Frost proof faucets

[Richard]

I want to replace one or two. I was at the local HD and they were all made in china. Perhaps thats the current reality.

I'm heading out on way home to try to find a US made, or at least, a less "cheesy" feeling one than the one I saw at the store.

Any wisdom on getting one that's not chinese made? That stuff scares me and once I put drywall up, I'd prefer it not become wetwall.

/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[DocHeb]

Thanks for reminding me about my frost-free faucet problem. I have a Woodford Model 17 FFF that seems to be flow-restricted - barely get any water out of the hose. You might try a plumbing shop rather than a "lowest-price-no-matter-how low the qualty" Big Box store.

 

[slowrev]

I agree. I buy some Chinese stuff, but learned years back that the chinese faucets are junk and will be far more trouble than the savings you get. Try a plumbing outlet/supply house or maybe a small hardware store.
Ben

 

[Richard]

Thanks guys, I did call plumbing supply. He recommended Woodford. I told him I preferred 3/4 over 1/2 and he said it'd be about $40'ish depending on model.

I might run TWO lines there, one for softened water (car washing) and the other "regular" water for watering plants. I might even run a hot line so we can wash the dogs outside when they get into that bad stuff. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

I learned THAT trick here, so thank you all very much. Now if I can only get the wife to understand the difference that I only barely understand myself.

She's gonna flip when she sees $40 verses something like $7 especially when I might need to buy 3 of them.

Oh well, it's not like she's going to pay for it anyway huh?

/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[Boondox]

I've had to replace my cheapy Chinese-made HD faucet twice in the past few years. Finally went to the local hardware/lumber store and bought a 3/4" Woodford. Much heavier duty!

I plumbed my house with PEX, so added a manifold with hot and cold fed by ball valves. With six goldens needing baths, I didn't want them all running away from the cold water rinse!

 

[beenthere]

I'd suggest putting in a 'trap' door so you can get to the faucet in the wall if ever a problem. I ran just two lines, hot and cold, (hot is softened and cold is hard) with a ball valve on each. I can put a 'Y' on each valve to mix the two, and have warm water.

For the faucet (other post) that is 'plugged' or acts plugged, the problem may be the seat washer on the end of the long stem. Just replacing it may solve the problem.

Good luck finding the 'USA' made, and I am with you all the way.

 

[Richard]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I plumbed my house with PEX, so added a manifold with hot and cold fed by ball valves. With six goldens needing baths, I didn't want them all running away from the cold water rinse! )</font>


Ya know something, I think a lightbulb just went off inside my head.

By using a manifold (never seen one) I now presume that you can use IT to re-direct certain flow from a to b.... in other words, you can cut off the hot & have ALL cold go to various points or cut off cold and do opposite over what otherwise might be (from MY perspective) a singlularly dedicated "cold" line?

Hmmm.. oh well, guess if my perception is near right it's too late for me. Besides, if that IS the case my wife would just roll her eyes at me for even TRYING to contemplate something (cool) like that.

 

[heehaw]

when i built this place in 86, i put in 4 of the outside freeze proof faucets, the ones that go in the ground and and stick up a couple feet...anyway, i've tried a couple different brands, from a plumbing supply, and had more trouble with them than i liked, which wasn't that much, just more than i liked, so last year, on the one i use the most, when it messed up, i dug it up and just brought up a pipe, and put 3 standard faucets on the pipe, it sticks up about 30 inches above ground, and will freeze, but does not burst, so as soon as it warms up, i can use it again. since i'm not going to be using it below freezing anyway, this works great. i did the same thing some 30 years ago at another location, and for some reason, forgot that it would work, and invested a lot of $$$ in those fancy faucets..
heehaw

 

[SPIKER]

MANSFIELD PLUMBING PRODUCTS LLC makes them in Perrysville ohio, (I work there /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif ) they make both single and dual for hot cold but that could be used for soft & Hard if you wanted... not sure of where you could locate one in you;re area though... all american made even make the brass fittings there !

Mark M

 

[JerryG]

When you go to get one, made sure that it can be rebuilt and if they carry the kit. Some of the cheaper ones have to be thrown away if there is a problem. When rebuilding them, you don't have to do any digging which is great. Another thing, if you don't want it to freeze, make sure that the drain hole is below the frost line. I like to screw a street L into the drain hole and point it down to keep from getting dirt in the shut off valve. The valve is at the bottom just below the drain hole. Another thing to keep it from freezing is to make sure that there is a pocket of gravel around the drain hole. It there isn't a good place for the water to go it will freeze. That is what the gravel is for.

 

[Junkman]

Those fancy faucets are called yard hydrants. I have a friend that has at least a half dozen around his home and they have worked flawlessly for him for many years. It might be that there are different levels of quality and there in lies the problem. Just because you pay a lot, doesn't mean that they sell you the best. I have been thinking of installing one in my back yard, but after giving it a lot of thought, I realize that it is more work than I want to do, so I will just go with the longer hose. Cheap at twice the price, just not as convenient.. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Boondox]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( </font><font color="blueclass=small">( I plumbed my house with PEX, so added a manifold with hot and cold fed by ball valves. With six goldens needing baths, I didn't want them all running away from the cold water rinse! )</font>


Ya know something, I think a lightbulb just went off inside my head.

By using a manifold (never seen one) I now presume that you can use IT to re-direct certain flow from a to b.... in other words, you can cut off the hot & have ALL cold go to various points or cut off cold and do opposite over what otherwise might be (from MY perspective) a singlularly dedicated "cold" line?

Hmmm.. oh well, guess if my perception is near right it's too late for me. Besides, if that IS the case my wife would just roll her eyes at me for even TRYING to contemplate something (cool) like that.

)</font>

Yup. We can isolate any fixture in the house and cross-feed from another line. We can also bypass the pressure tank and go to gravity feed in case of prolonged power outage.

We were Y2k compliant before the rest of the world! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[dmccarty]

beenthere,

When we built our new house we put in a hot and cold water faucet on the back porch so we can clean up ourselves and the dog(s) with warm water. We moved into the house during the first week in January of this year. We had a very warm spell at that time, the dog got muddy, so I hooked up a 6' hose to the faucet and washed her off. Worked great.

Forgot to remove the hose. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif Remember its on the back porch. Don't go there often......

Got cold again.

Turned on faucet weeks later and noticed water leaking from the weep holes in the brick wall. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Not a good thing....

The plumber had warned us about this. Duh. But I have NEVER frozen a faucet before. Lucky for us it was freeze proof. But freeze proof does not mean it wont freeze but if it does freeze you still can use water in the house. The plumber said he would have to tear up the wall to fix these things if they froze. He hates them but code requires 'em. I'm hoping that the wall he has to tear up is in the house and not the brick exterior. The interior wall that would be affected is either in a bathroom or under the sink in the utility room. If possible I want a access door to the plumbing in case this happens again.....

Still not fixed either.

Later,
Dan

 

[heehaw]

yard hydrant??? good name??? i only use 3 of these things about once a year, sometimes less, and when i went to use them, they wouldn't open, or wouldn't shut off afterward, not enough use i figure. the one i used a lot, lasted probably 15 years, the one i replaced it with, lasted 4,it still worked with the well pressure, but when i put city water to it, 90+ psi, it wouldn't shut off, so i put in what i was referring to, ..i expect this to last a long time...the original ones i put in would have all probably lasted 15 + years, except for the lack of use. the washer in the bottom seemed to become attached to the seal, and once i opened it, there was no shuttin them off: i still have two of the originals in, have replace the washer a couple times, and if/when i go to use them , i will have my fingers crossed when i pull up on that handle, and if they fail, they will be replaced without the use of that type again.
heehaw

 

[beenthere]

That is what happened to me too, when I didn't detach the outside hose, so the faucet didn't drain and busted the pipe when it froze.
I put a trap door in that wall (just paneling) and is why I suggested it here.

Hopefully your plumber can cut the pipe in the house and feed new pipe and faucet through the wall, without tearing out the brick wall. I fussed over that outside faucet a lot when I added onto the house 4 years ago, and when I put the hot/cold faucets in the garage with trap doors for both. I even put in some vents so room air could circulate past the pipes in the wall to counter any cold air from the outside. Builders don't like to fuss over these things, nor do the plumbers, IMO. Need to be there to do it for yourself. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[LBrown59]

</font><font color="blueclass=small">( MANSFIELD PLUMBING PRODUCTS LLC makes them in Perrysville ohio, (I work there /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif ) they make both single and dual for hot cold but that could be used for soft & Hard if you wanted... not sure of where you could locate one in you;re area though... all american made even make the brass fittings there !

Mark M )</font>

MANSFIELD used to do a lot of business with the MH industry.

 

[beenthere]

Does that MH stand for Manufactured Housing? or something else?