Mad Plumber
Mad Skills
our home does not have an outdoor facet. it does have an water meter. It is an small home all on one level. How would we go about installing an outside water facet so we can water the grass etc
marion
marion
our home does not have an outdoor faucet
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Mike Swearingen
New Member
Basement, crawlspace or slab?
What type of supply pipe?
Are you familiar with basic plumbing?
Do you just want one outside faucet? In yard? On wall?
What type of supply pipe?
Are you familiar with basic plumbing?
Do you just want one outside faucet? In yard? On wall?
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Let me add to Mike's list in that if you live in a cold climate, you'll want to add -- if possible -- a (ball) valve inside your home so that you can easily drain the water from the outdoor faucet at the beginning of the winter.
Outdoor faucets have a valve stem that goes well inside the house in order to keep the faucet warm so that the pipe does not freeze. In cold climates, this may not be long enough.
Adding a ball valve should cost you less than an additional $30. If you are doing the work yourself, the valve itself should cost less than $10. You'll be glad you did. A burst frozen pipe will cost you a lot more than $30.
Also, make sure that the water line goes -through- an outside wall and never along or in an outside wall. Even insulated walls are not warm enough to keep an outside pipe from freezing. All you need is one pinhole leak and it's curtains. I've been there.
Check with local building codes and building department to make sure that you are even allowed to add an outdoor water line. I know that I can't add an extra outdoor faucet (I have 2) in my house because Boulder's code says that I am at my maximum fixture count. An outdoor hose bib counts as 3 units here. As a comparison, a sink is one unit. If I want to add a single water fixture to my house (and be legal) I would have to increase the meter size at a cost of about $20,000. You read that correctly.
Outdoor faucets have a valve stem that goes well inside the house in order to keep the faucet warm so that the pipe does not freeze. In cold climates, this may not be long enough.
Adding a ball valve should cost you less than an additional $30. If you are doing the work yourself, the valve itself should cost less than $10. You'll be glad you did. A burst frozen pipe will cost you a lot more than $30.
Also, make sure that the water line goes -through- an outside wall and never along or in an outside wall. Even insulated walls are not warm enough to keep an outside pipe from freezing. All you need is one pinhole leak and it's curtains. I've been there.
Check with local building codes and building department to make sure that you are even allowed to add an outdoor water line. I know that I can't add an extra outdoor faucet (I have 2) in my house because Boulder's code says that I am at my maximum fixture count. An outdoor hose bib counts as 3 units here. As a comparison, a sink is one unit. If I want to add a single water fixture to my house (and be legal) I would have to increase the meter size at a cost of about $20,000. You read that correctly.
Jimbo
Plumber
Are you saying that you actually have a lawn now, but no way to water it? Do you live in a very wet climate? If you are not metered for water, the "deal" on that may prohibit landscape use.
You have to install the line AFTER the meter - otherwise when (not if) you get caught, your local water authority will not be exactly happy. Another thing to bear in mind is that if you have a water softener - install the outdoor faucet before the softener. Grass does not like water that has salt in it! Any plumbing supply store will have outdoor type faucets with a sillcock on them - they are about 10-12" long - that is what you want to use, and then make sure your interior valve has a drain on it as previously noted - drain them in the fall, and no freezeups to worry about!
