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Hose Bibs and Sillcocks: Everything You Need to Know
Where would we be without outdoor faucets?
Well, we’d certainly face a lot more problems washing the car, cleaning the garden furniture or watering the garden without a proper hose bib, spigot or sillcock (other names for outdoor faucets).
But outdoors in Calgary means that for seven or eight months of the year, there are challenges with the elements that may affect water flow or threaten to cause damage to your home.
So, what must Calgary homeowners do to protect and maintain outdoor plumbing and water systems in winter – and what’s the difference between a hose bib and a sillcock, anyway?
Never be confused by these terms again! Everything you need to know is explained below, including how to prepare your hose bib for winter…
Are hose bibs and sillcocks the same thing?
Hose bibs and sillcocks are both types of outdoor faucets but there are differences between the two.
The main difference is that a hose bib sits entirely on the exterior of the home, i.e., the entire device, including the valve that allows water to flow, sits on the siding of the house. A sillcock, on the other hand, has a large rod or stem that extends into the wall of the house and the shut-off valve sits at the end of the rod and connects to piping within the wall.
Because of their design differences, hose bibs are generally cheaper than sillcocks but may encounter more problems, especially in the winter when the frosts come, leading to a shorter lifespan.
Sillcocks are sometimes referred to as “frost-free” hose bibs because of the extra protection they can provide in winter.
What’s the function of hose bibs and sillcocks?
The function of a hose bib and sillcock is essentially the same: to facilitate access to potable water outside the home.
A small faucet sits on the outer wall of your home and the spout attaches to the garden hose for easy watering of the lawn or cleaning the garden furniture.
Inside your home, the plumbing system attaches to the hose bib through piping in the walls.
Different names that hose bibs go by
You’ll hear hose bibs referred to by a variety of names depending on who you ask. Alternative names include:
- Sillcock
- Hose faucet
- Hose valve
- Outdoor tap
- Hose attachment
- Lawn hydrant
- Spigot
- The thing that attaches to the hose
- Garden service
- Lawn service
As already explained, sillcocks and hose bibs are slightly different in design, with a sillcock’s valve placed at the end of a stem.
How does a hose bib work?
All you see on the outside of the house is the hose bib or faucet. However, the piping inside the home connects the hose bib to the main water supply of your home.
Unless you have an older home, a water shut-off valve in your home will be made specifically for the hose bib. If you’re unsure of this, ask your plumber next time he makes a call to your home.
A separate shut-off valve, while not always necessary, is advantageous in the Calgary climate as it can stop outside water access during the freezing months without interrupting the all-important flow of water in the rest of the home (extra peace of mind for homeowners).
If no separate shut-off valve is present, a frost-free hose bib or sillcock will shut off the water back in your home away from the cold that can burst your pipes (its stem leads back into the wall). A frost-free hose bib is far less likely to freeze up during the winter months than a standard hose bib.
Should you winterize your hose bib?
Indoor faucets need little in the way of maintenance but wintertime in Calgary makes it necessary to take a few precautionary steps with hose bibs.
You’ll want to disconnect your garden hose and store it before the first frost strikes. If not, trapped water will freeze, expand and potentially ruin your outdoor water access. That’s the most basic step to take.
Next, shut off the valve inside your home that controls the flow of water to the outside. It is normally located in the basement or on the other side of the outdoor wall that the hose bib is attached to.
After shutting off the water for the winter, turn the handle on the hose bib and drain any last droplets of water from the pipe. To clear the water entirely from the pipes, the spout of your hose pipe must be installed at a lower point than the access of your water — or any residual water could crack your hose bib or the pipes.
If there’s no separate shut-off valve in your home and your hose bib is not a frost-free design, you could be in trouble. Speak to your plumber and find out what options you have for protecting your external water supply.
Failure to winterize your hose bib could create real headaches with cracked and leaking pipes or a ruined hose bib. You might not even notice the problem until the spring but it will disrupt plans in the garden if you don’t winterize. Even worse, you could wake up to a flooded basement!
What other steps should you take to protect your water supply?
As well as winterizing your hose bib, consider fitting a vacuum breaker to your hose bib to keep your home’s water supply safe.
A vacuum breaker attaches to the outer spout of your hose bib. It looks like a cap and acts to prevent backflow into the spout, which is a possibility when the pressure drops in the City’s water supply.
If that happens, your drinking water could be at risk because your hose pipe sits outdoors and is exposed to any number of contaminants, which could be sucked back into the water supply if pressure drops.
The other main step you should take to protect your water supply is to get a regular checkup from a licensed plumber at Alpha Plumbing.
Bottom line: hose bib or sillcock?
Indoor faucets need little in the way of maintenance but wintertime in Calgary makes it necessary to take a few precautionary steps with hose bibs.
You’ll want to disconnect your garden hose and store it before the first frost strikes. If not, trapped water will freeze, expand and potentially ruin your outdoor water access. That’s the most basic step to take.Next, shut off the valve inside your home that controls the flow of water to the outside. It is normally located in the basement or on the other side of the outdoor wall that the hose bib is attached to.
After shutting off the water for the winter, turn the handle on the hose bib and drain any last droplets of water from the pipe. To clear the water entirely from the pipes, the spout of your hose pipe must be installed at a lower point than the access of your water — or any residual water could crack your hose bib or the pipes.
If there’s no separate shut-off valve in your home and your hose bib is not a frost-free design, you could be in trouble. Speak to your plumber and find out what options you have for protecting your external water supply.
Failure to winterize your hose bib could create real headaches with cracked and leaking pipes or a ruined hose bib. You might not even notice the problem until the spring but it will disrupt plans in the garden if you don’t winterize. Even worse, you could wake up to a flooded basement!
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