Outdoor hose faucet

Hi,

My husband and I just bought our 1st home. I have a small flower bed and would like to water daily. We bought a new hose to hook up to our outside faucet but, the water hose sprays from where the hose connects and right above the hose between this metal piece. We have tried tighten the hose down and the metal piece you connect the hose too but, nothing has worked.

Can you tell me what this piece is right above the hose........can it be replaced. If so where do I buy? Where the gap is between the two metal pieces is where the water leaks and like I said where you connect the hose.

Here is a pic to better understand........I have labeled so you have a better understanding the gap is where water sprays alot and from where the hose connects.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.........thank you

I'm pretty sure it is a (defective) vacuum breaker attachment. They come in several forms...what you have is an add-on version that just screwed onto the existing 'normal' faucet. There is likely a setscrew that is holding it in place. This screw is often specially made to have the head break off after you install it, so it can't be removed easily. You may have to drill out the screw to release it. If you don't, you'll likely mess up the threads. If you drill too deep, you'll ruin the faucet.

You can solve all of this by replacing it with a new frost-free faucet that has a built-in vacuum breaker (required in many places, and good to have everywhere). Properly installed, you don't need to shut off the water to that faucet on the inside of the house in the winter (as long as you remember to remove the hose so it can drain).

leak

You need to back up and take a picture which is in focus and shows the rest of the faucet. You may have an addon backflow preventer, and if so it is "locked" onto the faucet and you will destroy the faucet if you try to unscrew it without cutting or drilling the locking screw out of it. You may also have an integral one which is a different animal and needs an exact replacement for that make and model.

Here is a better pic

Hi,

Thank you both for your help...........here is a better picture of the whole faucet...............

First, how easily is it to install a frost free faucet......... my husband has no plumbing experience and if we decide to take the vacuum breaker off........where on the piece is the screw located.........or can he just start drilling anywhere on the vacuum breaker.

Thanks for your help and knowlege...........I really appreciate it.

You have an ArrowHead sillcock. If you unscrew that vacuum breaker off you will find a fine thread. So you will need to find a plumbing supply that has Arrowhead sillcocks and get the new vacuum breaker from them.

hose bib

The degree of difficulty installing a new hose bib totally depends on how the original plumber installed it. In the perfect world you would be able to unscrew it from the fitting in the wall, match up the size and screw in a new one. Unfortunately many times this is not the case. Some plumbers don’t strap it correctly, sweat it directly to copper pipe or one of the many other ways to do it. If you go put a wrench on it and turn away you might get lucky or you could put yourself in a world of hurt. Best bet call a plumber or drill that set screw out. If you cant find the screw you could cut the vacuum breaker of with an angle grinder witch is a VERY delicate process and not the place to use this tool for the first time.