hose bib installation

[gmolnar]

I installed a Watts NF-8 hose bib. However, when I go to turn off the water, all the water in the hose blasts out of either the connection between the hose bib and the house connector or the hose bib and the hose connected. What did I do wrong? Also, the host bib leaks a little from the connection with the house. I tried plumbers tape and it still leaks. What should I do to stop the leak(I didn't remove the little side screw if that matters). Thanks a lot.

[freddy]

The side screw is to be tighten down after you have installed this device to your hose bibb. It keeps you from removeing it,from the faucet. If you have a hose attached to faucet with sprayer attatched you will have a leak, that means the water is not backflowing into your home. That is a good thing that's what is designed to do. It will leak the backpreassure out of the hose but not into your home. :) Freddy

[plumberscrack]

The NF-8 isn't the hosebibb itself it's a vacuum breaker attached to the hosebibb.

Series NF8 Hose Connection Vacuum Breakers are designed specifically for wall and yard hydrants to prevent the reverse flow of polluted water from entering into the potable water supply due to backsiphonage. The NF8 permits manual draining for freezing conditions.

You probably did nothing wrong and the NF-8 is actually doing it's job. It's keeping the potentially contamenated water in the hose from entering back into the house. Just be sure the black plastic ring is pulled all the way down and the "O" rings are still intact. The sidescrew as you called it is installed after the vacuum breaker is tightened onto the hosebibb. I usually just leave those off because once they go on they don't come off:eek: It will always spray back at you if you have a nozzle on the end of your hose.

I'm not a big fan of the Watts NF-8.

Welcome to the forum neighbor

Oh Freddy beat me to the post...grrrr

~Bill

[gmolnar]

If I understand you guys correctly, its perfectly appropriate to get sprayed with a big blast of water every time I turn off the fawcet?? Second, was there any prep to do to the nf-8 to do before installing(a piece to adjust, etc) and was it appropriate to use plumbers tape between the nf-8 and the hose bib? Thanks for responding!

[plumberscrack]

No it's not Ok to get sprayed but thats just how that stupid thing works. Plumbers tape was fine. Remove set screw befor tightening. Was the hose washer intact?
I'm just curious why did you decide you needed the NF-8? :confused:

[gmolnar]

The original NF-8 worked fine until the o-ring under the black piece dried up. I couldn't get o-rings to fit(this o-ring has a much smaller thickness than o-rings at Lowe's, Ferguson's etc). I put it on because it was there before and I initially thought it was necessary for operating the fawcet and then after I bought them to replace I learned it was just a safety device.

If its normal for it to blast you with water, then every homeowner would be yelling at their builder to get rid of the thing. And the original one didn't blast water like that. Why didn't the original one on the house didn't do that? Also, what impact would it have if you screwed in the set screw after tightening like I did.

ps. I'll have to check the hose washer.

[PIPES]

You over tightened it.

[plumbdog10]

1) You're installing a vacuum breaker, not a hose bib.

2) It is not acceptable to use teflon tape on this connection. It has an o-ring. The tape is blocking the threads from seating deep enough to connect with the o-ring.

3) That vacuum breaker works fine if you know what you are doing.

[ToUtahNow]

First off none of us know how much water is splashing from your vacuum breaker so it is hard to tell you if it is normal. Secondly the o-ring you could not find was a standard garden hose o-ring available almost anywhere. Lastly as dog pointed out you shound not need or use tape on a hose thread.

Mark

[PLUMBER RICK]

it sounds like the hose has a sprayer on it that is in the closed position. therefore the hose has pressure in it when it's off. that's why you get sprayed when you shut it.

the set screw is a tamper screw that you're suppose to tighten till it snaps off. this prevents someone from removing it.

do yourself a favor. don't tighten the screw.

the purpose of a vacuum breaker is to prevent potable/ drinking water from getting mixed with non- potable water. once the water exits the hose bibb, it's considered non - potable. there are many ways that the water can get back into the system from a hose bibb. lets just say you left the hose on to water the lawn, it's laying on the lawn, with chemicals, manure:eek: and then there was a drop of pressure in the system. a fire hydrant got knocked off on the corner. the drop of pressure in the city main can actually create a back flow situation. the hose can now suck all the crud that was soaking on the lawn back into the potable drink water system. you or your neighbors can get poisoned by this back siphonage. with the vacuum breaker on the hose bibb, it would have shut off the crossing of the potable and non- potable water.

all plumbing fixtures are suppose to have a form of back flow prevention. you just might not recognize it. a tub spout has to be 1'' minimum (air gap) above the overflow of the complete tub fixture including the tub track if it has an enclosure. same with a sink faucet. it too has to be 1'' above the overflow of the sink or counter top. a toilet ballcock has to have a anti-siphon ballcock. all of those fancy kitchen pull out faucets have to have a built in vacuum breaker or series of check valves. a hand help shower also has the same vacuum breaker. dishwashers and washing machines have them built into the machines.

i can continue, but why bore you:rolleyes:

the vacuum breaker is there to protect the potable water supply from contamination. even though it's a long shot on most garden hose or faucet installations, it's still required.

what i see all day is very few hose vacuum breakers. they are required, but seldom enforced. they tend to chatter if left pressurized downstream. they also limit the flow down.

just a brief explanation of cross connections and back flow prevention.

rick.

[plumbdog10]

This is the second thread that I remember regarding hose bib vacuum breakers. I seems to be a problem for some guys, so I'm giving the proper procedure. Just glad I don't have to give this lecture on my jobs.

1) Blow a new water system out. Open the hose bibs (without the vacuum breaker installed) and let them fun full for about an hour.

2) Screw the vacuum breaker on, with the o-ring (if it's lost, see Utah's post----It's a freaking hose washer), and NO TEFLON TAPE.

3) Open the hose bib, check for leaks.

4) No leaks? Tighten the set screw until it breaks.


Problem later? Drill the set screw with a 3/16ths drill bit, unscrew it, replace it.

[ToUtahNow]

I just had another thought, assumming your code required "non-removable" vacuum breaker was installed correctly during original installation you likely destroyed the threads on your original hose bibb when you removed the original vaccum breaker. If that is the case (which it should be) you now need to replace both your hose bibb and your vacuum breaker.

Mark

[apf]

take it all apart , clean your threads with a wire brush , apply pipe dope , and reinstall the hose bib , loosen screw completely and check for danmaged threads , check your o-ring , reinstall if undamaged , install hose , turn on water , if no leaks while pressurized or flowing then your good . Turn off the water. If it spits quickly, even if it seems like quite a bit but stops quickly , then your good , that's the v. breakers job . Note to plumbers, I have a Bemac and Locke supply in this town and I have to special order v. breakers , I have bein told I'm the only one that uses them , and most can"t tell me what a go , no-go gauge is ...........yet they charge 90 an hour , allright , I'll stop , hope we helped you brother

[gmolnar]

First of all, thank you for all your suggestions. I took off the vacuum breaker and removed the plumbing tape and rethreaded it by hand as was specified. The threads seemed fine. However, it leaks a good bit of water between the vacuum breaker and the hose bib. Would the pipe dope solve that?

[ToUtahNow]

First of all, thank you for all your suggestions. I took off the vacuum breaker and removed the plumbing tape and rethreaded it by hand as was specified. The threads seemed fine. However, it leaks a good bit of water between the vacuum breaker and the hose bib. Would the pipe dope solve that?

No you do not need anything beyond a hose bibb washer. If it still leaks with a good washer it is either your hose bibb or your vacuum breaker.

mark

[drtyhands]

First of all, thank you for all your suggestions. I took off the vacuum breaker and removed the plumbing tape and rethreaded it by hand as was specified. The threads seemed fine. However, it leaks a good bit of water between the vacuum breaker and the hose bib. Would the pipe dope solve that?
The washer/o-ring should stop that if the threads are goon on both h/b and v/b.

[gmolnar]

I figured out why its leaking....I didn't notice before when I drilled out the side screw on the original vacuum breaker I inadvertently drilled a hole into the hose bib. (I'm learning :eek:). Is there any fix for this other than replacing the hose bib. Please tell me there's something.... thanks!!



p.s. The second one I did works perfectly!!

[freddy]

No you will have to replace the hose faucet to stop this leak. But you may what to wait for the dog to answer this one for you. :D

[PLUMBER RICK]

[quote=gmolnar;81911]I figured out why its leaking....I didn't notice before when I drilled out the side screw on the original vacuum breaker I inadvertently drilled a hole into the hose bib. (I'm learning :eek:). Is there any fix for this other than replacing the hose bib. Please tell me there's something.... thanks!!


best bet is to replace the hose bibb.

next bet is to epoxie the little hole.

arrowhead brass, now owned by champion sprinkler co. makes a hose bibb with yellow handle. this new bibb has an integral vacuum breaker designed into the body. it flows 12-15 gpm without all the old issues of external vac. breakers. not too sure how avaliable it is yet. i saw the first one last week at the trade show and was impressed. it is also servicable by removing the entire stem assy.

rick.

[gmolnar]

I'd like to try the epoxy. How do you work with it. I've looked it up and it hardens quickly yet would need to stick to the metal around it from the hose bib. How do you put it in the hole such that it doesn't mess up the threads on the outside but touches the outside enough to adhere to it?

[freddy]

You could use pool epoxy, It would work better for wet location, will give you 15 min, for you to work it into place. :)

[gmolnar]

Can you get pool epoxy at Lowe's/HD or do you need a specialty plumber store? Does it harden as hard as regular plumber's epoxy? thanks.

[acemery]

"Whatever starts in California unfortunately has an inclination to spread"-- Jimmy Carter"In my heart, I have lusted"-- Jimmy Carter :D

[gmolnar]

I used the plumber's epoxy and it worked great. Thanks guys!