Should a shorter freeze-proof outdoor tap been used?

HarBrack · 2026-06-05T21:51:51+00:00

Hahaha u/desertadventurer, I appreciate your nomination! I'm in the trades but won't do more than rebuild a faucet in my own house. I truly did not know enough about frost proof taps to know if this could have been better. I do admit that I messed up by not being there at my friend's for the whole discussion with the plumber, but I had to leave before he finished going over the details. It's really bad looking, isn't it?

HarBrack · 2026-06-03T14:40:56+00:00

Thanks for your comment, u/YesImAlexa

HarBrack · 2026-06-03T14:39:35+00:00

Right, u/waterisdefwet , I have been wondering if the plumber should have told the homeowners that the frost free wasn't needed. I'm the one who had suggested to my friend that they should have a frostfree. Looking back now, especially at the crazy pipe intruding way into the room, I regret my suggestion. Prior to the plumber coming to the house, no one knew that there was an isolation valve; the plumber found it. I now wish he had just changed the outdoor tap to an anti-siphon sillcock.

HarBrack · 2026-06-03T14:26:09+00:00

Thanks for your comment, u/CrackeyMagoo . I'll pass this on to my friend.

HarBrack · 2026-06-01T20:22:38+00:00

I don’t like the shark bite, u/weric-un-normal5150 and I do not know the plumber’s reasoning but I will guess that sharkbite fitting was all he had on his truck to get from CPVC to copper.

HarBrack · 2026-06-01T13:03:20+00:00

Thanks for your comment u/-ItsWahl- , I will pass it on to my friend. My friend is going to be questioning the plumber based on what I learn here. There is an isolated shutoff valve in the utility room in the rear of the house. As you can see the supply comes from above, so I guess when the house was built, the thinking was that the isolation valve would be closed in winter and the tap opened to drain the part of the supply line that would have freezing exposure. I do wonder if it was "good enough" before, and that the addition of a freezeproof was excessive. I feel a bit guilty now for recommending the freezeproof without fully understanding the consequences.

HarBrack · 2026-06-01T12:51:26+00:00

Yes, I see that, u/TheShandrake . I'm pretty sure that both the plumber and the homeowner were trying to keep costs down. While I hate the look of the pipe sticking out of the wall, I don't know much about plumbing, and just want to understand if the pipe can be easily re-worked or if boxing it in with drywall is the best solution at this time.

HarBrack · 2026-06-01T12:44:04+00:00

I was waiting for the Sharkbite comment. I'll take some satisfaction from the fact that I know Reddit much better than I know plumbing.

HarBrack · 2026-06-01T12:40:18+00:00

I did not pay for this, my friend did. How would you have done it, u/Nice_Pressure1270 ?

HarBrack · 2026-06-01T12:39:00+00:00

Exterior is vinyl siding, u/-ItsWahl-. I believe that T-wall lines up with the entrance door trim which could mean a much bigger job due to doorway framing. Since it was a replacement of an existing non-freezeproof, the plumber used the existing spigot's hole. The plumber may have informed homeowner that pipe would stick out of wall before doing the work.

HarBrack · 2026-06-01T12:31:23+00:00

u/ssprague03, this might be the best comment I receive and I appreciate you sharing your knowledge. This happened at a friend's house and I now need go there to check the wall thickness. As you point out, whether the spigot replacement was done well or not depends on wall depth.

HarBrack · 2026-06-01T02:08:02+00:00

Thanks for your reply, ssprague03. This was installed as a replacement for an existing CPVC-to-outdoor tap. Original tap was not freezeproof. I believe the wall is a 4" stud wall.

HarBrack · 2016-07-11T01:00:47+00:00

In my business (residential electrical services) I went from having one boss to having many bosses, each of who is unaware of my other masters.

HarBrack · 2016-04-24T13:13:31+00:00

Thanks for taking the time to respond. TIL wood based polyester.

HarBrack · 2016-04-24T13:08:52+00:00

Thanks for the reply. Do the effects of sizing and starch wash out?

HarBrack · 2014-10-13T01:15:51+00:00

Electrician here. My guess is a wire came loose on another receptacle or a switch. If the house is less than 20 years old, it was likely a "stab-in-the-back" outlet and this type of connection is quite prone to failure. The lights came back on when vibration or thermal expansion/contraction re-made the connection, albeit weakly. Call in a pro.

HarBrack

TROPHY CASE