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pare_john · Sep 10, 2009, 11:04 AM

Hey guys,

I have an out door faucet in the back of my house. I do have a shutoff on the inside of the house. I am concerned however because the piping for the faucet runs a good 8 feet on the outside of the house.

I would like to know if there is a fitting I can hook up after the interior shut off valve that would allow me to put compressed air into the line to blow out any remaining water so it does not freeze during the winter

Thanks

hkstroud · Sep 10, 2009, 11:13 AM

Does that stop valve on the inside of the house have a bleeder valve on it?

speedball1 · Sep 10, 2009, 11:14 AM

I would like to know if there is a fitting I can hook up after the interior shut off valve that would allow me to put compressed air into the line to blow out any remaining water so it does not freeze during the winter

You don't need all that if your shut off valve is a stop and waste valve, (see image) Simply shut the top off to the outside hose bib and leave the hose bib open to prevent air lock. Now open the little waste on the bottom of the stop and let the water drain out or you can apply air pressure on the open hose bib and force the water out. Good luck, Tom Sorry Harold, I posted right on top off you. Great minds think alike.

pare_john · Sep 10, 2009, 11:43 AM

Hey guys, no my shutoff on the inside does not have the bleeder

ballengerb1 · Sep 10, 2009, 11:49 AM

Pare, do what Tom and Harold say. Shut off the inside and open the outside, it will drain. Your other choice would be to install a frost proof spigot.

pare_john · Sep 10, 2009, 11:59 AM

OK thanks guys,

I can not install a frost proof spiget as like I said the pipe runs a good 8 FT along the outside all.

So if I leave the outside spiget open and the inside one closed I will be OK? Because it looks like the tube has a negative pitch on it as it comes toward the house. I am worried that the water will stay in there and freeze.

speedball1 · Sep 10, 2009, 12:06 PM

How about swapping out your old shut off for a shiny new stop and waste velve?

ballengerb1 · Sep 10, 2009, 12:08 PM

I would think that you could lower the final spigot so that it would drain. What type of pipe material is that 8'

pare_john · Sep 10, 2009, 12:54 PM

1/2" copper.

But I am assuming as long as the indoor valve is closed and the outside one open that whatever water is left in the pipe will not break the pipe. I would assume as it would freeze it would just expand into the empty pipe.

ballengerb1 · Sep 10, 2009, 01:42 PM

Not so if there is negative pitch. If the pipe is filled with water the first part to freeze is at the farther end away from the exit through the basement wall. A foot or two of frozen water at the spigot and will hold tight as the water freezes further up the line nearer the house entry, that part can still burst. Not worth taking a chance. 8' of copper will flex but I don't know how much you need so cuttting the line and install two 90 elbows should drop it low enough for a pitch, maybe just one 22 but it would look funky.just 1

pare_john · Sep 10, 2009, 01:46 PM

So there is no fitting I can use to drain the pipe that is not a valve?

ballengerb1 · Sep 10, 2009, 01:48 PM

Nope, the fiitting would be a valve

ballengerb1 · Sep 10, 2009, 01:49 PM

If you are worried about sweating copper or just not good at it there are other alternatives. A sharkbite is expensive compared to sweat copper but you only need a few sharkbites.

mygirlsdad77 · Sep 10, 2009, 04:29 PM

There are many ways to can put in a drain after shut off valve. Sweating in a tee with female adapter with boiler drain would be the way I would do it. But if you don't want to solder, you could always just install compression coupling or sharkbite coupling afrer valve(as long as you have give in the pipe going outside so you can pull the coupling joint apart.). Then come winter time, just pull the coupling joint apart, and let it drain back into the house, or for good measure hit it with compressed air. Hope this helps. Good luck. Lee.

Oh, one more thing, Ive yet to see a sharkbite valve with the bleeder drain, but I know they make the compression ball valves with the drain.

pare_john · Sep 10, 2009, 07:03 PM

Soldering is definitely not an isue for me. I thought of an easier way. I will just take my shop vac at the faucet end and suck the water out of the line

speedball1 · Sep 11, 2009, 06:04 AM

I will just take my shop vac at the faucet end and suck the water out of the line

I can see a air lock problem with that solution. It would be like attempting to suck the pop out of a pop bottle with a shop vac.
If you don't wish to install a stop and waste in the line then I guess you would have to shut the house down, open a upper faucet to relieve air lock and the hose bib and drain the system down at the lowest cold water faucet. After you could close off the hose bib stop and pressure up the system. The hose bib will remain dry. Good luck, Tom

ballengerb1 · Sep 11, 2009, 08:31 AM

Agree, the shop vac idea will not fly.