Save Holiday Money for Fun Stuff Not Frozen Pipe Fixes by Santa's Elves

2 Hours
Medium
I'm forgetful.

Every year I always want to drain our outdoor hose bib. You'd think it'd be easy, we only have one.

But needless to say other things get in the way: holiday shopping, basketball practice for kids, Star Wars movie marathons, etc. (I'm always a sucker for The Empire Strikes Back, who does't love the "I'm am your father..." scene).
This past weekend I installed a freeze proof outdoor sillcock. So if I forget to shutoff the water to the hose bib I won't be at risk of having frozen pipes in January or February when temps get down to single digits here in Pittsburgh.

The last thing I want to be dealing with when the Steelers are in the Superbowl are burst pipes (okay, so this year the Black n Gold kinda stink but it's always a possibility).
The cool thing about this quick project is you don't need to use a torch or solder. SharkBite push on fittings make the installation so easy my 10 year old daughter could do it.
Here are some tips:
+turn off water to the exterior hose bib before temps reach freezing (32 F)
+drain the water from the exterior hose bib
+buy every size of exterior sillcock (it's easier to return them then drive back to the store)
+use a 1/2 female SharkBite straight connector to attach the sillcock to copper pipes
+apply teflon tape to the male end of the new sillcock
There are more tips and videos on my post which you can find here http://www.homerepairtutor.com/frost-free-sillcocks-for-outside-water-faucets-and-hose-bibs/
Use freeze proof sillcocks to prevent burst water pipes
The finished product, a freeze proof sillcock
Add teflon tape to the male end of the sillcock then add the female SharkBite fitting
Angle the new sillcock down toward the ground when installing it to ensure water drains out of the pipe.
Replace the old hose bib with a new frost free sillcock, stop frozen pipes from ever happening.
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2 of 7 comments
  • Home Repair Tutor Home Repair Tutor on Dec 27, 2012
    Thanks Becky and Tammy for your kind words.
  • Home Repair Tutor Home Repair Tutor on Dec 27, 2012
    Great tip Woodbridge, definitely making sure the frost free hose bib tilts down to ensure proper draining is huge. Otherwise, the installation is a waste of time.
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