How to Install an Outdoor Faucet

End lugging around that hose

Fourth dimension

Multiple Days

Complication

Beginner

Cost

$51–100

Introduction

Make watering your lawn or garden easier with a remote outside faucet. Instead of dragging long lengths of hose, run a permanent hole-and-corner pipe with a blowout valve to a user-friendly spot.

Tools Required

Materials Required

  • 3/4-in. copper pipe and fittings
  • iii/iv-in. copper T
  • 3/4-in. female person adapter
  • 3/iv-in. PEX T
  • three/four-in. PEX to copper transitions
  • 3/4-in. plug
  • 3/4-in. x 1/4-in. reducer
  • backflow preventer
  • Flux
  • Gravel
  • Atomic number 82-gratis solder
  • PEX/piping elbow
  • PVC contend postal service
  • Sandpaper
  • Shutoff valves
  • Sill cock
  • Sprinkler system valve box

Installing The Pipe and Faucet

If dragging hoses around is a constant activity in your g, install a remote faucet and eliminate that hassle forever. The job volition take you a 24-hour interval or 2 (depending on how much trenching is required) and price less than $100. Everything you'll need is bachelor at home centers.

Excavation the trench:

Call 811 a few days before you dig so the utility companies can locate buried pipes and cables in your yard. You simply have to bury the h2o line about 6 in. deep. If you lot're trenching in hard clay or rocky soil, that's nigh every bit deep as you'll want to become. If y'all're working in soft soil, information technology's smart to go at least 12 in. deep to reduce the hazard of futurity harm. At whatsoever depth, you can easily protect the water line from shovel attacks: Embrace the tubing with a couple of inches of soil, then pour in most 2 in. of the dry concrete mix before backfilling the trench. Soil moisture volition harden the physical.

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Project pace-by-stride (4)

Step 1

Plumbing the Faucet

install outdoor faucet

PEX Tubing
PEX tubing, which is flexible and more than resistant to damage from freezing, is the best selection for the supply line to the faucet.

The inside connection
To get the best flow charge per unit at the garden, tap into an interior three/4-in. cold water line. If y'all can't find one that'south convenient, tap into a ane/ii-in. line instead (yous'll just get a slightly lower flow charge per unit). If you have a water softener, tap into a h2o line before the softener.

Step ii

Copper to PEX Transition

copper to PEX transition

The pipeline

Copper pipe is best for the exposed plumbing at the business firm, but PEX tubing is best for the underground. It's a lot cheaper than copper and it's easier to install than CPVC plastic. With PEX, yous can brand a continuous run from your firm and can make turns without installing a single plumbing equipment. Plus, PEX tolerates balmy freezing amend than either CPVC or copper (in example you're late blowing out the line). However, you'll have to invest in a 3/4-in. PEX crimping tool. If you lot don't desire to shell out the cash, use CPVC.

Attaching PEX to a copper line

To attach PEX to a copper line, solder on a transition fitting, so crimp the PEX to the plumbing equipment with a crimping tool.

Stride 3

Blow-Out System

blow-out system

The blow-out system

If you alive in a freeze zone, yous'll accept to blow out the organisation before the first difficult freeze. It's easy to do with a home air compressor, but you'll have to install the components now (instead of during a snowstorm).

At the firm, splice in a tee and a threaded female person iii/4-in. adapter, and cap it with a plug. That's where you lot'll connect your compressed airline.

At the garden, install a blow-out valve (a brawl valve is all-time) below course in a gravel pit. Use a sprinkler system valve box to cover it. Before the first freeze, shut the shutoff valve and unscrew the plug. Next, screw in a standard air hose fitting and a reducer and connect your air hose. Out at the faucet, open both the faucet and the blow-out valve and allow the water drain. Then, close only the faucet and blow out any remaining water with your compressor. Finally, close the blow-out valve and replug the blow-out plumbing fixtures dorsum at the business firm.

Step 4

Mounting the Faucet

mounting the faucet

The post and faucet

Nosotros cut a length of hollow PVC debate mail to mount the faucet, but you can build your ain mail out of any material. Brand certain the PEX runs within it to protect it from sunlight—UV rays reduce its life. Fix the mail at least xviii in. deep. Screw the sill cock flange to the post and install a screw-on backflow preventer.

Annotation: Check with your local plumbing inspector for backflow prevention requirements in your area.

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Originally Published: November eighteen, 2022