Fitting an outside tap

[eskimo39]

Hi guys, I am actually an electrician member over at Dan's other forum. I was just wondering if someone could answer me a quick question?

I want an outside tap in the back garden to use with a Karcher pressure washer so called a local plumber who came around to give me a quote. I have a washing machine on the same wall as I wanted the tap so assumed he would just cut into the pipe which goes horizontally across the back of the cupboards at the height I want the tap on the outside, put in a 'T' section and then drill a 15mm pipe outside. However he said he won't bother cutting as he can just get a kit which screws onto the washing machine end tap and converts that into a 'T' and then just extend that outside.

Is this as good as cutting into an existing pipe or is it just a quick fix?

Also if that was the case I think I would be able to manage screwing a 'T' section onto a threaded pipe and running it outside.

What do you think? Cheers

 

[Kimou]

The seal perish after a while. Crap set-up.
You'd need to drill a 22mm hole to sleeve the pipe and mastic it. You need isolation, double check valve and a drain cock fitted outside if you're having exposed pipework so it can be isolated and drained down come Winter. Alternatively you can get a kit that has the tap and pipe connected to a circular backplate that feeds directly through the wall.
The 'plumber' is a fraud. The word 'Plumber' is a loosely used term nowadays. Be informd

 

[ecowarm]

Thats a DIY option, you need a double check valve and an isolation valve as well.

Wecome to the forum eskimo

 

[Kimou]

Some garden taps come with double check valves installed but they are now outlawed and the preferred installation is to have seperate DCV inside the property

 

[eskimo39]

Cheers guys, I was worried that this seemed a very basic fitting option. If a customer asked me for an outside light I most certainly wouldn't just fit a plug to a flex and drill it outside.

So would a 'T' section fitted inline with the washing machine cold feed (with the extra leg going downwards) then to an double check valve and then through the wall (in a 22mm hole, cheers Kimou) with the tap backing directly onto it be a better solution?

 

[royston]

Yep as above a proper plumber wouldnt use these DIY kits surely.

 

[AWheating]

yes, tee into 15mm pipe with a compression tee and fit a isolater, double check and then through the wall(22mm hole, 22mm sleave) to a wall plate elbow and fit tap to wall plate.... done.

 

[SimonG]

............as the pipe comes through the wall I like a soldered tee with drain cock in bottom and then pipe up to backplate elbow.

 

[kay-jay]

i personally never use the backplates with the pipe attached to em.
i find that having drilled the 22mm hole for the sleeving that trying to drill for the backplate fixings the brick will crumble as sds has weakened it. therefore i elbow from the hole and then use a seperate backplate

KJ

 

[Kimou]

I know what you mean. If you drill a pilot first, say 8mm, then go in from both sides. If it does crumble then usually you can just drill at an angle. They save a bit of time and look much neater. I like them

 

[Gray0689]

i personally never use the backplates with the pipe attached to em.
i find that having drilled the 22mm hole for the sleeving that trying to drill for the backplate fixings the brick will crumble as sds has weakened it. therefore i elbow from the hole and then use a seperate backplate

KJ

I have a backplate with the pipe removed just Mark screw holes first then drill for the 3 screws them drill a hole for the tube then there no problem with the block/bricks crumbling

 

[Kimou]

I'm trying to remember them it's been ages since I fitted the like. But isn't the pipe brazed onto the brass?

 

[Kimou]

If a customer asked me for an outside light I most certainly wouldn't just fit a plug to a flex and drill it outside.

And what's wrong with that? :crazy:

So would a 'T' section fitted inline with the washing machine cold feed (with the extra leg going downwards) then to an double check valve and then through the wall (in a 22mm hole, cheers Kimou) with the tap backing directly onto it be a better solution?

How you run it is entirely up to you. I'm just stating regs and best practise. Don't forget to sleeve it with 22mm tube And try to avoid DPC. If you penetrate DPC then you must use something to seal inside the length of bore hole.

 

[Guest123]

If you use a self cutting valve on 15mm pipe, you can damage your pressure washer! The hole that these valves make is not 15mm and about 10mm and is below the minimum recomendations of all the major manufacturers of pressure washers.

All installations that are to be used with a pressure washer must have the following:
1) A proper full bore tee piece connection with 15mm minimum pipe work
2) A isolating valve inside the building to turn the tap off in the cold weather and a drain valve under the tap to drain the water
3) A double check valve or tap with this built in to prevent back siphonage of foul water back into the mains
4) A sleeve through the wall to contain the pipework
5) Brass or stainless steel screws to fix it

The diy kit consists of a self cutting valve, a washing machine hose and jubilee clip connected to the tap supposed to withstand mains pressure. The hose will not withstand UV light outside from the sun and becomes brittle and eventually cracks.
Mate, get a real plumber in and do it right first time.

 

[WaterTight]

Why would you need a draincock? A tap is a drain cock?

 

[Nat]

............as the pipe comes through the wall I like a soldered tee with drain cock in bottom and then pipe up to backplate elbow.

Why do you need to fit a drain cock? When you've isolated the tap just open it and water will fall out if you come out the wall and go horizontal or downwards into backplate elbow. Seems unnecessary to me.

 

[Nat]

Why would you need a draincock? A tap is a drain cock?

Seconds before me!

 

[Kimou]

Drain cocks on everything as a rule of thumb. It may have reasons to do with water left in pipe that can't completely come out through tap cz of its design. I'm sure it wouldn't be a big problem if it wasn't installed. I do them anyway to keep in line. Takes 2 mins on install time and defines professionalism.

 

[Guest123]

A drain cock is used to empty any water remaining in the pipework and fitted lower than the supply pipe. The tap doesn't completely drain water out of the pipework. A drain cock is good practice and is a professional finish. Such small things define a tradesman over a diy'er.

 

[gaspastemania]

............as the pipe comes through the wall I like a soldered tee with drain cock in bottom and then pipe up to backplate elbow.

surely easier just to use the tap as the drain off in winter months?
run the pipe downwards!!!!

 

[Nat]

I see where you're coming from guys but I still think its unnecessary IMHO. You don't need to get every last drop of water out anyway. In fact in my experience no one ever isolates their outside tap come winter anyway despite me telling them to when I fit it. TBH even I don't in my own house and never had a problem. As long as you keep the exposed pipework to a minimum ie an inch or two IMHO

 

[gaspastemania]

blimey cant believe so many posts regarding an outside tap, making it as complicated as an unvented cylinder with solar plus secondary return ,,,,jeez!!

 

[Kimou]

When I was subbing for Dyno I had at least 3 a day in the extreme cold. Insulated and uninsulated alike.
Regs are regs and fall guys are sorry.

 

[Gray0689]

A drain cock is used to empty any water remaining in the pipework and fitted lower than the supply pipe. The tap doesn't completely drain water out of the pipework. A drain cock is good practice and is a professional finish. Such small things define a tradesman over a diy'er.

Yea right lol let's not be ott

 

[WaterTight]

i don't think installing and charging for unecessary fittings define a tradesmen

 

[SimonG]

What a load of kerfuffle over a bleedin drain cock, I fit them because it is not always possible to have your outside tap as the lowest point of the installation in relation where you can drill through for your cold feed. It looks professional and for the sake of £1.18 it's good practice.

At the end of the day we are not robots and will do things differently.

Use em or don't the choice is ours, but at least I know that the customer has the ability to prevent the pipe from freezing, it's then upto them if they choose to use it or not.

 

[kay-jay]

And try to avoid DPC. If you penetrate DPC then you must use something to seal inside the length of bore hole.

out of interest mate, what would you use for this?

 

[PlumbBobBob]

i agree the correct way to do it is with double check valve internal stopvalve and drain off but, how often do you have enough space to fit all those? i've been to installations where the cold feed is teed into then straight out of the wall at low level and about a foot of pipe up to the tap oh and no sleeving in the wall either!:thumbs_down::cowboy:

 

[kay-jay]

regarding the drain cock, it requires the customers compliance in order to ensure there is no water in the pipe under pressure which can burst when freezing. most customers either forget or can't be bothered fiddling about under the sink. i still fit them and instruct the customer, but also tell em that isolating then leaving the tap open will suffice, as the freezing water has somewhere to go other than through the wall of the pipe.

 

[WaterTight]

JUST because I don't we've had enough posts regarding the drain cock...
I don't think 99.999% would have the first idea what to do with it, even if you explained it to them and did a demonstration. In my experience they have enough trouble with isolation valves with handles on them painted bloody blue.

 

[Kimou]

out of interest mate, what would you use for this?

Just some off the shelf resin to create the barrier. It's years since I've gone through it, so can't think of a particular brand, but if I had to due to it being the only way, then you have to cover your back.