Outside faucet has wrong thread size (pipe threads vs hose threads?)

[Nukeman]

Also, things like a water main break (someone screws up and hits it with the excavator) or a fire hydrant opened (to be flushed out, tested, or used for a fire) can also cause your hose to siphon back into your house and then to the main. You just have to read up on these situations to see how they can happen. Even if you are careful with your hose, what about your neighbor? Maybe he is not so careful.

I have read about cases where pesticides get siphoned back into the main from a hose bib that did not have a breaker. The question is that you don't really know how far is spreads or when the system is flushed "good enough" to drink when something like this happens.

This is why there are plumbing codes and is why plumbing should always be done with a permit and inspected. It is still not 100% foolproof, but it is sure better than someone who does not educate themself, does not get a permit, and thinks between the DIY book and the guy at HD that they can just figure out something that "works".

 

[ilya]

I carry a stick of blue locktite with me for ceiling fans and bibb washer screwholes that are worn. This lets the client keep their faucet if the stems are no longer available. As for vac breakers-a few years ago we had a HUGE fire at a country club here in town. The structure was old enough that it's location WAS in the countryside at it's founding, and is now in the middle of town. While they were fighting the blaze, area residents who opened their faucets got a sucking noise instead of water. So yeah, vac breakers are good.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Dlarrivee]

I'm not an idiot, I understand the purpose of the device, I just don't think they're the be all end all.

So what happens if a home owner has a frost free hose bib that can't drain itself because of the vacuum breaker? Un-assuming home owner leaves said vacuum breaker on the bib over winter, and the water held back freezes?

The hose bib cracks, and they flood their basement in the spring before they even know what hit them.

I think there's a better solution for backflow prevention than putting vacuum breakers on hose bibs is all.

 

[Terry]

I think there's a better solution for backflow prevention than putting vacuum breakers on hose bibs is all.

A frost free hosebib with a vacuum breaker drains fine.
They've been code for over twenty years.

 

[JCVansterdam]

What you have there is an Arrowhead sill cock that someone removed the vacuum breaker off of it. You can call around your local plumbing supply houses and tell them you need a arrowhead fine thread to 3/4 hose thread vacuum breaker.

 

[JCVansterdam]

I have the same faucet set-up as this photo. My house was built in 2003. There was an old brass fitting on the end that sprayed out like a sprinkler whenever I used a hose. I removed it and tossed it only to find that the threads weren't right to connect a hose. I just purchased the Arrowhead fine thread 3/4 hose thread vacuum breaker, exactly as shown (same faucet with green handle). It, too, sprays water all over like a sprinkler, even without a hose attached. ??? I'm relatively handy at home projects but this has me completely baffled. A plumber wanted $350 estimate (rip off!?!) as an estimate to replace the whole bib. Any help would be greatly appreciated! -Jeff

 

[Jadnashua]

Bad washer on the adapter?

 

[hj]

The faucet in his pictures are simple hose bibbs, NOT frostfree ones, so all he has to do is unscrew it from the pipe and install a new one with a vacuum breaker.

 

[JCVansterdam]

Thanks for the feedback. The water has sprayed out of the bottom section of the fitting (the old one, too), not up at the connection point, through those tiny holes that I assume are for air release. The gasket is set in place and it's screwed on tightly. I can't understand why water wouldn't come out of the bottom but instead sprays out through the overflow holes. Without anything on the faucet water comes out fine, I just can't attach a hose. Should I try to find a fine thread 3/4 inch hose adapter without the anti-siphon? Is that what I ask for at a plumbing store?

Thanks!
-Jeff

 

[Quarterball]

Does Arrowhead know about this site? Seems like removing an approved anti-siphon/backflow prevention device may be violating a code or two.

 

[Terry]

I would like to promote this site I was given to resolve this issue.
http://www.hosebibadapters.com

Wow! I pride myself on installing faucets with breakers. Removing them is just wrong.
I can't believe they are even allowed to sell those.

You can buy replacement breakers for those faucets.
Also, some anti-siphon faucets have the more standard look now.

 

[hj]

1. In one case an exterminator was filling his barrel with a hose when the city shut the main line for a repair. ALL the chemical in the barrel was sucked into the city water system.
2. A homeowner hooked up a "duck pond" to his house system, with a pump and dumped about a million gallons of "duck" water into the city system. It was not discovered for a few months, so a lot of people probably thought they had the flu.
3. Once the polluted water gets into the city mains, it is almost impossible to get rid of it quickly.

 

[IYG]

Wow! I pride myself on installing faucets with breakers. Removing them is just wrong.
I can't believe they are even allowed to sell those.

You can buy replacement breakers for those faucets.
Also, some anti-siphon faucets have the more standard look now.

Do you know what the difference is among PK1380, PK1390, and PK1395?