Outside sillcock / faucet advice

[James^C]

I recently moved into a new house with a walkout basement. The previous owners or builders installed a frost-free sillcock on the outside "exposed" wall. All of the plumbing to this faucet is buried within the wall. The location is near the ground on the exposed wall of the basement. By using a 6" frost-free sillcock, the faucet sticks out from the outside of the house by 3"-4" and is prohibited from being mounted properly by securing it at the face plate. This allows the faucet to move freely in-and-out and rotate in the wall.

I would like to correct the issue, but have now discovered that shorter frost-free sillcocks (under 6") do not exist. Should I replace the faucet with a standard non-frost free design? Should I build a support frame / bracket on the outside of the house to take up the extra space so that it can be secured? Should I even have an outside faucet on this exposed wall?

Thank you!
James

Plumbers in Lebanon Ohio

 

[Jadnashua]

Is the room inside the house heated? If you don't use a frostfree design, you need an interior shutoff. But, if that room isn't heated, it still can freeze regardless of what type of valve you use.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[James^C]

Yes, the room is heated. The line also has a shut off but I am still concerened about frozen pipes as I live in Ohio.

 

[TedL]

Your description does not make sense to me. If it's near the bottom of the basement/foundation wall, it's passing through 8 or more inches of concrete/block. And still sticking out 4 inches. Yet you say it's a 6 incher. Possible, I guess. But then someone added an extension piece to head out from the interior surface of the foundation.

You also say it rotates inside the wall. As in a threaded fitting unscrewing?

Open up the inside wall and locate and secure it properly. A six inch frost free with 4 inches exposed to the outside air (at maybe 20 below) is not reliably frost free.

 

[James^C]

The faucet is located above the foundation wall. Yes, it is threaded and is able to rotate and become unthreaded because it is not properly attached to the outside wall by use of the sillcock face plate.

Do I have any other option but to change it to a non-frost free design?

Thank you for the help!!!

 

[TedL]

If it's above the foundation on the exposed wall, how can it be near the ground?????

Whatever the case, I'm assuming the basement is finished. If the supply runs in a straight line back to an unfinished utility/storage area, you could possibly cut out a piece there and pull everything back...not likely.

Otherwise, open up the wall/ceiling and fix it the right way. Drywall is easy, and you need to learn it sometime if you're going to be a DIY'r. Alternative is an access panel, sold in the plumbing dept at the big boxes and most HW stores.