Outside pipe/faucet in Chicago's climate
 

We want to instal a faucet outside the building to water the backyard
lawns. (At present we have to run the hose either from inside or around
the building from the front.)

The way the porches, decks, etc are, it would be convenient if teh
faucet was at the side of the wooden porch, about 10' out from the
brick wall.

However, a handyman tells us that in Chicago's climate we can't do this.
According to him, the pipe must remain inside the heated building and
the faucet should just come out of the wall.

Is he right, or with some precaution (like shutting off the water well
before winters) can we have a few feet of pipe outside?

Thanks for all advice.

Outside pipe/faucet in Chicago's climate
 

Newbie wrote:
However, a handyman tells us that in Chicago's climate we can't do this.
According to him, the pipe must remain inside the heated building and
the faucet should just come out of the wall.

Is he right, or with some precaution (like shutting off the water well
before winters) can we have a few feet of pipe outside?

Thanks for all advice.

That handyman is full of shit. Slope the outside pipe at about 2" in 10'
and add a shutoff inside the house. Shut off the line before the first
freeze, and open the outside tap to drain the line. I've had 6' of PVC
outside for 10 years, no problems except when I forgot to turn off the
line early enough. Still suggest wrapping the outside pipe with cheap
foam insulation to help keep the PVC from sun and UV rays.

You might want to check with a plumber- there's some strange city codes
that might apply.

Outside pipe/faucet in Chicago's climate
 

barbie gee wrote

: Even if you can, I wouldn't.

Why? Just trying to understand. Is it not enough to be careful and shut
the water off before freezing?

Outside pipe/faucet in Chicago's climate
 

Newbie wrote:
We want to instal a faucet outside the building to water the backyard
lawns. (At present we have to run the hose either from inside or around
the building from the front.)

The way the porches, decks, etc are, it would be convenient if teh
faucet was at the side of the wooden porch, about 10' out from the
brick wall.

However, a handyman tells us that in Chicago's climate we can't do this.
According to him, the pipe must remain inside the heated building and
the faucet should just come out of the wall.

Is he right, or with some precaution (like shutting off the water well
before winters) can we have a few feet of pipe outside?

Thanks for all advice.

The best method is to install frost proof hose bibs at every
location... they take the place of having a separate shutoff valve
inside your heated building, which sooner of later you will neglect to
close.

http://tinyurl.com/52fp9o

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?actio...2AS&lpage=none

Outside pipe/faucet in Chicago's climate
 

Newbie wrote:

We want to instal a faucet outside the building to water the backyard
lawns. (At present we have to run the hose either from inside or around
the building from the front.)

The way the porches, decks, etc are, it would be convenient if teh
faucet was at the side of the wooden porch, about 10' out from the
brick wall.

However, a handyman tells us that in Chicago's climate we can't do this.
According to him, the pipe must remain inside the heated building and
the faucet should just come out of the wall.

The trick is that the valve itself is inside the heated area with only
the handle in the cold. They make special valves like this for Chicago
winters.

If you are ever in Schamburg, the Pace Northwest Transportation Center
(off-street bus layover point just south of Woodfield Mall off
Martingale) has water fountains that work all winter; pretty cool. There
is a brief delay before you get water, as the valve is several feet away.

Is he right, or with some precaution (like shutting off the water well
before winters) can we have a few feet of pipe outside?

My father simply removed the faucet handle for cold weather. On the
house I grew up in, it was a simple spigot with no protection from
freezing at all.

Outside pipe/faucet in Chicago's climate
 

On May 5, 5:01 am, Newbie wrote:
barbie gee wrote

: Even if you can, I wouldn't.

Why? Just trying to understand. Is it not enough to be careful and shut
the water off before freezing?

"Shut off the line before the first
freeze, and open the outside tap to drain the line. I've had 6' of PVC
outside for 10 years, no problems except when I forgot to turn off
the
line early enough. "

The story is right there. "Shut off the line before the first freeze"
is a lot like the guy on the bus telling the woman wanting directions
to Main Street: "Just watch me and get off the stop before I do." I
think "no problems except when I forgot to turn off the line early
enough" says it all -- Do you really want to live in fear of your
plumbing? One unexpected cold snap while you're out of town, and
you'll have a burst pipe and an icerink in your back yard -- and maybe
even your front yard.

I would have a hose bibb installed on an outside wall where it's not
going to be under a porch. Then get one of those decorative hose reels
that you mount to a wall, and install it on the porch in your dream
location. Then could run a length of hose from the new faucet to the
hose reel.

You will get in the habit of shutting off the water at the house
faucet when you're done watering for the day, so no pipes will freeze.
Put one of those 69 cent globe valves in series if you want to shut
off the water temporarily during the day.

Outside pipe/faucet in Chicago's climate
 

On May 4, 10:55 pm, Nunya Bidness
wrote:

You might want to check with a plumber- there's some strange city codes
that might apply.

Does the code require an anti-siphon valve?

Outside pipe/faucet in Chicago's climate
 

In article
,
wrote:

On May 5, 5:01 am, Newbie wrote:
barbie gee wrote

: Even if you can, I wouldn't.

Why? Just trying to understand. Is it not enough to be careful and shut
the water off before freezing?

"Shut off the line before the first
freeze, and open the outside tap to drain the line. I've had 6' of PVC
outside for 10 years, no problems except when I forgot to turn off
the
line early enough. "

The story is right there. "Shut off the line before the first freeze"
is a lot like the guy on the bus telling the woman wanting directions
to Main Street: "Just watch me and get off the stop before I do." I
think "no problems except when I forgot to turn off the line early
enough" says it all -- Do you really want to live in fear of your
plumbing? One unexpected cold snap while you're out of town, and
you'll have a burst pipe and an icerink in your back yard -- and maybe
even your front yard.

I would have a hose bibb installed on an outside wall where it's not
going to be under a porch. Then get one of those decorative hose reels
that you mount to a wall, and install it on the porch in your dream
location. Then could run a length of hose from the new faucet to the
hose reel.

You will get in the habit of shutting off the water at the house
faucet when you're done watering for the day, so no pipes will freeze.
Put one of those 69 cent globe valves in series if you want to shut
off the water temporarily during the day.

I leave the whole kit and kaboodle on and generally only have to replace
the vlave outside every Spring. It generally doesn't explode until way
into January.

Outside pipe/faucet in Chicago's climate
 

In article ,
Scott in SoCal wrote:

On Mon, 5 May 2008 06:39:47 -0500, barbie gee
wrote:



On Mon, 5 May 2008, Nunya Bidness wrote:

Newbie wrote:
However, a handyman tells us that in Chicago's climate we can't do this.
According to him, the pipe must remain inside the heated building and
the faucet should just come out of the wall.

Is he right, or with some precaution (like shutting off the water well
before winters) can we have a few feet of pipe outside?

Thanks for all advice.

That handyman is full of shit. Slope the outside pipe at about 2" in 10'
and
add a shutoff inside the house. Shut off the line before the first freeze,
and open the outside tap to drain the line. I've had 6' of PVC outside for
10 years, no problems except when I forgot to turn off the line early
enough. Still suggest wrapping the outside pipe with cheap foam insulation
to
help keep the PVC from sun and UV rays.

You might want to check with a plumber- there's some strange city codes
that
might apply.

Even if you can, I wouldn't.

You enjoy redoing all of your plumbing work when an inspector
discovers that you didn't follow code?

why would an inspector stop by?

Outside pipe/faucet in Chicago's climate
 

In article , Newbie
wrote:

barbie gee wrote

: Even if you can, I wouldn't.

Why? Just trying to understand. Is it not enough to be careful and shut
the water off before freezing?

"being careful" is harder to do than it sounds.

..max

--
This signature can be appended to your outgoing mesages. Many people include in
their signatures contact information, and perhaps a joke or quotation.

Outside pipe/faucet in Chicago's climate
 

In article says...
You might want to check with a plumber- there's some strange city codes
that might apply.

Those strange plumbing city codes are only there to protect the plumbers
union and have little to do with protecting the users of the plumbing.
In Chicago most plumbing jobs are don't ask, don't tell. I have my
spigot inside the basement and run a hose outside when the weather
clears. That's a simple and cheap solution.

Outside pipe/faucet in Chicago's climate
 

"Newbie" wrote in message
...
We want to instal a faucet outside the building to water the backyard
lawns. (At present we have to run the hose either from inside or around
the building from the front.)

The way the porches, decks, etc are, it would be convenient if teh
faucet was at the side of the wooden porch, about 10' out from the
brick wall.

However, a handyman tells us that in Chicago's climate we can't do this.
According to him, the pipe must remain inside the heated building and
the faucet should just come out of the wall.

Is he right, or with some precaution (like shutting off the water well
before winters) can we have a few feet of pipe outside?

Thanks for all advice.

The temperature, be it at freezing, or, at 50F below is of no consequence as
ice is ice is ice. It expands no further. So, by the same nature, the pipe
that holds that water that turns to ice is of no further danger once it
freezes. Doesn't matter if you're in upper Alaska, or southern Florida.

A simple way to take up the ice expansion is to have a garden hose connected
while the hose bib valve is open. The garden hose should have a simple
valve on the end for open or closed. The hose's ability to expand will take
most of the compression while the valve on the end of the hose is closed.

Regarding the UPVC comment from another. UPVC is commonly available in #40
and #80. It will easily take any common water pressure. Commonly used as
electrical conduit.

I have a similar arrangement in central TX. I no longer close the secondary
valve that feeds the hose bib as result. Lowest temp to date has been 14F.
3' of pipe is exposed vertically.
--
Dave

Parkinson's disease, not easy to define.
Much less cure.

Outside pipe/faucet in Chicago's climate
 

KK wrote:

In article
,





wrote:
On May 5, 5:01 am, Newbie wrote:
barbie gee wrote

: Even if you can, I wouldn't.

Why? Just trying to understand. Is it not enough to be careful and shut
the water off before freezing?

"Shut off the line before the first
freeze, and open the outside tap to drain the line. I've had 6' of PVC
outside for 10 years, no problems except when I forgot to turn off
the
line early enough. "

The story is right there. "Shut off the line before the first freeze"
is a lot like the guy on the bus telling the woman wanting directions
to Main Street: "Just watch me and get off the stop before I do." I
think "no problems except when I forgot to turn off the line early
enough" says it all -- Do you really want to live in fear of your
plumbing? One unexpected cold snap while you're out of town, and
you'll have a burst pipe and an icerink in your back yard -- and maybe
even your front yard.

I would have a hose bibb installed on an outside wall where it's not
going to be under a porch. Then get one of those decorative hose reels
that you mount to a wall, and install it on the porch in your dream
location. Then could run a length of hose from the new faucet to the
hose reel.

You will get in the habit of shutting off the water at the house
faucet when you're done watering for the day, so no pipes will freeze.
Put one of those 69 cent globe valves in series if you want to shut
off the water temporarily during the day.

I leave the whole kit and kaboodle on and generally only have to replace
the vlave outside every Spring. It generally doesn't explode until way
into January.


And here all along I thought you got yer water from the fire
hydrant...

Yer yard is MUD anyways...just slop it down once in awhiles to
disperse the cig butts and canine turds...


--
Best
Greg

Outside pipe/faucet in Chicago's climate
 

On May 5, 4:49�pm, "Dioclese" NONE wrote:
"Newbie" wrote in message

...





We want to instal a faucet outside the building to water the backyard
lawns. (At present we have to run the hose either from inside or around
the building from the front.)

The way the porches, decks, etc are, it would be convenient if teh
faucet was at the side of the wooden porch, about 10' out from the
brick wall.

However, a handyman tells us that in Chicago's climate we can't do this.
According to him, the pipe must remain inside the heated building and
the faucet should just come out of the wall.

Is he right, or with some precaution (like shutting off the water well
before winters) can we have a few feet of pipe outside?

Thanks for all advice.

The temperature, be it at freezing, or, at 50F below is of no consequence as
ice is ice is ice. �It expands no further. �So, by the same nature, the pipe
that holds that water that turns to ice is of no further danger once it
freezes. �Doesn't matter if you're in upper Alaska, or southern Florida.

A simple way to take up the ice expansion is to have a garden hose connected
while the hose bib valve is open. �The garden hose should have a simple
valve on the end for open or closed. �The hose's ability to expand will take
most of the compression while the valve on the end of the hose is closed.

That won't work, in fact that's really dumb. At 20F, typical for
Chicago, the water in the hose will freeze solid right up to the hose
bib in an hour, then what? You obviously didn't think this through...
it can be well below freezing for many days in Chicago... the water in
the exposed hose bib will freeze solid too (as if that hose wasn't
there), and burst inside the foundation shooting water inside...
you'll know it burst when you find a flooded basement. If you're very
lucky you'll discover the damage before the temperature drops further
and the saturated masonary foundation cracks into a billion bits.
According to your theory millions and millions of people have been
doing it all wrong... during freezing winters everyone should leave
their garden hose connected with the hose bib valve open. LOL

Outside pipe/faucet in Chicago's climate
 

In article ,
Mark Anderson wrote:

Those strange plumbing city codes are only there to protect the plumbers
union and have little to do with protecting the users of the plumbing.

yeah right

The shitboxes they are building off of I-55 past 53 with plastic supply
plumbing are not gonna be around 100 years from now. Chicago houses will
be.