Are all "frost free" outdoor faucets junk?

[ShooterAZ]

I purchased the house I'm currently living in in 2001. During that time I have had to replace the frost free faucets at least four times. I have tried replacing the washers on them too, but they just don't last. Does anyone know of a good quality one that will last more than 3 years? It's a royal pain changing them out.

[mold maker]

Must be that they lowered the quality, or maybe installed wrong. Mine were installed in 87 and still as good as new. No hose attached during freezing weather though.

[44man]

Not yet. Old ones worked. And you could fix them. I get sick of soldering junk in.

[ShooterAZ]

No they are installed correctly, they just get used quite a bit. Even so, they should last longer than just a few years. No hoses left attached during winter either. I think they might be just cheap Chinese junk.

[waksupi]

Foot valve may be sticking.

[Parson]

If you are buying from the likes of Home Depot etc. stuff made in China it doesn't surprise me, had similar problem, got fed up and had a plumber put one in and no more trouble, wish I could give you a brand but don't know it

[Pipefitter]

Go to the local plumbing supply house and ask for a Nibco freeze free hose faucet, stay away from the "box store Chinese junk".

[ShooterAZ]

Thank you Pipefitter! The last ones I bought were from True Value, but I'm sure they weren't Nibco.

[runfiverun]

they have to be aimed down so any water in them drains out.
and the line to the spigot needs to be angled down too to be able to drain the faucet stem out.
I had to replace both of mine this year so I put a roll in the line and a shut off valve with a drain inside the house.
a cup of water and dry outside is a whole lot easier than trying to get my arm up in there every year or two.

[GhostHawk]

They do need to be installed pointing downhill so they drain. Failure to do so will result in vastly shorter life span.

Myself I have a ball valve mounted in line before the hydrant. Come october all valves are shut off, hoses removed, valves opened enough so they can drain. Have lasted 20 years that way and still going strong. As long as you don't let City employee's take them apart so they can cross feed the neighbor water while they work on the street.

That one has never been the same, I suspect he got the wrong washer back on it, it leaks. So it is always off unless I really need it.

[Muskrat Mike]

I used to have an small HVAC company and my father who started it in 1953 and I later installed hundreds of Wolverine Brass hose bibbs of all kinds and they last and can be repaired but you had to be a plumber to buy them. My next choice would be Nibco or Woodford.
Good luck!

[76 WARLOCK]

I have Woodford silcocks that are 44 years old and I can buy replacement parts at Ace hardware today.

[farmerjim]

What is a "frost free" outdoor faucet ?

[Pipefitter]

What is a "frost free" outdoor faucet ?



The faucet has the rubber seat approximately 12-14" inside the house to keep from freezing the pipes (only works if you remove the hose before freezing weather).

[DougGuy]

I got cheap angled lever type ball valves for faucets, and even turning off the water supply behind them and draining them they still froze and cracked just from the water encapsulated in the valve body. Now they spray out a little from the crack when you turn them on but they don't suffer further damage if they freeze again. Problem solved.

[osteodoc08]

Go to the local plumbing supply house and ask for a Nibco freeze free hose faucet, stay away from the "box store Chinese junk".

These are the brands I installed while working for my ex father in law. We also placed Nibco ball shut off valves in the basement to cut the water supply to the Bibb. Preventing freeze breaks.

[ShooterAZ]

OP here, the ones I have are installed correctly, sloping down. The problem is that the washers & seats wear out after just a few years. They are not servicable. I just checked, and the brand I have been using are Arrowhead brand. Sadly the box is marked "Made in USA". I don't recommend them! I'm going to look into the Nibco ones.

[RogerDat]

Wearing out is either a case of quality or amount of use. I do buy those Styrofoam covers since mine are exposed to a lot of winter wind. And learned to take the foam wrap off the inside for a couple of feet so they can get some heat from the basement in the winter. Put the foam on in the summer to prevent condensation when running the hose.

[Reg]

If you bought them at ACE like did, they are cheap Chinese junk to say the least. Fighting two of them. Currently both are under control but I know they won't last. If I get some time this winter might see what I can dream up. There has to be a better and longer lasting way.

[ol skool]

No trouble with the old frost free. Lots of problems with the new, to code anti-siphon frost free.

Has anyone ever had anything siphon back into your house and contaminate and poison your family?

Anyone, anyone...Bueller?

[Pipefitter]

No trouble with the old frost free. Lots of problems with the new, to code anti-siphon frost free.

Has anyone ever had anything siphon back into your house and contaminate and poison your family?

Anyone, anyone...Bueller?


Yes, it has happened..... Imagine this if you will. An area served by a municipal water company (no ground water for personal wells).
A farmer on a hilltop drags the garden hose out to the watering trough to fill it for the cattle, which are not the cleanest of animals to begin with. Said farmer knows it is gonna take at least 2 hours to fill the tank, so he goes on with his business.
Meanwhile it just happens to be Superbowl Sunday (or maybe the day that Lucy had Little Ricky on the I Love Lucy show) and everyone in the neighborhood at the bottom of the hill gets up at the same time to use the bathroom and flush the toilet. Above mentioned farmer goes out to shut the hose off but the tank is even closer to empty to when he started due to backsiphonage.

Would you like to drink the water that the cattle have slobbered in???????


I can drag out my water supply book from apprenticeship classes and quote you specific examples if you like.........

[MT Gianni]

No trouble with the old frost free. Lots of problems with the new, to code anti-siphon frost free.

Has anyone ever had anything siphon back into your house and contaminate and poison your family?

Anyone, anyone...Bueller?
Google legionaires disease. It was found to be caused by a sewage siphon situation.

[NavyVet1959]

What is a "frost free" outdoor faucet ?

What is this *frost* stuff they are talking about? That's something that refrigerators used to do, right? Why are they putting a faucet inside their refrigerators?

[jmorris]

Are you talking about ones attached to your house or stand alone?

[ol skool]

Yes, it has happened..... Imagine this if you will. An area served by a municipal water company (no ground water for personal wells).
A farmer on a hilltop drags the garden hose out to the watering trough to fill it for the cattle, which are not the cleanest of animals to begin with. Said farmer knows it is gonna take at least 2 hours to fill the tank, so he goes on with his business.
Meanwhile it just happens to be Superbowl Sunday (or maybe the day that Lucy had Little Ricky on the I Love Lucy show) and everyone in the neighborhood at the bottom of the hill gets up at the same time to use the bathroom and flush the toilet. Above mentioned farmer goes out to shut the hose off but the tank is even closer to empty to when he started due to backsiphonage.

Would you like to drink the water that the cattle have slobbered in???????


I can drag out my water supply book from apprenticeship classes and quote you specific examples if you like.........


Google legionaires disease. It was found to be caused by a sewage siphon situation.

Ok, ok you win.

But, I'm on my own well, so.... they're still pitiful. :)

[Plate plinker]

nope remember cheap stuff is junk. especially in the plumbing world.. At least my experience.

[Minerat]

What is a "frost free" outdoor faucet ?

In luziana It's used to keep your beer spigot from freezing when there's too much ice on the keg. In Colorado it keeps you from yelling Oh S>>>! When you turn the water on in the spring to water the grass.

[SSGOldfart]

I just replace one that I only got 10 years out of it:roll:
That junk came from Lowe's, but I went back with the same brand because I think 10 years is good enough for something used every day,they also sell a rebuild kit, but I had already removed it so I just replaced the whole unit. The one in my garden is almost 15 years old now, it doesn't get used as much.

[SSGOldfart]

What is this *frost* stuff they are talking about? That's something that refrigerators used to do, right? Why are they putting a faucet inside their refrigerators?
Just means it won't freeze

[NavyVet1959]

In luziana It's used to keep your beer spigot from freezing when there's too much ice on the keg. InColorado it keeps you from yelling Oh S>>>! When you turn the water on in the spring to water the grass.

Last I heard, Colorado doesn't *water* the grass, they *smoke* it. :)

[waksupi]

Are you talking about ones attached to your house or stand alone?

That is what has me confused. Mine is a stand alone, never had a bit of trouble with it.

[quail4jake]

Nibco, installed with 5 degrees minimum angle and pack insulation around the outer 6 inches then foam around the mount. You'll probably be OK with that.

[Pipefitter]

That is what has me confused. Mine is a stand alone, never had a bit of trouble with it.


Plumbers refer to that as a "freeze free hydrant", again the valve seat is 4 or more feet underground, and the valve has a self draining feature when the valve is in the closed position to prevent the riser pipe from freezing.

[Tackleberry41]

Its just the usual poor quality foreign made stuff. Lowes, Home depot etc only carry the cheap ones. They know if 2 faucets were on the shelf together, one is $10 the other $20, they will sell few of the $20 ones. So simply do not carry the good ones. If yours were installed in 1987, it was BEFORE the flood of cheap overseas junk. Back when the only option was the good one. I havent had any of mine freeze, but leaking is an issue. Guarantee they were the cheapest available to be installed in a new house.

[Menner]

Last time I replace the frost free hose bib (been a few years) I used a 1/4 turn faucet from the local pluming supply store I really like the 1/4 turn feature and you can tell it is a quality unit when you use it don't remember what it cost but when I replace the other one on the house I will get same one for it
Just replaced the Freeze free Hydrant week before last what a piece of junk only lasted 21 years.
Man I did not remember burying it that deep and the trench was still open when I put it all together back then was a little easier than hanging upside down putting it together the other day LOL
Tony

[NavyVet1959]

Around here, outdoor water lines to faucets are often buried only 4-6" deep. Basically just deep enough to keep from hitting it with the lawn mower (when we're mowing our yards in the middle of "winter"). :)

[leeggen]

The trick to freeze free hydrants, ( those stnding out of the ground a couple feet with a pull up handle) is to put a buckedt of gravel around the base where it connects to the main water line, so it can drain when closed. I have a neighbor that has to change his every year. He shovels dirt back around it and packs it in. I just don't say a thing anymore. Now the ones on the house as long as they run down hill so as to drain you should not have trouble. Ours gets a lot of use and the threads on the long stem get worn. Just the cheap stuff, hard to find the good ones at a reasonable price. As said before remove hose connection after using just in case a freeze comes through.
CD

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I have a question.
I have a freeze free hose faucet that leaks through the valve knob, only when the faucet is turned on and with a hose and switchable spraynozzle. It has leaked since I bought this house in 1993, but since it doesn't leak when the valve is turned off, I never worried about it.

ANYWAY, is there a kit, to rebuild these?
Obviously, I don't know the brand, does it matter? or are they universal ?

[Pipefitter]

I have a question.
I have a freeze free hose faucet that leaks through the valve knob, only when the faucet is turned on and with a hose and switchable spraynozzle. It has leaked since I bought this house in 1993, but since it doesn't leak when the valve is turned off, I never worried about it.

ANYWAY, is there a kit, to rebuild these?
Obviously, I don't know the brand, does it matter? or are they universal ?



Try tightening the nut at the base of the valve stem, it sounds like the valve packing is a bit loose.

[edler7]

Last time I replace the frost free hose bib (been a few years) I used a 1/4 turn faucet from the local pluming supply store I really like the 1/4 turn feature and you can tell it is a quality unit when you use it don't remember what it cost but when I replace the other one on the house I will get same one for it
Tony

I got one like that from Menard's. Good quality and that 1/4 turn is a nice feature.