Hose Vacuum Breaker Removal & Replacement

[knuckle buster]

How do I remove an old and leaking hose vacuum breaker from an outdoor sillcock? The old one was attached by screwing it on the sillcock threads and tightening the set screw and breaking off the set screw which left a rusty stub in the set screw hole.

Thanks, Knuckle Buster

[ckl111]

The set screw was not supposed to break off.

You need to drill out the screw to allow the vacuum break to unscrew. Drill slowly so you drill as little as possible into the hose bib threads.

[Redwood]

The set screw was not supposed to break off.

Beg to differ with you on that!
It is a tamper-proof design that is supposed to ensure that once installed it is not removed.

[hj]

The screw was intended to break off. Either cut a "V", which includes the screw stub, in the vacuum breaker, and knock the V out which will also remove the screw, or replace the hose faucet.

[ckl111]

Beg to differ with you on that!
It is a tamper-proof design that is supposed to ensure that once installed it is not removed.Sorry for the mis-information. :o The ones I have bought in the past had a fairly large bolt as a set screw so I didn't think something that big was mean to break off.

[hj]

IF you tighten that screw/bolt properly it WILL break off as it was intended to.

[Redwood]

yep! There is a notch in it so it breaks off when the right amount of torque is reached.

[SewerRatz]

I received a call once from a home owner saying he really screwed up. He put on the vacuum breaker and tightened the set screw and it broke off. I tried to explain to him over the phone that is what supposed to happen. I ended driving there and showing him that it was normal, he was kind enough to pay my service call for some plumbing 101.

[kingsotall]

That has to be the cleanest "sewer rat" in your avatar.

[hj]

I thought you were going to say he broke the screw off before he tested the VB to make sure it was on tight enough.