Having an outdoor hose bib is a convenient and necessary addition to any home. Over the years, though, wear and tear may damage an old hose bib. Learning how to replace an outdoor hose bib is a good skill for any homeowner to have. We’ll show you everything you need to do to replace a bib properly. Let’s jump right in.
What’s the Difference Between a Normal and Frost-Free Bib?
When you’re looking at hose bibs, there are two kinds: traditional and frost-free. Traditional hose bibs allow water to flow all the way to the faucet opening. This allows water to stay in the pipe and get down to a freezing temperature that may expand crack the pipe or fixture itself. This risk of a pipe bursting could result in flooding your home or crawlspace, so it’s best to avoid this with a frost-free hose bib.
When you look at a frost-free hose bib, you won’t notice a difference. The inside of the fixture is where the difference lies. Frost-free hose bibs have a piece of pipe that’s attached to the faucet. The pipe is nice and long, so it is inside your home, and the chance of freezing is lower. Within this pipe, there’s a rod with a washer at the back end of the pipe. This rod controls the flow of water into the pipe and faucet. Once the water is cut off at the faucet valve, any water that is still in the pipe drains out of the faucet. The pipe is slanted downward a little bit toward the outside to allow for this drainage.
For this project, you should definitely play it safe and grab a frost-free hose bib to avoid the headache of frozen pipes.
What You Need
For this project, you don’t need a ton of tools or materials. All you need is a frost-free hose bib, Teflon tape or thread-locking compound, locking pliers, an adjustable wrench.
When you’re choosing a frost-free hose bib, make sure it has an anti-siphon feature. This is a vacuum breaker that prevents water in an attached hose from flowing back into the faucet pipe.
How To Replace An Outdoor Hose Bib
Now, it’s time to replace the old hose bib. Before doing anything, you want to make sure the water supply to the fixture is cut off. Typically, the main water supply cut-off is somewhere near the faucet, maybe in a crawlspace or basement.
Once you’ve made sure the water is off, use the locking pliers to grip the hex-shaped fitting on the threaded connection on the end of the supply pipe. Next, use an adjustable wrench to unscrew the hex fitting on the faucet while holding the locking pliers in place. You want to prevent the pipe from moving around while you loosen the bib.
After the bib is off of the pipe, clean the threads off with a clean, damp rag. Then, wrap the threads with Teflon tape. Note: always wrap plumber’s tape in a clockwise direction. If you prefer, you may also brush a thread-locking compound onto the fitting. Finally, attach the new bib by holding the locking pliers and turning the bib with the adjustable wrench.
If there are any attachment screws or brackets, use them where applicable. Lastly, turn on the water supply and check for leaks on the front and back of the new fixture.
Want A Pro To Handle It?
Now you know how to install an outdoor hose bib! If you’d rather leave this project up to the pros, we get it! At Autry Plumbing, we strive every day to help our customers with all of their plumbing needs. Give us a call, and we can replace your hose bib!
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