Seasonal Spigots

[Bruce Wrenn]

Often times the hose bib on your house is located in the wrong place, behind the bushes, wrong side of the deck, etc. It's a simple job, using 1/2" PVC a couple fittings and a washing machine hose to relocate spigot to a more usable location. You will need a fitting to go between washing machine hose and PVC pipe, PVC pipe,and a boiler drain for the actual spigot. Connect washing machine hose to outside hose bib, and to PVC. Run PVC to needed location, and using threaded adapter add boiler drain. Secure PVC to either a stake, or deck. Turn on hose bib on house and enjoy your new "seasonal spigot." Be sure to disconnect and drain all piping in the fall to prevent freezing over the winter

[Bill Dufour]

Why would you use a boiler drain valve instead of a real faucet?
Bill D.

[Stan Calow]

I sometimes have a similar set up with a hose running all the way up the yard along the fence, to the garden where the spigot is.

[Jim Koepke]

Often times the hose bib on your house is located in the wrong place, behind the bushes, wrong side of the deck, etc. It's a simple job, using 1/2" PVC a couple fittings and a washing machine hose to relocate spigot to a more usable location. You will need a fitting to go between washing machine hose and PVC pipe, PVC pipe,and a boiler drain for the actual spigot. Connect washing machine hose to outside hose bib, and to PVC. Run PVC to needed location, and using threaded adapter add boiler drain. Secure PVC to either a stake, or deck. Turn on hose bib on house and enjoy your new "seasonal spigot." Be sure to disconnect and drain all piping in the fall to prevent freezing over the winter

There is something akin to this used in my greenhouse.

At the main outlet there is a makeshift manifold made up of wye connectors with valves:

Wye Valve.jpg

There are now manifolds available with four outlets with valves. My set up has three outlets. One runs to the garden area outside. One has a hose that runs to the other end of the greenhouse. One has a hose that for use at the end of the greenhouse near the hose bib.

All of our hoses have valves at the ends except one:

Single Valve.jpg

The one that doesn't is an old hose used for watering trees in the field. It is easier to regulate the flow with the valve at the end of the hose to which it connects.

All the hoses also employ quick connects:

Garden Hose Quick Connect.jpg

All of our various watering attachments are also fitted with quick connectors. There are many makers whose quick connector equipment is compatible.

The biggest problem is when people unfamiliar with quick connectors try and use our watering equipment. This doesn't happen very often.

The only problem we have in the winter is the installer of the water line to the greenhouse didn't bury it deep enough to avoid freezing. That was done years before we moved here.

jtk

[Bill Dufour]

Any time I see a decent faucet and/or 3/4 tee I buy it at a yard sale or at habitat. Many of my faucets now have a tee with two faucets on one standpipe. With the low water flow here I prefer the two piece faucets which have a much bigger valve opening.
Bill D

[Kev Williams]

All I have to say on this subject is: Great ideas, but good luck finding decent hardware to make it happen

I have all 3 of these and all of 'em suck. They work great when or IF they work correctly, but none of them do...

The 4-valve on the left, mostly brass, beefy, looks like a nice piece, but... valve 1 is so stiff it won't open without pliers, it and valve 2, the levers' plastic covers are broken. To be fair, the right two valves work fine. Whoopee.

The middle valve I bought because I like the flexible extensions, and love the big levers. Now if only it didn't leak, from day1.

And the useless valve on the right, which I need to feed water to my garage shop swamp cooler, there otta be a law. I bought 2 of these per season for 3 years before I decided to never use the main valve. Because if you open and close the main valve 6 times, it's done. Every last one of them, after using them about 6 times they won't shut off because the O-ring seal tears.

The plastic types (and their metal versions) shown above work great, but the sharp calcium deposits that quickly build up around here just chews up the plastic ball valves. And the levers break easily. If you look at what HD has to offer, that's about it...

[Jim Koepke]

valve 1 is so stiff it won't open without pliers

Candy couldn't work one of this type valves. My solution was to make a wrench from a piece of aluminum. It form fitted over the lever and gave good leverage. That was at a field hydrant we do not use with multiple hoses now.

On these valves being difficult to operate a drop or two of silicone oil often helps.

jtk