Generally, a sillcock works like most faucets. When the handle is turned in a clockwise direction, a mechanism inside the spigot blocks the flow of water. When the handle is turned in a counterclockwise direction, water is able to flow.
What is the difference between a Sillcock and a hose bib?
A sillcock is an outdoor faucet as well. Unlike a hose bib, which solely resides on the exterior, a sillcock has a longer rod that extends into the wall of the house. The water valve for a sillcock is generally located at the end of this long rod where it connects to the piping within the wall.
What makes a Sillcock frost-free?
A frost-free hose sillcock or hose bib has a stem that is 6 to 12 inches long. It prevents cold weather from freezing your pipes because the stem washer & seat valve reside inside your house. As an added benefit the anti-siphon stops water or other liquids from being siphoned back into your water supply.
How does an anti-siphon Sillcock work?
When a hose is attached to the threaded end, the fitting provides anti-siphon protection by allowing air instead of contaminated water to suck back into the pipes when a negative pressure event occurs in the water supply system.
What does a Sillcock do?
A sillcock (or hose bib) is an outdoor water faucet that is located and attached to the exterior of a house. Sillcocks are nothing more than spigots that you'll find coming out of your house. They essentially have a spout in which to connect hoses to or just access tap water while outside.
Should outside faucets be left open or closed in winter?
Share: If you own a home, chances are pretty good that you have at least one outdoor faucet. With outdoor faucets, it's exceptionally important to remember to detach your garden hoses at the end of the season, close the inside shut-off valve(s) and drain the faucet fixture before it freezes.
Should you leave outside faucets dripping cold weather?
When the weather is very cold outside, let the cold water drip from the faucet served by exposed pipes. Running water through the pipe - even at a trickle - helps prevent pipes from freezing. Keep the thermostat set to the same temperature both during the day and at night.
Why does my hose bib spray water when I turn it off?
A worn-out vacuum breaker is usually the culprit When hose connection vacuum breakers start to spray water, it's a sign they need replacing—and for that you'll need a metal drill bit and a steady hand.
Why is water coming out of my anti-siphon valve?
Debris or something that's gotten stuck in that little plunger, preventing it from seating correctly in the casing, could be the cause of the anti-siphon valve leaking.
Is an anti-siphon valve necessary?
An anti-siphon valve is a very important part of an irrigation system. It performs many functions. As a combination control valve and atmospheric back-flow preventer, it is responsible for holding water under pressure for your sprinkler lines.
Why is it called Sillcock?
The origins of the name Sillcock are from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the baptismal name for the son of Cecil, deriving from the nickname Sill. After the Norman Conquest, the Old English naming system gradually dissolved.
What is another name for a Sillcock?
A Part That Goes by Many Names And if that's not confusing, a sillcock also goes by the names “spigot,” “outdoor faucet,” “wall hydrant,” “outdoor tap,” and “male hose faucet.” Heck, there are probably more but I can't think of them right now.
How much does it cost to replace a silcock?
Written by HomeAdvisor. Replacing a hose bib, also called a spigot or sillcock, averages $80, or between $55 and $105. New installation raises the price to $230 to $350, depending on the spigot's proximity to existing plumbing.
How do I know if my Sillcock is frost-proof?
A frost-free faucet has a long stem and turns off the water well inside the wall, keeping the faucet from freezing. A properly installed frost-free faucet will have a slight downward pitch which allows water to drain out when the faucet is shut off.
What makes a spigot frost free?
On a frost-free model, the pipe that goes inside your home is longer than a traditional faucet, with the shutoff valve sitting additional inside your home where it's warmer. When installed effectively, the pipe rests at a slight downward angle to assist any water drain pipes out so it doesn't freeze.
How does an outside frost free spigot work?
On a frost free hose spigot, there is a stem that is anywhere from 4”-12” long with a washer on the end of it to shut off the water supply. So, essentially the water is being shut off 4”-12” inside of the exterior of the house.
What is the cap on top of a frost free spigot for?
This feature prevents the formation of a vacuum that could pull water from the outside into the clean water supply. While you can retrofit backflow preventers to standard spigots, frost-proof hose bibs have one built in, and that's what you'll find beneath that plastic cap.
What is a sillcock key?
Sillcock keys are tools that are commonly used by contractors and engineers alike. However, sillcock keys are also commonly used by urban preppers. The sillcock key will make accessing a clean water supply so much simpler and make roaming the streets much safer. In this article, you will learn why you need them, ...
How to Use Sillcock Keys?
A sillcock key will make accessing a clean water supply easy.
Why do you need a sillcock key to unlock water?
Water may also be very inaccessible and hard to find, so all you need is a sillcock key to unlock that water! To add on, even when the pipes are blocked for the entire city, you can still force every drop out of it (thousands of gallons) because of hydrostatic pressure.
What is a CAIDU key?
The CAIDU Multifunctional Marine Tools Key (on Amazon) works as a universal key to open a wide range of things, including all the water faucets.
What is water supply terrorism?
Things like water supply terrorism lurk in this world – where enemies poison the main water supply or cut it off to leave the people to die. There can also be natural disasters and even bombings that could cut off the water supply.
Can you use a sillcock key for water?
That made me very curious about the sillcock key. This can be used as an emergency water supply, a quick water refill solution. This even works when the water pipes are cut, or the water supply is cut for your city. You can still use it because the hydrostatic pressure will force every drop of water out.
Where is restricted water?
There is restricted water everywhere around us, and with this tiny tool, you’ll be able to access all of that. They are on the side of large buildings, malls, and even rest stops!
What Is A Silcock?
A Silcock is a hose bib, if you want to be casual about it. Most home improvement sites don’t distinguish between the two since the terms are so commonly used interchangeably. When we discuss them in this article, we’re using a very strict definition that involves the nuances of the design.
Why Are Hose Bibs Standard On Homes?
More people are interested in hose bibs because they are simple to use and even simpler to install. Silcocks aren’t, and to a point, people find them to be aesthetically unappealing.
What temperature should a hose bib be?
Since traditional hose bibs have a hard time functioning in environments that regularly reach temperatures of 35 degrees or lower, you might want a silcock if your area is usually pretty brisk. In many cases, people who hire plumbers for issues on their outdoor plumbing will recommend a Silcock if you need it.
What is a silcock faucet?
If you want to get very technical, a silcock a slightly different faucet that has a longer pipe. Silcocks are designed to be slightly more rugged, ideal for areas with very cold climates.
What is a hose bib?
A hose bib (or Silcock), sometimes spelled as “hose bibb (or sillcock),” is a water faucet that works just like traditional compression valves, and work to pump water to the outside of your home. In other words, it’s a spigot. Modern homes are expected to have at least one of these devices on the side of their home.
How much does it cost to install a silcock?
The most you can expect is $325. A full, brand new installation of a freeze-proof silcock will cost a lot more—often in the ballpark of $200 to $500. Since Silcocks are slightly more expensive than other faucet types, you might have to pay a premium price for parts.
How much does a plumber charge for a hose bib?
You should expect to pay your plumber between $40 and $60 per hour, with most plumbers having a one-hour minimum. The job itself, though, can take longer.
Choosing a Plumber
If you're thinking of installing a frost-free hose bib, letting a professional plumber handle the work reduces the risk of leaks or improper installation. Find a local plumber who is experienced in the installation of freeze-proof spigots to ensure everything gets installed at the correct angle with leak-proof connections inside your home.
Frost Free vs. Traditional Hose Bib
On the outside, a frost-free faucet looks the same as a traditional faucet, but the parts inside the home are different. On a frost-free model, the pipe that goes inside the house is longer than a traditional faucet, with the shutoff valve sitting further inside the house where it's warmer.
How a Frost-Free Faucet Works
When you shut off the water on a frost-free faucet, the water stops behind the valve, which is set further back inside the home. This means the water won't freeze because it stays where the interior air temperature is warmer.
Parts of a Frost-Free Spigot
The freeze-proof faucet has a handle and spout outside the home like any spigot. That connects to a long pipe, which has a shutoff valve or stop valve at the other end. The pipe is usually at least 4 inches long and sometimes longer to reach far enough into the home to keep the water in warm temperatures.
Installation of Freeze-Proof Faucets
Proper installation means the faucet should angle down slightly to let water run out of the pipe. When replacing an old faucet, you first need to use a pipe wrench to remove the old spigot. Depending on the size of the new sillcock, you may need to enlarge the hole to accommodate a larger pipe.
Tips for Preventing Freezing
Just installing a frost-free spigot may not be enough to prevent freezing. Proper fall maintenance on your outdoor faucet also helps minimize potential damage. You still want to remove the hose in the fall to allow water to flow freely out of the pipe.
What is anti siphoning?
Anti-siphoning capabilities are required by code on certain plumbing devices, such as exterior faucets (sill-cocks) or utility sink faucets. Anti-siphon devices protect against the possibility of a low water-pressure event in the supply line sucking contaminated water back into the potable water supply.
What is the purpose of a hose fitting?
When a hose is attached to the threaded end, the fitting provides anti-siphon protection by allowing air instead of contaminated water to suck back into the pipes when a negative pressure event occurs in the water supply system .
What is PEX tubing?
PEX tubing is commonly used for water supply lines. PEX, also known as polyethylene (the most common plastic in use today), is more popular than old-school metal and PVC (polyvinyl chloride, which is the world's third-most widely produced synthetic plastic polymer) because it's flexible, making it easy to install, and it has a very high heat-resistance, making it more durably for long-term use.
Where is the valve on a faucet?
On these faucets, the valve itself is located at the back end of the long faucet stem, inside the house itself. This means that the valve is never subjected to freezing temperatures and cannot freeze and rupture, as old-style outdoor faucets are prone to do.
Do you need an anti-siphon device for a faucet?
Some anti-siphon devices are available for situations in which a hose may be left dangling from a faucet—such as outdoor garden spigots or a faucet in laundry washrooms. Most other applications have no such need since the faucet spout is a located a safe distance from any drain water.
Can you leave a hose on a laundry sink?
For indoor faucets, such as those on laundry utility sinks, it is technically illegal to leave a hose attached to the faucet so that it lies in the bottom of the sink. However, this is very often done anyway, and for these situations, you can buy a vacuum breaker attachment that screws onto the end of the faucet spout.
Can a garden hose be sucked into a spigot?
This can be especially problematic in outdoor faucet spigots (sill-cocks), where a garden hose may lie on the ground or in water puddles. Should a sudden drop in pressure somewhere in the water supply pipes occur, dirty water can be sucked back into the pipes through the garden hose, thus contaminating your home's fresh water.
