The Importance of Frostproof Faucets: A Practical Guide
Frostproof faucets are a common solution to the problem of freezing water pipes during winter months. In this article, we will explore the concept of frostproof faucets, their benefits, and how they work.
A Frostproof Faucet: What is it?
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A frostproof faucet is a type of outdoor faucet designed to prevent water from freezing in cold temperatures. It typically has a control handle on the outside of the house and a washer located inside the pipe that can't freeze. This design allows homeowners to use their faucets even in extremely cold weather.
How Frostproof Faucets Work
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A standard outdoor garden faucet uses full City water pressure, but if it's exposed to freezing temperatures, the water can expand and cause the pipe to burst. In contrast, a frostproof faucet has a long shaft that allows the washer to lift when the faucet is turned on, allowing water pressure to push it out of the way. This design prevents the pipe from freezing and bursting.
A Different Type of Frostproof Faucet
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There's also a type of frostproof faucet with no handle on the outside, but rather an O-ring that connects to the garden hose. When screwed in, the O-ring lifts and water comes out. This type of faucet is also designed to prevent freezing and bursting.
Installing a Frostproof Faucet
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Installing a new frostproof faucet involves several steps. First, it's necessary to turn off the water supply to the outside faucet. The old faucet can then be removed, and the new one installed. In this case, the installer used a small cutter to break through the vacuum seal that had formed inside the pipe.
Securing the New Faucet
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Once the new faucet is installed, it's necessary to secure it in place. This involves applying a bead of silicone around the O-ring and screwing it into position. The installer also made sure to solder a connection on the end of the thread to prevent defacing or deforming the O-ring.
Testing the Faucet
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The final step is to test the new faucet. When turned on, the washer should lift, and water pressure should push it out of the way. If the faucet is functioning properly, the installer was able to get a good seal with the O-ring, which prevented any leaks or freezing issues.
Benefits of Frostproof Faucets
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Frostproof faucets offer several benefits, including:
* Prevention of frozen pipes and bursting
* Ease of use even in extremely cold weather
* Durability and long lifespan
Conclusion
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In conclusion, frostproof faucets are an effective solution to the problem of freezing water pipes during winter months. By understanding how they work and installing them properly, homeowners can enjoy the convenience and safety of having a reliable outdoor faucet, even in extreme cold temperatures.
"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enwell that must be what you call me about right it is so this spet has been dripping uh for a while so I put a bucket underneath it catch the water or I don't use it at all because it's wasting water it's a pretty common problem and a pretty common solution actually put in the bucket there let's see what you got inside okay all right Karen we are down in your basement you can see your favorite bucket sitting outside here and here is your G faucet right here now do you turn this off in the winter yeah I do you know you don't really have to it's actually a Frostproof silcock also called a garden faucet didn't know that and the reason is you've got your control handle on the outside you turn the water off and on but the washer the part that holds the water back is way back in here where it can't freeze and I would imagine I could change that washer and You' be back in business but what I'd like to do is to show you some choices okay now a standard outside garden faucet looks like this sits on the outside of the house but if you look at it and cut way you've got full City water pressure right here and a washer right there so in cold climates if it got too cold that water could freeze and then it would split and so you have to be sure you shut it off inside but what you've got is something like this this is called a frost proof silcock and has a control handle outside but there's a long shaft right here and the washer is way back inside here here's full City water pressure so now as you open it up the washer will lift and water pressure will push that washer out of the way and you turn it back off again it's way back in here and then the water drips back out so you never you can use this even in the winter to wash your cars good to know what I'd like to talk to you about though is this it's the same frost proof that you have but this is what you'd see on the outside of the building so where's the handle well it doesn't have a handle per se it does have this and this connects to the garden hose and now when you screw it in the on the outside watch what happens with it at rest you can see there's an O-ring right here that sits against the body of the faucet now and I insert that piece see it lift yeah and now the water comes right out through use it as long as you want and then when you're done you take it out shuts it off completely yeah that's it you like that that's pretty slick well it even comes with this when it's when you're on the outside of the house that's all you'd see so there's nothing to bump into when you're walking by is that the one I can put into your beautiful little house yes that would be awesome good let's get started okay all right we will start by turning off the water to the outside faucet now I want to get the water out of this pipe I could open up the faucet outside but I can also just open this little drain cap so now I'm just going to clean and cut right here okay and then we can remove the old faucet how old is that probably 20 years old nice and clean so now I can cut it with this nice small cutter there's our there's break in the vacuum why did it come out now so the water wouldn't come out until I broke the vacuum all right for your memory drawer oh thank you okay one more now that's cocked right in there looks like there we go so this new piece is actually going to sit right about here so what I'm going to do is just release a little bit of that shingle and there's enough shingle underneath y great okay that should be good let's get this in I just got to get through the through the inside of the building okay let's pop a little beat of silicone around that now we can just secure it with some screws all right what do you think that looks great let's do the inside stuff now all right so here's that shank of the fuc that we put in from outside and it's nice and solid but now we've got to reassemble it so this is the critical part this is the O-ring that's going to hold that water back and this is the part that when you turn from outside it's going to push this up and down so that sticks in just like this and look at this you see how this o-ring seats perfectly at the end of that thread now the next piece is also important you can see this it has a spring right here that's going to push also that O-ring even Tighter and also City water pressure goes against it now we'll thread this piece on to the end right here but I do have to still make a solder connection and I want to be sure if I apply this torch that I don't deface or deform this o-ring so we'll solder this connection away all right miss Karen it's time for the test here's here's your end right there all right look get a lift okay push and turn yeah there you go all right that's locked in all right you give it a try having fun hey enough of that oh this is great all right the water drains out so it won't freeze thank you for your help it was my pleasure\n"
