
Now when I try to use it water shoots out of the fixture. The shut-off
valve
still works, so the problem is in the faucet. Is there a repair kit for
these things, or do you need to replace the entire unit? I can see where
it
connects to the copper line in the basement. I can't tell if it will just
unscrew or need to be un-soldered. I've looked for a web site that deals
with repair\replacing them, but I've had no luck in finding one. I live
out
in the country & getting a plumber out would be very expensive. Does
anyone
know of a web site I might visit?

In article , (Patch) writes:

| I screwed up and left the hose connected to my "freeze-less" outdoor faucet.
| Now when I try to use it water shoots out of the fixture. The shut-off valve
| still works, so the problem is in the faucet.

Where exactly does the water shoot from? Is it coming out through the center
of the stem? If your faucet works like the one I have there is an internal
check valve (at the end of the stem) that diverts water out through the stem
when there is a lack of mains pressure. A long shot, but maybe it broke...

Dan Lanciani
ddl@danlan.*com

050325 1427 - Patch posted:

I screwed up and left the hose connected to my "freeze-less" outdoor faucet.
Now when I try to use it water shoots out of the fixture. The shut-off valve
still works, so the problem is in the faucet. Is there a repair kit for
these things, or do you need to replace the entire unit? I can see where it
connects to the copper line in the basement. I can't tell if it will just
unscrew or need to be un-soldered. I've looked for a web site that deals
with repair\replacing them, but I've had no luck in finding one. I live out
in the country & getting a plumber out would be very expensive. Does anyone
know of a web site I might visit?



I ran an outside faucet in an old house of mine once and used 3/4" copper
and 2 gate valves, one inside, and one outside. In the winter I closed the
inside valve and opened the outside valve. In the summer I closed the
outside valve and opened the inside valve. Had no problems with freezing or
cracked valves. On the outside valve I soldered a 90 degree fitting so I
could hang a pail on it and pour water into the bucket without having to
hold it. The whole thing worked really well.

On Sat, 26 Mar 2005 15:08:47 GMT, indago
wrote:

I ran an outside faucet in an old house of mine once and used 3/4" copper
and 2 gate valves, one inside, and one outside. In the winter I closed the
inside valve and opened the outside valve. In the summer I closed the
outside valve and opened the inside valve. Had no problems with freezing or
cracked valves. On the outside valve I soldered a 90 degree fitting so I
could hang a pail on it and pour water into the bucket without having to
hold it. The whole thing worked really well.

That would also work well to prevent your neighbor's contractors from
coming on your driveway to use your water instead of the neighbor's
because it's 40' closer. :

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

I ran an outside faucet in an old house of mine once and used 3/4"
copper
and 2 gate valves, one inside, and one outside. In the winter I
closed the
inside valve and opened the outside valve. In the summer I closed the

outside valve and opened the inside valve. Had no problems with
freezing or
cracked valves. On the outside valve I soldered a 90 degree fitting
so I
could hang a pail on it and pour water into the bucket without having
to
hold it. The whole thing worked really well.


Of course besides lacking in convenience, this solution would have
failed exactly the same way if you left a hose attached to it, like the
OP did. With the freeze proof sill cock, you don't have to shut it off
in winter, with the possibility of forgetting before it freezes. You
also can get an occasional bucket of water in freezing weather without
turning anything back on.