Is this spigot likely sweated on?

[Neil.Steiner]

I have an outdoor spigot that works fairly well, but it's old and could probably benefit from replacement with a frost-free version with a backflow preventer. (And I currently have the wall opened up because I'm redoing a closet.)

The faucet on the outside is almost right up against the wall, and from inside the house I just see copper going straight to the cinderblock. Is it possible that the faucet is still screwed on to threads somewhere, or is it more likely that it was sweated directly to the copper? If it helps, my house is in northern Virginia and was built in 1977.

The house has another outdoor spigot with a sweated elbow right inside the cinderblock, and I'm guessing the two spigots were connected the same way. If true, and if there is any chance of a screwed-on connection, it would likely be right at the faucet.

Obviously I'd be happy if I could unscrew the faucet, instead of having to unsweat it and possibly install a SharkBite spigot. (I can sweat copper when I have to, but I prefer to avoid doing so in tighter spaces. And I don't know how flammable that crumbly yellow insulation is.) Any thoughts? (And does anybody recognize the spigot brand?)

 

[Reach4]

Nibco. Repairing what you have may be a good idea. Cover the sillcock with a styrofoam insulation cover each winter.

When you do a frost free silcock, make sure the line is slightly tilted down from inside to outside.

https://www.sharkbite.com/us/en/brass-push-to-connect/valves/outdoor-hose-valves/frost-free-sillcock push-on Sharkbite is one possibility. I am not a pro.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Fitter30]

46 years old replace it. Going the have to make the hole larger for a frost proof hose bibb ,mounting plate either a long cold chisel or hammer drill with 1-1.125 long bit.

 

[Neil.Steiner]

Thank you for the recommendations. But does anybody have any sense of whether the faucet is soldered to the pipe versus screwed onto it?

 

[Reach4]

I would bet soldered. Many sillcocks can/could be used either way.

 

[hj]

I have NEVER seen that type soldered. They have always been screwed on

 

[Chucky_ott]

I'm not a pro but don't all frost free hose bibs have an attached piece of pipe? That would imply that you have to remove a portion of the existing pipe whether the existing bib is soldered or screwed.

 

[Tuttles Revenge]

Its threaded onto a Male Adapter / MIP... But it doesn't matter, you can't unthread it from the male adapter without access to the male adapter. If you attempt to unthread it, you will end up twisting the copper and likely in the worst spot imaginable.

 

[Fitter30]

1/2 and 3/4" sweat hose bibs are available

https://www.supplyhouse.com/Bluefin-SKS050-C-1-2-Sweat-Chrome-Plated-Oversized-Flange-Sillcock-Lead-Free

Combo frost proof silcocks there sweat and threaded.

 

[John Gayewski]

I'm betting threaded also.

 

[Neil.Steiner]

Thank you, everyone, for your input. As it turns out, the spigot (not frost-free) was soldered directly onto 1/2" copper, which went all the way to a 90 elbow inside the house. No threaded connections anywhere. I got a plumber to replace it. Not only was he not surprised by this configuration, but he re-did it the exact same way, saying that's the way he would do it on his house. Adding a threaded connection or a frost-free bib would have required that he drill a much larger hole. (I do have a shutoff valve with air bleed further inside the house.) All I know is that I have a new spigot in place of my 46-year old one.

 

[Tuttles Revenge]

If you get freezing weather in your area, it should have been a frost free spigot. Copper is the least freeze damage resistant material used for plumbing.. maybe slightly better than PVC.