A hose bib, also known as a spigot or sillcock, is an outdoor water fixture that allows homeowners to attach a hose to get water. They are typically made of steel, brass, cast iron, or aluminum and have a handle that can be twisted to start and stop the flow of water. Hose bibs are connected to the home’s plumbing system and extend water use to the exterior. A pipe delivers pressurized water to the hose bib, making it ready for outdoor tasks. The hose bib also includes a spout.
A hose bib is an essential outdoor fixture that allows homeowners to attach a hose to get water. It is often soldered to an 8″-12″ length of 1/2″ copper. If you live in an area with freezing winters and the hose bib pipe will enter a heated space, buy a long hose bib.
The hose bib has three outside hose bibbs, two of which are standard garden hose thread, but one has a very fine thread that does not match either “Hose” or “Pipe” thread. Hose threads are mainly used with garden hoses in the water system, and pipe threads connect pipes that transfer water or gas. The spout of the hose bib comes with threading to securely attach a garden hose. Some models include a lever or wheel handle for easy operation.
The faucet is soldered onto a length of pipe, then shoved through the exterior wall and coupled into the inside piping. Both hose bibs and sillcocks experience the same problems concerning worn down washers and threads, which often result in problematic leaks.
In summary, a hose bib is an essential outdoor fixture that allows homeowners to attach a hose to get water. It is typically made of steel, brass, cast iron, or aluminum and comes with a handle for starting and stopping water flow.
📹 The CORRECT Way To Replace An Outdoor Faucet | DANGEROUS and Common Mistake DIYers Make!
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Does my faucet have threads?
To determine faucet threads, unscrew the faucet aerator housing and check if the threads are inside or outside. Female threads are on the inside, while male threads are on the outside. STRONGCO, an eco shower system shower head and faucet sprayer manufacturer, has extensive experience in bathroom accessories and kitchen products production and manufacturing. With numerous domestic and international brands and OEM manufacturing partners, they can provide optimum solutions to customers.
Can I replace a hose bib myself?
Replacing a hose bib is a simple DIY task, provided you have access to the pipe’s entry point. However, if you need to replace an outdoor water line or copper pipes, additional costs may apply. Hose bibs are designed for garden hoses, while spigots can be adapted for one without threading. It is recommended to hire a licensed plumber for outdoor spigot replacement, as it requires plumbing experience. Although handypeople may have some knowledge, professional expertise is necessary.
What thread are hose bibs?
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard for garden hose fitting thread size is ¾”–11. 5 NH or NHR, used for standard machined threads and rolled or formed threads like Swan’s rolled male thread. Other thread designations include GHT (Garden Hose Thread), GHM (Garden Hose Male), and GHF (Garden Hose Female), all made to the same standard. Special hoses for commercial applications have their own thread sizes, while metric sizes are used outside the United States.
Are outdoor spigots threaded?
Water spigots, also known as outdoor faucets, are essential for providing accessible water supply for various outdoor activities. They come in various designs, from simple manual faucets to sophisticated models with automated features. The typical design includes a sturdy metal construction, often brass or stainless steel, to withstand weather conditions and resist rust or corrosion. Some spigots feature ergonomic handles for easy operation. The size of a water spigot is determined by the pipe’s diameter, typically ranging from ½ inch to 1 inch.
They are installed strategically in locations like gardens, patios, or garages, where frequent outdoor water access is needed. The longevity of a water spigot is influenced by its material, design quality, and exposure to harsh weather conditions. With proper installation and maintenance, a water spigot can last from 10 to 20 years.
What kind of pipe do you use for an outdoor spigot?
To install a PEX pipe for underground plumbing, attach the PEX to the copper pipe using a PEX crimping tool. Copper pipe is ideal for exposed plumbing and outdoor faucet pipes, but PEX is the best choice due to its durability and lower cost. A continuous PEX line can be run from home and create turns without installing a single fitting. Blow out the system to avoid frost, especially in cold regions, using a home air compressor. Install the components early to avoid the peak of winter.
How are hose bibs connected?
Hose bibs are outdoor fixtures that connect to the plumbing system in your home, similar to faucets. They require different maintenance, especially during cold weather, compared to indoor water access points. They are also known as hose faucets, lawn service, garden service, hose valves, outdoor taps, hose attachments, lawn hydrants, and spigots. They are often referred to as “Hose bib”, “Frost-free hose bib”, “Garden service”, “Lawn service”, “Hose faucet”, “Hose valve”, “Outdoor tap”, “Spigot”, or “The thing that the hose goes onto”.
What is the difference between sweat and threaded hose bibs?
Threaded valves are characterized by the presence of threads on both the inlet and outlet, which enables their attachment to threaded pipes through the use of screw fasteners. It is of the utmost importance to have a clear understanding of the standard sizing for inlets and outlets when selecting either a sweat valve or a shut-off valve. The IPS (Iron Pipe Size) system, utilized in the United States, is a prevalent standard, and it is imperative to align it with the existing plumbing infrastructure.
Are hose bibs threaded or soldered?
Hose bibs come in two main types: threaded and soldered. Threaded bibs screw into outdoor pipe, while soldered bibs are soldered directly onto the pipe. They also come in standard or frost-free versions, with frost-free bibs keeping valve components inside. Bibs can be made from various materials, including standard aluminum, die cast aluminum, steel, cast iron, and ABS plastic. Standard aluminum bibs are cheaper but won’t last long, while die cast aluminum bibs are expensive but long-lasting. Choosing a high-quality bib that lasts is essential for long-term use, as aesthetics may not be a concern.
Is garden hose thread a pipe thread?
Hose threads and pipe threads are not compatible and cannot be interchanged with systems using one or the other. Certain pipe thread sizes can only be used with appropriate sizes, and adapters must be used otherwise. Common acronym designations are used to describe different types of fittings. Hose thread sizes are usually all ¾”, so the number may not always appear after MHT or FHT designations. Pipe thread sizes are always clearly marked on the fitting, including specialty pipe thread fittings with different size fittings on each end. For example, ½ MPT x ¾ FHT refers to an item with ½” Male Pipe Threads on one end and ¾” Female Hose Threads on the other end.
How do you secure hose bibs?
This text provides instructions on how to install a hose bib holder in a home. The holder is designed to hold the bibs tight and is recommended for use in newly built homes and retrofitted homes. The holder is made of PEX pipe and is designed to hold the bibs tight. The holder is secured using screws and pilot holes, and the screws are tightened until hand-tight. The product is highly recommended for its effectiveness and safety, as it prevents stress on the copper pipe.
However, the user advises marking the drill bit to the size of the masonry screws included to determine the depth of the hole. The holder is recommended for new homes and retrofitted homes, as it ensures the bibs are secure and secure.
What is the difference between a spigot and a bib?
The terms “hose bib” and “spigot” are often used interchangeably. A hose bib is designed for garden hose connections, while a spigot is adaptable for hoses. Both types of fittings are available at a price range of $100-$4, 000.
📹 No More Hose Bibs – A Better Outdoor Faucet
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Matt is absolutely right about the need for a frost-free hose bib, regardless of which type you choose. He is also spot-on about disconnecting your water hoses. I have replaced hose bibs for people who after 20 years of their frost-free hose bib having no problems, they left a pressurized water hose connected to it during a freeze. The hose bib burst inside the wall and because of its brilliant design, there was no water damage because the water was shut off inside the house. Upon turning the handle, they found water flowing out of their wall around the hose bib.
What happens when you yank on the hose sideways and snap that off inside the hydrant? It’s plastic and sticks out quite aways so I think it would be likely to happen. I’m assuming you would then just have a jet of water shooting out the side of your house. Love the loop in the wall, that’s really smart.
Interesting. Plumbing apprentice here and just replaced a frost free that had froze and burst. The problem with them is if you don’t install them with the proper fall away from the house your going to have residual water lying there and when winter comes it’s going to freeze and bust after where the washer shuts the water off. The owner turned the water on not realizing what had happened because it’s internal. The best way it to have an access panel with a 1/4 turn stop and drain ball valve.
great article. i hear from customers that they have had other people using their water. the only solution up to now was a loose key bib. another complaint was bibs accidentally being broken off. this new product you are presenting is the same technology used in Nelson and Buckner quick couplers. a new application for customers to choose from
Matt…The vacuum breaker purpose is an anti siphon devise to protect the potable water supply. So if someone leaves the end of their hose in a contaminated container (like an animal watering bucket or tub, hot tub, swimming pool etc), that contaminated water cannot siphon into the potable drinking water system.
“High-end” is all about understatement and fine materials, this is neither. Need brass, black connectors, subdued logo if any to make it onto heritage/high-end homes—they’re not boats. Plastic & bright colors look cheap, the logo size & placement is awful & will look dated in less than five years. Sorry guys, but this is just design reality. If it’s not appearing on aspirational homes, it will always be a tough sell. If you can’t cover that market, what’s the point?
This is a great product for someone that doesn’t want to store their hose outside for everybody to see just plug it in use it unplug it put it away It’s a lot like an electrical outlet. Very clean look old school people won’t like it but you got to change with the times. That would really like to see a more detail that loop system. That’s a great idea.
Thank you for showing this product. A lot of the vacuum break bibs have no or very limited volume control so this is not that big a deal. The price is very negligible when budgeted into a remodel or new build. Nice change from the standard centuries old look, completly funtional and pleasant to use. A winner in my book. As Matt said, keep a few spigots extra somewhere so you’re not waiting on the mailman so you can wash your dog.
1:35 No, that’s not what a vacuum breaker does. If you turn the water off in the house (say at the meter), and then open a sink or other fixture to drain the system it will create a vacuum, that vacuum could suck water from the hose into the house. This is what the vacuum breaker prevents. Gravity takes care of the water in the frost-free section of the silcock.
I bought a house 2yrs ago in MO I have 2outside faucets. Major problems with breakage and running water faucet, just had my 6th replacement. 3rd on each faucet Im not getting any explanation why my faucets break and run. I love this new invention I wonder how much it would cost to have installed. They look amazing.
I don’t like having to use an attachment to be able to use the faucet. But I’m sure the quality is fine, and is easier to attach than a standard house thread. It’s more like a water filter in a fridge than a house attachment. I Do like the loop idea very much, however, and this could be set up regardless of whether you use this new style faucet or not.
As always teach us something new and provide with betters ideas and practice your are one of the best. I would like to teach us more about the codes and standard for home renovations if there any book to purchase thanks a lot. Maybe you can create other show to help home owner to fix regular issue or how to improve or houses and to prevent future damage in our houses
The service loop is really clever! In 20 years or so when the unit needs to be replaced, how will the plumber know it’s there? Taking a chance that they will unscrew the mounting plate and pull or cut a hole through the sheetrock where they think the connection is? New homes need a chip like the vet puts in our pets. Homeowner gives the tradesperson an access code, scan the doobly doo, and bingo, questions answered.
For all the naysayers, just remember what kinds of houses Matt builds and who his clients are. To many aesthetics matter and these keep the clean lines of the house more intact. If that is something that matters to you, then here is a solution. If not, then move on. Is it cheap, no, but neither is hiring Matt as your builder either. You expect premium results from Matt and that is what this product he is showing is too. Sheesh.
In my remodel I put in two of these and spent a lot of time talking to the Aquor team before I had them installed. When the building moved inside during the winter the crew made a mistake. Left a hose attached to my aquor during a 3 degree weekend. Basically the entire hose froze and burst the hose leaving a spray of water outside. By the time I got to it three days later you had thought i was practicing ice sculptures. There was no freezing inside or issues with plumbing in the basement. I unclipped the hose to Aquor bib and just replaced the hose. Could have been way worse with a traditional hose bib. Another thing is you can get a valve piece on the outside to regulate the water flow. Plus it looks great.
I don’t know if these are any good or not, but many of the comments aren’t. “Sometimes you don’t want full flow!” Ignoring for the moment (as you all apparently have) that Mr. Risinger pointed out that a standard faucet adapter is available and assuming that one’s going to use the standard adapter, what do you all think’s going to be on the other end of the hose in such instances? I don’t know about you folks, but when I want to regulate the flow, I put a nozzle on the other end instead of running back and forth to the faucet a dozen times. Sheesh! “It’s plastic!” The device itself is metal: only the adapters are plastic. They look very thick and sturdy. Might they eventually break? Sure, that’s true of anything. At which point you buy a replacement or use a spare. (It takes a quarter turn to put them in: if you can’t figure out a way to extract the inserted piece, maybe you don’t have the where-with-all to do handyman work.) What they won’t do, safely tucked away in the garage, is freeze and burst as the fixture they replace would. “I might lose it!” Seriously, dudes? If you don’t have a system where you either leave the adapter in a particular place or on the end of the hose (gonna lose the hose, too?) and you really do lose one -and you don’t have a spare- then… buy another one. If you can’t get them locally, you can order them from the manufacturer or from Amazon, I already checked. (They cost $11.95.) “It might leak in the house!” I have the alternative now. It’s been fine for many Colorado winters, but last year something broke and it leaked –when I opened the valve with a timer on a hose and the timer cut off.
so, what do you do when you live in the south (SW Mississippi) and your 40+ year old FHA house has frost free hose bibs that start leaking. New rubber isn’t available because the type of hose bib isn’t available anymore, and there’s no way of knowing if the bib is threaded into old copper pipe, or old pvc, or what.. ???
Seriously 90 bucks is NOT A BAD DEAL???? Wow, must be nice to have more money than BRAIN CELLS… 90 Bucks is a HORRIBLE DEAL for a piece of Plastic Connector that is going to BREAK as soon as you pull too hard as you run out of hose and are looking to get to that last part of the yard. Sure the design is appealing as the hose bib can be a bit of an eye sore; but the price is just downright awful and NO it’s not a better faucet, especially because of the plastic connector to turn it on and off. It’s still going to leak and what would you do if the connector breaks off and allows the water to run. Worse yet if you leave your hose attached overnight only to wake up to Frost the next morning, or a Frozen Pipe just the same, then you’re out 90 Bucks plus to cost of Installation. Maybe if it was priced as the other solutions like 30 bucks, it might be worth it. I can see way too many things wrong with this device and personally I would NOT INSTALL ONE, I don’t care WHAT CODE HAS TO SAY, the Code is WRONG HERE. Sounds like the Code is on the TAKE to force folks to BUY a Triple Priced Solution. There is NOTHING about this device that says “I’m worth 90 Bucks” absolutely NOTHING at all. Do me a personal favor, stop blowing smoke up my butt then telling me I’m on FIRE….
Interesting but no thanks. Overkill for anywhere. To many moving parts. In the northeast we use a 12″ frost free hose bib. Temp can go below 0° and no problems and virtually maintenance free for a tiny fraction of that fancy plastic version. But if you’re customer has the $$$ for the cost and maintenance: your choice.
Still don’t really understand the need for this product, having always had the frost-resistant bibs. Even being in a climate that regularly deals with freezing temperatures, the frost-resist ones do fine. I don’t think a plastic flap looks any better than a standard bib, and having to a plastic, proprietary adapter for every one of my hoses, just to convert back to the normal thread? No thanks. Even just replacing the ends of the hose with those fittings would be better (at least to me, anyway) Its a neat product for sure, I just think its trying to solve a problem thats already been solved years ago.
Wow,as a plumber in Maryland we have nothing like this and no-one goes through all that extra bullshit to put a hosebib in!!!! Plastic and shiny metal awesome if you know anything metal and plastic rarely place nice together for long,really doing yourself a dis-service buying one of your houses if this is the kind of garbage your high on fire about using
better is subjective… doesn’t look like you can control how much water comes in and out of the faucet, and like a bunch of idiots are going to get soaked from full pressure shooting out while they’re holding a hose and plugging it in. I’m in Massachusetts and have a normal tap that hasn’t had a problem in… 90 years. Literally… it was the first source of water at my house. I think the problem is more how cheap things are made today.
If I was really worried about freezing and appearance, I’d much rather have some kind of recessed, waterproof, insulated “box”, like a beer cooler turned sidways, with a door opening outward (hinged at the top). Need water, pop open the door, connect your hose and everything else is exactly the same, including being able to replace the bib without slinky pipe.
For those of you assuming you would be able to snap the connector off with a simple twist of your arm, please do a little research before you jump to an uneducated conclusion. They use marine grade stainless steel and heavy duty polymers. Not all types of plastics are the same. There is a article of them driving a car over the product no problem. You guys think you could apply as much force as a car?? As for the sun/heat damage, they use UV resistant polymers. It is new in the housing market, but it has been in the marine market for around 15 years. One test is worth a thousand opinions. Test the product out guys.
So a question for someone who doesn’t have to deal with freezing pipes: isn’t the PVC conduit a ‘cold space’, ie the PVC is surrounded by insulation but the cold can come in through the same hole in the wall the bib does? So having the shutoff 6″ into the wall is less effective because the air in the pipe is cold?
I thought a bib was something I put on my kids to protect their clothes when eating in the high chair. Not crazy about the new faucet design, plastic and one more thing to lose/buy when seals go bad (and they will break everything does), plus the price point seems bit high. Why fix try to fix it ain’t broke?
I’ve used taps similar to this before and my experience has always been left with a feeling of inconvenience. For instance, if you are working outside and your hands get dirty then you need to get the “Key” in order to turn the water on to rinse your hands. It seems like a clean looking install except that you need to always keep the water key next to it in order for it to be convenient and things like that get lost and look cluttered. If you keep the key (with quarter turn valve) installed and the quarter turn valve turned off (so that this is now convenient for you to use again) then you have lost your frost free protection and it now looks bulky. These look like plastic attachments and if they are then I see that as being a week spot and are asking to get damage from being cross threaded or cracked from the hose being pulled on. The ones I have used have a brass key and cover and are much more robust. They were installed to stop vandals from nocking them off a wall or people steeling water… were talking commercial application here. Those sort of issues would not be a concern for a regular home owner. If you don’t have the faucet attachment then you only have full on or full off control. Filling a bucket with water now becomes a high pressure high flow splashy mess. A simple task like filling this bucket or watering can now becomes more complex because you must have a hose beside you to achieve this simple task of water flow control or you are having to find that water key that has the on/off valve installed (“where did I put that again?
Matt, the vacuum breaker is in case the water pressure goes off and you still have a hose attached. Maybe the end of the hose is in a bucket of water. You don’t want to suck that water into your house plumbing and the city sure doesn’t want it in their system. So if the water supply from the house develops a vacuum it won’t pull water from the hose into the plumbing. It “breaks” the vacuum.
Nice advertisement. If you need an adapter to use the product, it’s a bad product. And as a general rule, anything sealing with an O Ring is a terrible idea for end user use. This is an expensive headache. I would be leery about your pex loop aswell. Pex isn’t the wonderful product is was marketed as. In 20 years (lol this hosebib isn’t lasting that long) I wouldn’t want to be pulling on those permanently stressed pex connections, and curling the brittle old pex can easily make a split in the future.
I don’t like that it doesn’t have a handle for 2 reasons. I can’t control how much water comes out and I have to disconnect the hose all the time. With a hose real attached, I just want to turn a handle, which has never caused me to scratch my hand. Also, it’s called an anti-siphon. It is designed to prevent backflow that could pull fertilizers and other possible contaminates back into the potable water supply. Yes, it may help drain the water out from the shut-off back in the wall to where the water comes out, but that is not it’s main purpose.
almost a good idea, your adapter needs some deep thought. Its good that the “spigot” – the part attached to the house that you stick the male adapter part in- is the female portion, great, but when you attach the hose it has some force on the plastic piece you put in it, that force being which ever direction the hose puts on it, in your article it was down, see how it gets pulled in the downward direction? it will eventually cause the groove lock to fail via wear and lots of force on it. traditional spigot shapes account for this. its one of those design ideas that we over look in our every day tech. I suggest you discontinue the lock grove and look into a ring compression lock, i.e. similar to air hoses in a garage. and relieve some of the vertical torque via slightly pointing it downwards.
Being from the north I have no need to replace a silcock that closes outside the house. Where is the ability to adjust the flow of water? Oh you need another special attachment to do that? How long will those attachments last? They do seem to be relatively robust for a plastic piece but I cannot see them lasting for very long. The hose getting pulled or snagged or the attachment piece getting bumped while attached may break it fairly quickly. Not to mention what will happen while it is sitting around in a garage. As for solving leaking issues with the old style of silcocks, (per Aquor: “Over 10% of homes in the US have leaks of 90+ gallons per day (EPA.gov)”) that is what happens when the median age of a house in the USA is 35 years. I would bet in that time no one has ever replaced a seal. My house was build in the 60’s and had leaking silcocks. I would bet no one ever touched the seals in that 50+ years. Less than $5 in seals and 1/2 hour to replace them is so much cheaper easier than putting in this new silcock. For this last one if you are doing new construction it may not matter to you.
So when you remove the hose, the water turns off. And the vacuum breaker then drains all the water so there’s no risk of frost damage… where does that water go? Down the side of the wall? And you only realize the seal has gone and the tap is dripping when the hose is disconnected…So it need to be fixed immediately, you can’t put a bucket under the drip, because it will go straight down your wall… And the long plastic connectors… ever whipped a hose just to flick it over something? Yeah, doing that will likely snap that connector. Good idea, neat design, fatal flaws in my opinion
Not a bad deal at all for 90 bucks? I mean, even if the regular 20 bucks anti-freeze valve, the pieces are way easier to find and if its leaking or if u have any problems with it it is way easier to repair and /or replace. And second. Plastic fittings for quarter turns? might I ask how much it costs if u break that damn fitting? pretty sure its not all stores that got those. Its a little bit like Apple removing the 3.5mm jack on their smartphones. Why change something that is cheap and works fine? Progress? yeah right.
I like this idea, but I’m wondering how much force that plastic adapter can take if you gave your hose a little pull? Would that plastic part snap in two or do you need to watch or that? I’m just thinking kids running around with a hose and they run one step too far……will it hold up? Keep up the great work.
Yeah, that’s neat, but this reminds me of the debacle with Apple removing the headphone jack and replacing it with a proprietary dongle you plug into the charging port to listen to music with. While I can see the appeal, this wouldn’t be something I would use for my future home. A neat concept though. edit: Adding the loop of water pipe in the wall is a neat trick that I will utilize in my first build. Thank you for showing that
these things are great for custom homes, and thats probably what they are designed for, but there is no way you could install that loop, ($90) hose bib and street 90s and make a profit on a production house, I would always go with a good old copper piping threaded to an 8 or 12″ frost free quarter turn, with a replaceable gasket, they are cheap reliable and VERY easy to replace if you spec a threaded female on the pipe and not a sweat connection.