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Most homeowners are prepared to deal with the occasional sticky doorknob or cracked floor tile, but even the most intrepid do-it-yourselfer shudders at the thought of a burst water pipe. If not immediately noticed, a ruptured pipe can be both expensive and time-consuming to clean up.Fortunately, the pipe that's most susceptible to extremely cold weather—the outdoor hose faucet—is also one of the easiest to protect from freezing.
Here, This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows how to replace an existing hose faucet with a freeze-proof faucet. A burst water pipe is a home-repair nightmare: When the temperature drops below freezing and the water in an exposed pipe freezes, it expands, rupturing the pipe. While most plumbing is protected by insulation or heating, an outdoor faucet is vulnerable to the elements.Fortunately, this fixture is easy to protect with a freezeproof faucet (aka a freezeless or frostproof hose bib, sill cock, or faucet). A standard hose faucet freezes because the supply pipe connect to the faucet outside the heated house. This exposes the water to freezing temperatures. A freezeproof faucet, ranging from 4 to 24 inches in length, extends back into the house, and its valve seat—where the water stops when the faucet is off—is all the way inside.
So once the handle is turned off outside, the water never makes it farther than the warm side of the wall; any water trapped in between just drains out the faucet.Note that this installation presumes your house is plumbed with copper pipe. You'll generally be able to follow these directions for other materials, although cutting and joining will be different. If you have galvanized steel pipes, don't forget to use a dielectric union if you introduce copper pipe into the system.CAUTION: This project involves soldering with a propane torch.
Use extreme care when working with the flame: Wear eye goggles, protect combustible materials with fire-resistant cloth or sheet metal, and keep a fire extinguisher nearby just in case. A burst water pipe is a home-repair nightmare: When the temperature drops below freezing and the water in an exposed pipe freezes, it expands, rupturing the pipe.
While most plumbing is protected by insulation or heating, an outdoor faucet is vulnerable to the elements.Fortunately, this fixture is easy to protect with a freezeproof faucet (aka a freezeless or frostproof hose bib, sill cock, or faucet). A standard hose faucet freezes because the supply pipe connect to the faucet outside the heated house. This exposes the water to freezing temperatures. A freezeproof faucet, ranging from 4 to 24 inches in length, extends back into the house, and its valve seat—where the water stops when the faucet is off—is all the way inside. So once the handle is turned off outside, the water never makes it farther than the warm side of the wall; any water trapped in between just drains out the faucet.Note that this installation presumes your house is plumbed with copper pipe. You'll generally be able to follow these directions for other materials, although cutting and joining will be different. If you have galvanized steel pipes, don't forget to use a dielectric union if you introduce copper pipe into the system.CAUTION: This project involves soldering with a propane torch.
Use extreme care when working with the flame: Wear eye goggles, protect combustible materials with fire-resistant cloth or sheet metal, and keep a fire extinguisher nearby just in case. Now you can secure the faucet to the house with two 1 1/2-inch0long weather-resistant screws. Drive the screws through the mounting holes int he flange.Slide the stem assembly into the faucet and tighten up with pliers.Close the drain nut on the shut-off valve, then open the valve and check for leaks.Now go back tot he new faucet and turn it on. Allow the water to run for a few seconds to flush out any excess flux.Tip: For extra weather protection, wrap the faucet's pipe with pre-slit foam or fiberglass pipe-insulation tubes.
Why Is Lead In Drinking Water A Bad Thing?For centuries, people have known that lead is bad for you, and that lead poisoning can be fatal. However, it hasn't been until the advent of recent technologies that we've understood exactly how and why lead is bad for the human body. Due to its corrosion-resistance and ease of working with it, lead was used in ancient times for water pipes, cooking pots, eating dishes and utensils, and more. Even with the transition from lead pipes to those made of cast iron, copper, and galvanized steel, many times the brass fittings or solder used to join pipes contained significant amounts of lead.If you've ever taken a chemisty class, you're probably familiar with the concept that water is a solvent. This means that it will absorb things like minerals, metals, and chemicals that it comes into contact with over a period of time.
Water sitting in your pipes will gradually leach lead from the joints or fittings. In addition, as the plumbing system in a building ages, the pipes, fittings, and joints will corrode - again leaching lead into the water supply.When you drink that water, you're ingesting lead. The human body is amazing at destroying or getting rid of many harmful substances, from certain minerals and indigestable fibers to bacteria and viruses. However, these biological mechanisms only work if the body recognizes the invader. Guess what lead is really good at? Mimicking helpful substances that your body needs, like calcium, zinc, and iron. Thus, lead poisoning isn't so much a case of having too much lead, but of having that lead bind to and interact with the enzymes your body utilizes for proper functioning - blocking those good minerals and metals from attaching to the enzyme and doing what they're supposed to to keep your body healthy.Thus, no safe level of lead in the body has been identified.
Even small amounts of lead can disrupt your immune system, interfere with metabolism and vitamin/mineral absorption, inhibit neurological function, and even damage your DNA. Babies and children are the most at risk for lead poisoning primarily because their growing bodies are so much faster at absorbing and processing any lead they are exposed to. When the lead takes the place of the good nutrients a child's body needs to continue growing, bad things happen. Even low levels of lead in the blood of children can result in behavior and learning problems, abdominal pain and vomiting, slowed growth and brain development, nervous system damage, hearing problems, anemia, and in rare cases can cause seizures, coma, and even death. Brain/nerve damage or delayed development in children related to lead poisoning is irreversible. What Is The Safe Drinking Water Act?As of August 6, 1998, the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act (the Act) prohibits any person from introducing into commerce, products that are not 'lead free' as defined by the Act.
Environmental Protection Agency has determined that for a product to be considered 'lead free' under the Act, it must satisfy the performance standard for lead leaching under NSF Standard 61, Section 9 (NSF 61/9). Items covered by NSF 61/9 include lavatory faucets, (excluding metering, self-closing, and electronic faucets), bar and kitchen faucets, valves, supply lines, fittings, and many other products that come into contact with drinking water supplies. The Act applies to residential, commercial and institutional installations, as well as new and retrofit applications.California Proposition 65, 'The Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986' is the most stringent law (that we know of) of its kind at either the state or federal level. The federal standard for lead in drinking water is 11 ppb (parts per billion) while prop 65 (Calif) mandates a level of.05ppb. The Center for Environmental Health recommends that consumers run water for 10 seconds before filling a glass to remove water with the highest lead levels (from pre 'Act' faucets).Additionally, with the passage of California Assembly Bill 1953, Maryland House Bill 372, and Vermont Assembly Bill VT S.152, 'lead free' is defined as to mean not more than a weighted average of 0.25% lead content in pipe and fittings. What this means for you is the lead content in faucet spouts and fittings will not be legally allowed to have more than one-fourth of one percent of lead, so water traveling through compliant faucets will be essentially 'lead free'. CA AB 1953 defines lead as less than 0.25%.
This bill changes the meaning of term 'leadfree' in the Health and Safety Code from eight percent lead for pipes or pipe fittings, and four percent lead for plumbing fittings and fixtures to a weighted average of not more than 0.25 percent lead content within each component that comesinto contact with the wetted surfaces of pipes and pipe fittings, plumbing fittings and fixtures effective July 1, 2010. However, it is important to note that while products meeting the requirements of the law are defined as being 'lead free', they may still contain trace amounts of lead.The new lead free act went into effect nationally in 2014. OR -Specialty Hose Fittings 1' Straight Thread Hose FittingsThe NPSM threads on these fittings are similar to garden hose only in a 1' size.
But, they are not considered threads. These fittings are NPSM National Standard Free-Fitting Straight Mechanical Pipe Thread on one end and iron pipe size (IPS) or barb fitting on the other side. Like garden hose threads, the NPSM threads themselves do not seal water from leaking at the fitting. A washer must be used in the hose or the female NPSM fitting which creates the seal when the female threads are tightened onto the male threads. OR -Garden Hose Shut-Offs Brass Garden Hose Shut-Off ValveHave a leaky hose bibb?
Using a wye adapter and need to close one side? Want more control over your water flow? This garden hose shut-off valve is a perfect solution for these situations and more. Featuring a solid brass construction with a solid sphere internal ball valve, you're assured smooth, positive, no leak shut off every time. A small dial on the side of the valve allows you to control and throttle water outflow, making this excellent for use with. The valve has standard 3/4' female garden hose threads on one side and 3/4' male garden hose threads on the other to fit most garden hose setups.Brass Garden Hose Shut-Off Valve = $6.99.
OR -Thread Sealants (IPS Threads) ProductDescriptionPrice & QuantityPTFE thread sealing. 3.5 Mil thick. Density: 0.41/2' x 260' roll$0.771/2' x 520' roll$0.98Enter a quantity andGRAY PTFE thread sealing tape. 4 Mil THICK. Density: 1.2. 1/2' x 260' roll. Proudly made in the USA$2.53Enter a quantity and1 oz.
Great White ™ Basic Pipe Joint Compound. Small, convenient tube. Great for most plastics and metals$3.19Enter a quantity and4 oz.
High Quality TU-555 Pipe Joint Compound. Available in, too. Great for most plastics and metalsOrder 12, 24 or 48 of this item for additional savings!Pricing discounts will show up in your shopping cart.$7.75Enter a quantity andTo ensure our customers receive fresh products, TU-555 pipe joint compounds are non-returnable. Frequently Asked QuestionsQ. 'I want 100 of one of the above hose fittings. How soon after I place my order can you ship 100% complete?'
Our inventory is great, and 98% of the time we will have the quantity you ordered in stock. If we don't have the quantity you need in stock, it generally takes about 7-10 days to receive a backordered product to complete your order.Q. 'Do these fittings fit regular garden hoses?' These Hose Thread fittings are designed to work with regular garden hoses, as well as other hose-related products, that have the larger, coarse threads found on a standard garden hose.Q.
'What is a hose adapter used for?' Hose thread fittings are typically used to adapt a garden hose to a standard or unique connection. Whether you have a different size hose bibb than your hose, a damaged hose in need of repair, or want to attach a quick disconnect fitting so you can quickly and easily change from a nozzle to a sprayer, we've got a fitting or adapter for it.