Outside hose faucet $95 FOO-FOO - Is there a better way?

Hello

Last fall, I waited too long to bring the hose reel inside and when I did it was just about winter!
It was cold and when I tried to unscrew the hose from the faucet it was stuck tight!
I also broke the handle when I tried to free it! #$%%$#
So I took out the knife and cut the hose off just before the faucet and brought it in!

What is the best way to help prevent this from happening?

Here is what I did. The new nozzle is a luxury but wanted to try it out!
I purchased these parts from the local hardware stores.
16 oz Gaps & cracks great Stuff 3.98
Brass Quick Connect kit 5.68
5/8” female End hose repair 3.58
Flex Connect hose shutoff 7.28
½ x 6” long frost free shutoff 27.95
Union Dielectric ½ S ½ FTP 4.99
Copper 90 Deg Elbow FTGxC 1.79
Copper 90 Deg Elbow FTGxC 1.79
Copper Stop Coupling ½” CxC 0.79
½” copper pipe x 2 foot 6.78
½” Brass Apollo HQ sweat ball valve 20.63
Little Big Shot Super Nozzle 8.97
Total 94.21

I cut out the broken faucet & inside shutoff and sweat in the new pipes to install the new up to code frost free faucet with new shutoff.
Replaced all pipes from the Copper T just under the blue handle shutoff ball valve. Then sealed the outside with clear RTV silicone and filled in the inside around the new faucet with Great Stuff expanding foam.
Now with the new union fitting if the faucet breaks, just the water to tehe faucet can be turned off, then it can just unscrew and a new one screwed back in!
The outside quick disconnect makes it a snap to bring it inside for the winter!

Pic 1 - Original Outside Faucet - broken handle and hose connector frozen to it!
The inside shutoff was too close to the outside wall so it all had to be cut out!
Pic 2 - Inside plumbing all done! Used TFE paste on Union to new faucet, and Had to sweat 9 joints plus apollo good quality brass shut off ball valve.
Pic 3 - New Frost Free Outside faucet all done with Flex connector and hose shut off plus metal quick disconnect
Pic 4 - New nozzle

Click on pic to Enlarge

lazeedan said:

I hope you realize that frost free faucets will still freeze if a hose is connected. You have to remove the hose so the water can drain.

Dan

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Oh Yes! The water must be drained out!

My neighbor has these styrofoam covers. She says it works great!

http://www.truevalue.com//catalog/product.jsp?productId=2629&parentCategoryId=0&categoryId=2172&subCategoryId=1412&type=product&cid=gooshop&source=google_pla&9gtype={ifsearch:search}{ifcontent:content}&9gkw={keyword}&9gad={creative}.1&9gpla={placement}&ctcampaign=4680&ctkwd={product_id}&ctmatch=&ctcreative={Creative}&ctplacement=118132-44622122499&gclid=COas542htM0CFYwlgQodP7MA1g

Good comments here also!
http://diy.stackexchange.com/questi...utdoor-foam-faucet-covers-to-prevent-freezing

Another good story
http://hubpages.com/living/outdoor-faucet-cover

velvetfoot said:

As long as you don't take out a torch to defreeze it, lol.

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Yes

I now have the Metal (Not Plastic) quick disconnect from Home Depot so It should be a snap to undo the hose and then turn the new inside shutoff off and then open the silcock and drain it.

There is also a drain cap on the new ball valve inside if I need it also!

See Red Arrow in Pic Below:

maple1 said:

Looks that way to me too.

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Yes, I did not realize it came with a drain plug until after it was installed. Also the handle may hit the wall if I turned it around! I really do not think I will use it. As long as I disconnect the hose and shut the valve, then open the frost free knob, the water will drain out for the winter.

Corey said:

Curious why not just throw a frost free hose bib on there and call it done? Seems like that would do the same thing ...automatically, and eliminate the need for the three extra shut-off/drain valves, the potential for any one of them to leak, and the possibility anybody would bump the drain valve and/or it would fail, making you a nice swimming pool inside?

Click to expand...

Good question.
Having the inside shutoff is a good backup for any problems. When the old handle broke, I just turned the inside valve to off until the following spring when I could fix it. The frost free silcocks can also break, so if or when it does, I can shut the water off to it on the inside of the house until I am ready to fix it,