# Sillcock Install?



## Backwoodsplumbn (5 mo ago)

Just curious on how other plumbers install a sillcock. Pics are great.
I either use a dog eared 90 or solder a female adapter to a short piece of pipe then thread the sillcock into the adapter 
and solder two 1/2" copper clamps to the short piece of pipe then screw it down. and always sleeve it in thin wall 
1" PVC. now you can always get it out and replace it without cutting a hole in the wall 20 years down the road.


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

Looks like too many fittings to me. I don’t do new con, but when I cut into a wall or ceiling I offer to install an access panel and a ball valve to turn off in the winter or if the valve starts leaking.


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## Lickitlikeafritter (12 mo ago)

I feel like a hack just tapconning a woodford frost free to the brick and trying the keep the hole in the interior framing tight to minimize play and slapping a fxpex adapter right close to a 90 up. Bravo sir


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## Backwoodsplumbn (5 mo ago)

OpenSights said:


> Looks like too many fittings to me. I don’t do new con, but when I cut into a wall or ceiling I offer to install an access panel and a ball valve to turn off in the winter or if the valve starts leaking.


It is a few fittings. But I have went behind a plumber around here that has done that for the last 30 years and there is no cutting holes in a perfectly good wall.


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

Problem with your setup is it requires the new hosebibb to be the same length. We've been installing Prier hosebibbs for decades(with a few hiccups) and they've changed the lengths three times that I recall. I pity those of you without basements.

As of ~3 years ago I also do female adapters so the new one can be screwed in, BUT, when there's no access I do a female adapter/drop ell and pipe it in such a way that it can move front/back at least an inch but not side to side. 

Before that I would solder the copper directly to the hosebibb because for years Prier hosebibbs had the crest cut off their thread forms. You'd have to use copious amounts of teflon tape to get a female adapter to seal. This is even worse sometimes because many wrot female adapters have poor threads. About three years ago they went to better threads, yay!, and also stopped putting the word "DOWN" on the bottom of the pipe, Nay! Now I have to draw a line on center bottom or make several trips outside to make sure it's oriented properly, or both.


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## OpenSights (Mar 23, 2015)

Different areas, different practices. That’s what makes this forum great!


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

OpenSights said:


> Different areas, different practices. That’s what makes this forum great!


It's not just different it's wrong! WRONG WRONG WRONG!!! RIP OUT ALL THE SILLCOCKS YOU'VE EVER INSTALLED BACKWOODSPLUMBN!!!

Sorry, I think the ghost of Richard Bull took over for a moment there. Use as many wax seals as you want 🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂 I hope you all understand this is humour.


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## Pipe Rat (Apr 5, 2009)

Like how is the next guy going to know it’s setup to unscrew it? Then if the new length isn’t exact you would have to cut a giant hole to fix that mess.


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

No one will know it's a screw type in 20 years when it fails. When you cut up the wall I'll be removing all that copper, straight to pex.


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## Backwoodsplumbn (5 mo ago)

On the length problem, it's not a problem. Just use one a little shorter. As long as it shuts off back in the heated part of the house. Swet a piece of copper on with an adapter that is the right length and bam you have a working sillcock the right length. Did it just yesterday.


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## Backwoodsplumbn (5 mo ago)

Tango said:


> No one will know it's a screw type in 20 years when it fails. When you cut up the wall I'll be removing all that copper, straight to pex.


There are benefits to living in rural Arkansas. There is only 3 Plumbing companies in this county and I am one. The other two have followed in behind my Master and know that is how it is done, they do the same thing or a variation of.


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

Tango said:


> No one will know it's a screw type in 20 years when it fails. When you cut up the wall I'll be removing all that copper, straight to pex.


I just turn the water off and try to unscrew it. If it is taking too much force I open the wall. Sometimes you find it was threaded but just really tight.

Sometimes even when they're threaded in you can't unscrew them because the joint on your female adapter will fail before the corroded threaded joint unscrews.


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## Plumbus (Aug 4, 2008)

You could have mounted one of these to a block. Would have saved some labor and material.


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

skoronesa said:


> I just turn the water off and try to unscrew it. If it is taking too much force I open the wall. Sometimes you find it was threaded but just really tight.
> 
> Sometimes even when they're threaded in you can't unscrew them because the joint on your female adapter will fail before the corroded threaded joint unscrews.


I see someone put a threaded female maybe one a year so I don't even try. It would be just my luck thinking hey it's easy put another one in to find out the solder cracked somewhere or the joint leaks and they call me back 3 days later I flooded their basement and I have to pay the damages. In my world I wouldn't have used due diligence to check for leaks.


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## ROCKSTARPLUMBER (Dec 14, 2008)

Wing ell everytime. Pex, cpvc, copper, always a wing ell. With blocking screwed, not nailed, and wing ell screwed, not nailed. There was a guy around here who’s no longer on this planet who soldiered his silcocks onto 1/2” copper with a 90 inside the wall, no blocking. I can’t tell you how many homeowners have called because they twisted the copper inside the wall trying to DIY. So we check very closely to see if it’s iron pipe or copper. All we can do is sweat the old one off, put a male adapter on after cleaning the old soldier off the pipe. But then it’s a good 1/2” off the wall. We just cut a piece of arma flex and stick behind it around the pipe.


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

Backwoodsplumbn said:


> Just curious on how other plumbers install a sillcock. Pics are great.
> I either use a dog eared 90 or solder a female adapter to a short piece of pipe then thread the sillcock into the adapter
> and solder two 1/2" copper clamps to the short piece of pipe then screw it down. and always sleeve it in thin wall
> 1" PVC. now you can always get it out and replace it without cutting a hole in the wall 20 years down the road.


Incorrect,it has to have pitch back toward the spout or it will freeze and bust ever time,plus way way to many fittings and chances for a leak


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## Backwoodsplumbn (5 mo ago)

I


sparky said:


> Incorrect,it has to have pitch back toward the spout or it will freeze and bust ever time,plus way way to many fittings and chances for a leak


They always have fall to the spout. I wasn't born yesterday. Just different styles of plumbing.


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

Backwoodsplumbn said:


> I
> 
> They always have fall to the spout. I wasn't born yesterday. Just different styles of plumbing.


The pic you posted has the hydrant flat as a pancake,so maybe you want them to freeze so you can go back in a year to hit them again,which case I have no problem with lololollolololo


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## Backwoodsplumbn (5 mo ago)

sparky said:


> The pic you posted has the hydrant flat as a pancake,so maybe you want them to freeze so you can go back in a year to hit them again,which case I have no problem with lololollolololo


That pic is from one year ago. So jokes on you. 😅🤣


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

Backwoodsplumbn said:


> That pic is from one year ago. So jokes on you. 😅🤣


Sure,that's what they all say,but it is flat and will hold water infinity


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

sparky said:


> The pic you posted has the hydrant flat as a pancake,so maybe you want them to freeze so you can go back in a year to hit them again,which case I have no problem with lololollolololo


Shhhh let them freeze! I make a living with those frozen things that burst in the winter. I kid you not I have about 30 spares at the moment. I probably changed out 20-30 of them this year. Although it sucks for the homeowners who have a flooded basement with tens of thousands of dollars in water damage.


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## Debo22 (Feb 15, 2015)

The picture kinda looks like a random internet screenshot


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## sparky (Jan 8, 2014)

Tango said:


> Shhhh let them freeze! I make a living with those frozen things that burst in the winter. I kid you not I have about 30 spares at the moment. I probably changed out 20-30 of them this year. Although it sucks for the homeowners who have a flooded basement with tens of thousands of dollars in water damage.


I’m with ya all the way tang


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## KCPlumb (Oct 26, 2021)

I always install a service valve for sillcocks, and tee off the service entrance and feed the cocks on its own line.


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## SchmitzPlumbing (May 5, 2014)

why make it easy for the handy hacks and homeowners to do it themselves? solder it and throw them off.


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## Tango (Jan 13, 2018)

SchmitzPlumbing said:


> why make it easy for the handy hacks and homeowners to do it themselves? solder it and throw them off.


I've had a few calls where homeowners wanted to do it themselves until they saw it was soldered.

I was waiting for 1 pm at the gate during lunch at the supply house today and 1 guy walked to my truck asking me if I had a cartridge from a faucet that's no longer made 30 years ago. No I don't sell parts and he asks what about them, they only sell to contractors. He replied he was going to try anyway and slim jimmed through the gate with his daughter.

I went in and ordered some stuff and another guy came in with the ceramic stem of a frost bib and I chuckled and the clerk nonchalantly scoffed. Funny how those guys will spend $50 in gas and go 20 places to find out there wasting a lot of effort.


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## Logtec (Jun 3, 2018)

Tango said:


> I've had a few calls where homeowners wanted to do it themselves until they saw it was soldered.
> 
> I was waiting for 1 pm at the gate during lunch at the supply house today and 1 guy walked to my truck asking me if I had a cartridge from a faucet that's no longer made 30 years ago. No I don't sell parts and he asks what about them, they only sell to contractors. He replied he was going to try anyway and slim jimmed through the gate with his daughter.
> 
> I went in and ordered some stuff and another guy came in with the ceramic stem of a frost bib and I chuckled and the clerk nonchalantly scoffed. Funny how those guys will spend $50 in gas and go 20 places to find out there wasting a lot of effort.


hahah.. yep. Dummies.


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## jim285pro (Sep 3, 2020)




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## TerryTotoSucks (5 mo ago)

Usually you only find frostproof sillcocks on commercial around here. 

Residential and residential new construction gets regular old sillcocks


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

jim285pro said:


> View attachment 136544
> 
> View attachment 136545


Ew. Just use a drop eared elbow.


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## jim285pro (Sep 3, 2020)

skoronesa said:


> Ew. Just use a drop eared elbow.


To each his own. Drop ears on hose bibbs are like unions on water heaters to me. Next one won’t be the same length. My way takes 5 mins to change and I know the connection is good.


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## Nazareth (Sep 30, 2017)

All these fancy tricks just for the other guy ten years from now to open the wall anyway because he’s on autopilot.

Threaded is nice. Still cutting the wall to see. The pull out trick is cool. Still cutting open the wall to see. Don’t know what I’m dealing with till the wall is open, so, we open the wall.


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

jim285pro said:


> To each his own. Drop ears on hose bibbs are like unions on water heaters to me. Next one won’t be the same length. My way takes 5 mins to change and I know the connection is good.


Yes, always install the same brand/length.

This really isn't an issue for us though as almost all houses here have basements where the tail is accessible. Another common spot is under the kitchen sink, tail is visible in the kitchen cabinet and comes off the cold for the kitchen faucet which is usually unsoftened for drinking.


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## jim285pro (Sep 3, 2020)

It’s rare one here is accessible. Very rare that it is on a dropear. I’ve changed a couple in 22 years that had the drop ear and I threaded it off and the same length/brand back on. 1 was one I did on a new house and they left there hose on the next winter so I knew. The other was the old man I apprenticed under and he plumbed the house so I knew it had one. The other poster is right though, the wall is getting opened up before I learn it’s an easy change. Almost all of them here are sweated in or have the a pex adapter on them. I don’t even try to twist them off hoping they are on a drop ear. just makes the repair harder


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## TerryTotoSucks (5 mo ago)

For the effort it takes and the cost, I think the pex loop is a great idea. If nothing else do it for yourself if you ever need to replace one you’ve installed.


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## skoronesa (Oct 27, 2015)

We have a customer with a short term rental house in the middle of nowhere, about 70mins away. The hot tub gets used year round and is on a deck on the second floor. The hosebibb is installed through the concrete foundation wall of the walk out basement. Just imagine a concrete wall with a hosebibb and a deck ten feet up and to the right. You have to schlep about 70' around the house and up a hill to get to the hot tub.

Of course all the renters want to use the hot tub all winter and the hose gets run up to the deck and no one wants to go back down to disconnect it, they just shut the hose valve on their end. It bursts often.

Here's the problem, it's a finished basement and you have to squeeze past the furnace and then climb on top of the oil tank which has a ceiling only 2' above it just to get to the back of the hosebibb. We have one guy small enough to send and it's a two man job. Last time I changed it with him I use a male adapter, a brass 90, and a bell hanger. This way replacement can be done only from the outside. That was the end of last winter, we'll see if I end up back there.


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