How to Repair/Replace Vacuum Breaker on Outside Hose Bibb?

[Cfipp]

The vacuum breakers on all of my outdoor hose bibbs are leaking. The house is about 19 years old and the manufacturer of the hose bibbs is NIBCO. The water is leaking out at the vacuum breaker (VB), above where the garden hose screws on. So no matter how tightly I screw on the hose or if I put in new washers, it still leaks because the leak is above the hose connection. Please see photos below.

As designed, the set screw was broken off when the vacuum breaker was installed. So the repair is not as easy as simply unscrewing the vacuum breaker and installing a new one. In order to remove the old, leaking VB, you have to remove the set screw. I have researched and read numerous forums and watched a few videos, too. It looks like there are two ways to repair: carefully cut out the set screw and remove the vacuum breaker or replace the whole hose bibb.

My question is whether it will be easier to buy a dremel and use a cutting wheel to cut out the set screw or replace the whole hose bibb. If I were to replace the whole hose bibb, I have no idea what hides behind the two screws holding on that hose bibb flange/collar. What would be in store for me there? Could the bibb replacement be as simple as turning off the water to the house, unscrewing the old one and screwing on a new one? Could I get that lucky?! I am pretty handy and do lots of DIY projects, but I do not (yet) own a dremel nor to I know how to weld.

As additional information, I live in Jacksonville, Florida where freezing is rarely an issue. Also, either way, I will definitely install a new VB as a safety measure.

Below are the photos. Thanks so much in advance for your help!

Carol

 

[Terry]

You can take a drill bit and drill out the set screw,
Or you can unthread the hosebib and replace. Sometimes the nipple behind had corroded and my be missing a thread or two. Sometime you need to access the wall behind for that.
If the nipple is bad, back in the wall, you may need an "Easy-Out" to grip it from the inside.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Reach4]

Could the bibb replacement be as simple as turning off the water to the house, unscrewing the old one and screwing on a new one? Could I get that lucky?! I am pretty handy and do lots of DIY projects, but I do not (yet) own a dremel nor to I know how to weld.

It could be that easy after you pull out those two Philips screws.

For drilling out the set screw, if you can put a small drill down the middle of the screw before going to a bigger drill, that would be good. Otherwise I would just start with a drill bit about the size of the screw thread.

 

[glazer1972]

When mine needed changing I split one with a dremel tool and a screwdriver. The next one I drilled the setscrew out.

 

[hj]

I hate to give up all the trade secrets, but you use a hacksaw and cut a "V" around the screw. It fall out and you unscrew the VB.

 

[Jadnashua]

Depending on where in FL you are, you might not be worried about freezing, but I'd say, consider replacing the thing with a new frost-free silcock, which will have a built-in vacuum breaker. There are a few of them out there that are designed with both hot and cold, should that make things like rinsing off the dog, or washing the car nicer (or even yourself)- Moen has a nice one, and Woodford makes a couple.

 

[hj]

quote; but I'd say, consider replacing the thing with a new frost-free silcock, which will have a built-in vacuum breaker. There are a few of them out there that are designed with both hot and cold, should that make things like rinsing off the dog, or washing the car nicer (or even yourself)-

He just wants to replace the leaking VBs, NOT remodel his house. Plus, "built in VBs" are proprietary and when they leak it is NOT a simple "unscrew and screw a new one on" process. Especially when the company has changed patterns, or gone out of business, and parts for yours are no longer available. And you are assuming that there is a "perpendicular" wall behind the hose bibb to give the room to insert a freeze proof valve, which, in Florida, may NOT be a valid assumption.

 

[Cfipp]

He just wants to replace the leaking VBs, NOT remodel his house. Plus, "built in VBs" are proprietary and when they leak it is NOT a simple "unscrew and screw a new one on" process. Especially when the company has changed patterns, or gone out of business, and parts for yours are no longer available. And you are assuming that there is a "perpendicular" wall behind the hose bibb to give the room to insert a freeze proof valve, which, in Florida, may NOT be a valid assumption.

Hehehehe... "He"... hehehehe...

-Carol

 

[Cfipp]

I'm baaaack... THREE YEARS later... and finally own a Dremel! I'm going to do this project today. (Yes, it has been languishing all this time. Ugh.)

Here's today's question: When I install the new, replacement vacuum breaker, is it OK to just install it without the set screw? That way, when it eventually fails, all I have to do is twist it off and not monkey around with removing a set screw? I was able to easily back out the set screw on the replacement vacuum breaker (that I have not yet installed). Will the VB still function as intended (...until it doesn't and leaks)? Yes, I realize that it won't be completely within code but no one in a million years will know except me.

Thanks in advance for your help and this excellent forum!
Carol

 

[Reach4]

Yes. Yes.

 

[Cfipp]

Yes. Yes.

Thanks for the reply, Reach4!

I guess I will not be doing the project today. Was preparing the Dremel for first use by seating the carbon brushes under no load at full power for five minutes, per the instruction manual, and at four minutes, 30 seconds, the Dremel just shut off. Will not start or run at any speed. Called Dremel Customer Service and after trying their suggestion of swapping the carbon brushes from side to side and still no luck, they said I will have to send it them for repair. At least they are sending me a prepaid label.

 

[hj]

It sounds like it is a new tool, so why not just return it and get a new one, or maybe a better one.

 

[Reach4]

I hate to give up all the trade secrets, but you use a hacksaw and cut a "V" around the screw. It fall out and you unscrew the VB.

Would those cuts be like the orange line in this picture?

 

[Cfipp]

Yeah, hj, you're right, that would be easier. However. You know how it's taken me three years to get around to this project? Here's how my letter to the Dremel Service Center starts out:

"I purchased the enclosed Dremel 3000 online from The Home Depot in November 2014. Please see enclosed receipt. I know this may be hard to believe, but I am a working single female and also taking care of an elderly mother and did not get around to opening the box until this week. I bought the tool for a specific project, and wanted to read the manual before using it, and just didn’t get to it until now. So the tool is brand-new, right out of the box, and has never been used. Not even once."

So I can't take it back to The Home Depot or send it back to Home Depot (it was an online purchase). I am most grateful that the Dremel Customer Service representative believed me when I told her I had just opened the box this week - which is entirely true.

Carol

 

[Cfipp]

Would those cuts be like the orange line in this picture?

View attachment 37764

YouTube video with the trade secret :

Carol

 

[WorthFlorida]

I've taken many of them off with a good set of Channel Locks. however, the last one I had to do I did use a hacksaw. Before cutting all the way through and damage the threads, I stuck in a flat blade screw driver in the cut slot twisted and it cracked.

The replacements do have a screw that breaks off after a certain torque is applied. I just make them snug and leave the stub there so it can be used the next time more easily and the VB does not unscrew with the garden hose.

FYI.. These China made vacuum breakers seem to have a half life of about 3 years in Florida. I have just sold my home after 26 years and I swear I changed the three spigot vacuum breaker's at least four times each. They all fail the same way. The diaphragm gets hard and they no longer flex, therefore they leak.

 

[Cfipp]

I got lucky yesterday... I called Customer Service at The Home Depot and the rep said she would be willing to swap it out. I was there within the hour and got a new Dremel 3000. Yay! Brought it home, seated the brushes and was good to go.

I took off two vacuum breakers from hose bibbs without very much trouble at all. I used a Dremel 426 fiberglass-reinforced 1 1/4" cut-off wheel to do the job.

The hose bibb handle does tend to get into the way - it would probably be easier to do this if you remove the handle (but I didn't).

I made three cuts: two parallel on either side of the set screw and one across the bottom of the set screw. I had to cut for longer and deeper than I would have thought...but I was sure to stay near the top of the vacuum breaker where I would not damage the threads of the hose bibb underneath. I definitely needed the channel-lock pliers to get the screw out and I could not get a good grip (or I don't have the hand strength) to get that little section out until I had cut deeper than I expected. Again, I kept that cutting wheel at the top of the vacuum breaker unlike a lot of the videos and pictures I've seen on the web where people show their cuts the full length of the VB (and then say their threads were damaged). My cuts had no effect on the threads at all... and as others have pointed out, the seal is at the washer, anyway. It's amazing how easy they are to screw off once you have removed that set screw.

WorthFlorida, you say you left the stub (set screw). For both of my VBs and all the photos of others I have seen on the web, the set screws are completely rusted into place. When you go to unscrew it, if the screw head snaps off, you'll be left with the same problem. I opted to put mine on without the set screw. (Of all the forums I've read in the past few days, I'm surprised to have not seen that suggestion anywhere).

The first VB:

The second VB:

The replacement VB:

Replacement VB installed WITHOUT the set screw:

Hose bibb before installing the new VB. I used teflon tape around the hose bibb threads before screwing on the new VB and hand-tightening:

Thanks again for the help, everyone!
Carol

 

[Cfipp]

This is the type of cut I did not make... increased risk of damaging the hose bibb threads underneath...

 

[Kreemoweet]

No set screw needed: just hold the VB with one hand, screw/unscrew the hose with the other. For the one-armed, I guess
you could get a nice stainless steel (no rust!) screw with the same threads as the supplied setscrew . . .

But really, why would anyone ever put one of those things on, unless they had to? Their "purpose" is to prevent a harm that is so theoretical
as to be indistinguishable from the non-existent.