How To Replace a Frost Proof Faucet (Step-by-Step Guide)

hey there it's John Spitz from hammerpedia.com today I'm going to show you how to replace a Frostproof faucet also called the silcock a spigot or a wall hydrant I loaded today's video with tips and tricks I've picked up over the years as a pro plumber so be sure to check out the whole video because you're bound to pick up some great Insider information so let's get started the real beauty of an outdoor Frostproof faucet is a clever design shuts off water inside the heated portion of your home when you turn the handle counterclockwise the valve opens and water flows after the valve is closed the slope of the faucet causes the leftover water to drain out of the faucet keeping water out of the faucet prevents water from freezing inside your walls which could result in the pipe burst also called a freeze break it's important to note that all Frostproof faucets need to be sloped towards the exterior of the home for proper draining typically the manufacturer includes a siding wedge that's installed behind the hydrants wall flange to achieve this slope other Frost Proof faucet model don't have a siding wedge instead the pitch is built right into the flange check the spec sheet for your model to get the most accurate info but always use a bubble level to verify your final install again you want some fall here to ensure the hydrant drains after the valve is closed here's another important point you don't want to overlook it's crucial to disconnect your hose during the winter otherwise the water in your hose will prevent the faucet from draining that trapped water can freeze expand and burst the faucet water expands nine percent when it freezes and it's an incredibly powerful force a force strong enough to rupture a copper pipe as you're seeing here before we begin it's key to pinpoint where the leak originates and this step will tell you if you need to repair your faucet or completely replace it if your faucet has a freeze brake it's usually obvious with the freeze brake the faucet will only leak when the valve is open when the valve is closed it won't leak on this job I already knew that the faucet had a freeze break the customer found standing water on the floor but this only occurred when the spigot was on with the valve closed no water leaked that immediately told me the problem was somewhere Downstream from the valve now on the other hand if you close your faucet and have an active water leak like a leak at the handle around the packing nut you might be able to repair the faucet instead of replacing it I'm currently working on another video where I rebuild several common faucets on the market that video isn't finished yet but once it's done I'll put the link in the description below so let's install our new Frostproof faucet the first step is to shut the water off I lucked out on this service call because this faucet had a dedicated shut off valve so I didn't have to shut the water off to the entire house once your water's off open up the faucet to drain out as much water as possible to remove your outdoor faucet you run into a few different scenarios a Frostproof faucet gets connected to a water supply line via a few different Inlet Styles Pryor has some great pictures that identify the common Styles they include male pipe threads Pro press PEX connection SharkBite and CPVC gluing I commonly run into male pipe threads a lot in the field and this Inlet style gets connected in one of two ways either the copper supply line is sweat directly into the faucet's inlet or a female adapter gets screwed onto the male pipe threads if your outdoor faucet is screwed in you may be able to unscrew it from the outside connect the wrench to the faucet's body and rotate counterclockwise on this service call the faucet was a sweat connection and unfortunately this connection was inside a basement drywalled ceiling so I'm going to cut some drywall today here I'm taking some measurements to get reference points that will help me locate the faucet inside now I'm making some marks on the ceiling and using my level to draw out the section of drywall I'll remove I'll use my Milwaukee 18 volt multi-tool to cut the drywall this tool is great for all sorts of cuts and is one of my favorite ways to cut drywall and PVC in tight spaces so here's what I found this is the existing water supply line soldered into the inlet of the outdoor faucet you can't see the freeze break from here and that's because it's busted on the inside of the wall I'll show you that break here in a sec back to my service call I need to cut the water supply line so I can remove the defective faucet I use my Close Quarters tubing cutter I begin by rotating my pipe cutter around the pipe tightening it slightly each rotation I can't quite make a full Revolution because that two by four is in my way but I rotate it as much as I can and continue this process of rotating and slightly tightening until the pipe is cut through and you want a bucket nearby after it's cut to catch as much water as possible now I'm back outside to remove the two screws that secure the faucet to the house and the faucet pulls right out here you can see the freeze break which was caused by water freezing and then expanding with the defective faucet removed it's time to prep the new Frostproof faucet I've got the defective faucet out of the wall it's still attached to the old pipe I just cut I'll measure the total length of the faucet that includes the old cut pipe I'll temporarily stub in a new piece of copper and transfer that measurement to the new pipe this way the faucet will fit perfectly here I'm cutting the pipe at the line I just made now before I solder I set up a soldering station I've got all the tools I'll need to solder I've also got a piece of plywood that I'll work off of to protect my customers patio here I'm rooming the inside of the wall to remove any Burrs and sharp edges my tubing cutter has a built-in reamer in the handle I'm cleaning the outside of the copper using sand cloth this removes any dirt oxidation or other contaminants which ensures an effective bond between the solder and the copper I'll open up the faucet and insert my half inch wire brush to prep the inside of the inlet notice the faucet is open now more on that in a sec now it's time for flux notice I'm stirring my flux this is an important step because flux can separate mixing helps evenly redistribute its particles which results in a stronger more durable joint don't forget to apply flux inside the faucet's inlet as well by the way it's crucial to open the faucets handle before you solder the heat produced when soldering will damage the faucet's bib washer the bib washer is the little rubber washer at the end of the stem assembly that rubber washer is what SEALs off the water flow when the faucet is closed excessive heat during soldering could damage the washer and leak but opening the valve allows heat to escape so the washer doesn't get damaged with the valve open it's time to turn on the torch and start soldering first I like to heat up the end of the copper pipe you want to heat everything up evenly that's why I'm rotating the faucet that way the solder gets evenly distributed around the fitting you'll see the flux boil and shortly after that the boiling stops that's a sign that the joint is probably ready for solder just apply the solder along the joint the heat draws the solder right in now I'll let this cool and wipe it off with a towel after things are cooled down I'll try to insert the new faucet through the existing hole however this isn't going to happen as the new assembly is slightly larger than the old one so now I'm boring out the hole with a inch and an eighth paddle bit you're not sure what size hold the drill check with the installation instructions on your faucet typically it's either an inch or an inch and an eighth now I'll slide the new faucet in place I'll hold off screwing it until I prepare the Joint inside but I'll go ahead and apply 100 silicone around the inside of the hole to seal up the penetration so now I'm back inside and need to prep the fitting in the pipe inside I'll start by reaming the inside of the existing supply line I'll prep the outside of the pipe too with my sand cloth and I'll also prep the coupling with my wire brush before I solder I'm gently tugging downwards on the pipe it's important to ensure that the line is water free otherwise the pipe won't reach the necessary temperature for Effective soldering apply the flux on both sides insert the half inch coupling now everything's where I want it I'll run back outside and attach the faucet to the house with two exterior deck screws that locks everything into place now before I heat this pipe I'm attaching a heat pad to the framing this will help protect the wood from my torch this pad is nice because it has an adhesive back it sticks to Framing and stays out of my way now I'm ready for some heat I'll heat both sides of the coupling can't rotate the pipe like I did outside so instead I'm moving the flame once everything is heated I'll apply the solder on each joint I'll let that cool a sec and then wipe it down just about done now I'll close the faucet outside then turn on the water supply and let that pressurize I'll double check for any leaks no leaks here and finally back outside to open up the back everything looks good and that's how you replace the Frostproof faucet step by step I hope you found this guide helpful if so be sure to like And subscribe you'll also find several links under this video that's where you can get some of hammer pedia's free cheat sheets and also watch our other training videos thanks for watching and have a great day

Channel: Hammerpedia

Views: 102,918

Keywords: Frost Proof Faucet, sillcock, outdoor faucet installation, frost free faucet, outdoor faucet, how to install a frost proof faucet, Water Damage Prevention

Id: jLp8QW5wRSM

Length: 9min 3sec (543 seconds)

Published: Wed Jul 12 2023