What the work is
An exterior spigot is a small job with an outsized failure mode: it freezes, splits inside the wall, and nobody finds out until the thaw fills a cavity.
We replace with a frost-proof hose bibb pitched correctly to drain, and we make sure there is a shutoff you can reach without going under the house.
If the line feeding it has a vacuum breaker requirement, that goes on too. On an irrigation connection there is a separate and stricter rule; see backflow testing.
What is included
- Removing the old bibb
- A frost-proof replacement, pitched to drain
- Vacuum breaker where required
- An accessible shutoff on the branch where one can be fitted
- Pressure testing before we close anything up
What is not
- Opening a wall or a soffit where access requires it. We will show you and quote before we cut
- Stucco, siding or drywall repair
- Irrigation backflow assemblies, which are their own item and their own test
Winter here is real enough to split a bibb
It does not get cold for long, which is exactly why exterior plumbing here is often less protected than it would be further north, and why a single hard night finds every weak point at once.
If you leave the house empty over the summer or over a cold snap, the guide below covers what to shut and what to drain.
What to ask anyone quoting this, us included
- Is it frost-proof, and is it pitched to drain?
- Where is the shutoff for this line?
- Does it need a vacuum breaker?