How To Install A Garden Hose

When I moved to a rural expanse, I had to learn how to do my own plumbing. It's proven a truly rewarding (and upkeep-friendly!) skill.

Outdoor Water Spigot.

Watering Line Installation Basics

Plumbing in an outdoor spigot—or a second spigot, if your existing spigot isn't user-friendly for watering certain areas—is easy if your existing plumbing lines are CPVC (plastic). Only attach the new spigot to an outside wall and run ½" CPVC h2o pipe to an existing cold-water line.

Plumbing with CPVC is as piece of cake equally playing with Tinker Toys. Most fittings are put together with glue. Pipes are piece of cake to cutting to the needed lengths using your regular ability tools.

Since in near cases water lines run under the floor, the biggest bedevilment to putting in a new outdoor spigot is drilling a couple of ¾" holes in the flooring. I advise placing the spigot just above floor level, running a new common cold-water line under the floor, and splicing the new cold-h2o line to the spigot into an existing cold-water line. Preferably, this splice or attachment to an existing cold-h2o line would be made at the kitchen or bathroom sink, next to the h2o heater or washing auto, since common cold-h2o lines sally to a higher place the floor at these places.

Where to Connect the New Water Line

The new h2o line running to the outdoor spigot could really exist spliced into the existing cold h2o line at any indicate—bearing in mind, of course, that no cutting may be made at any point betwixt the curb/meter and your main shut-off. If you are splicing in the new line (and hence, cutting an existing line) anywhere near the main shut-off, exist sure you do it above the main shut-off.

Remember, your habitation's water service comes from the curb or a meter at the adjourn. This principal h2o line (the intake) is joined to your home's cold-water line by a special fitting. Immediately after this fitting, there is a primary shut-off valve. When closed, the principal shut-off shuts off all h2o to your house. Y'all employ this to shut off the water supply from the curb when yous demand to practise piece of work on the plumbing, or in an emergency if a water line breaks. If you cut the line anywhere between the primary shut-off and the curb/meter, you will have no style of turning off the resulting geyser of water—except at the meter at the curb, which is probable to require a special tool. You lot don't want this to happen.

In order to plumb in an outdoor spigot, you will start demand to locate your common cold water line. Take intendance to distinguish between the hot-h2o and the cold-h2o lines. If your hot and common cold water lines are not labeled, this is a good time to label them—or at to the lowest degree the ones you lot will be working effectually. A Sharpie works well.

The common cold-water line runs the length of your house, branching off to supply cold water, showtime (normally) to the water heater, and to supply cold h2o to each of the other plumbing fixtures in your dwelling house. It helps to realize that each fixture is supplied by a branch from the main common cold-h2o line.

When yous plumb in an outdoor spigot, what yous are doing is creating a new branch from the cold-water line.

Can the water line to the spigot be spliced into i of the branches that feed, say, the bathroom or kitchen sink? Sure! In fact, you will observe that it is best to splice the new line to the spigot into 1 of these branches:

• The common cold-h2o line under the bath or kitchen sink.
• Next to the water heater or washing machine.

The primary reason for joining the new line in a place to a higher place the floor is that information technology will enable y'all to easily access the shut-off to the spigot line. Similar all other plumbing fixtures, the spigot line should have a shut-off valve.

If you splice the spigot line into the cold-h2o line under the kitchen sink and put a shut-off valve there, yous can plough off the h2o to the spigot in the fall merely by reaching into the chiffonier under the sink. (No crawling under the house to get to the close-off.)

Figure i

Whorl to Go on

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This diagram shows how the cold h2o line branches to supply each plumbing fixture. The dotted lines run below the floor. Solid lines show where the cold-h2o line emerges higher up the floor. The bright pink lines show possible location for the new cold water line to the spigot.

In this diagram, this new line has been spliced into the cold-water line under the kitchen sink. The dotted pink line shows where the common cold-water line to the spigot passes under the floor. Solid pink lines show where the common cold-water line to the spigot emerges above the flooring: Here, it emerges above the flooring under the kitchen sink, where information technology is spliced into the common cold-h2o line that supplies the kitchen sink. The other end of the cold-water line to the spigot emerges in a higher place the floor to pass through the outside wall to which the outdoor spigot is attached.

Figure 2

If you lot are really lucky, and you just happen to need an outdoor spigot in a place where a kitchen or bath sink, or the water heater or washing car is right next to the outside wall, and then the line and fittings shown in pink are literally all you lot would have to install. No demand for the water line to drop beneath the flooring at all, and no demand to drill holes in the floor.

But, since few of u.s.a. have that kind of luck, we will need to cover the more likely scenarios.

Choose the Spigot Location

The outset footstep to planning this project is to decide where you lot desire your new outdoor spigot. And so decide which above-the-floor common cold h2o line is nearest to where yous will put your new spigot.

Since I am suggesting that the spigot be fastened to an exterior wall just above floor level, y'all will besides want to think about the location of the new spigot from this standpoint. A few inches of plumbing line will exist visible inside the house.

Y'all may want to locate the spigot so that the short line that emerges from the floor to pass through the outside wall to the spigot is in an inconspicuous location, such every bit a closet or laundry room or inside a cabinet. If this isn't possible, given where yous desire to locate the spigot, you may want to consider boxing it in with small-dimension lumber to conceal it.

This small piece of piping must pass through the wall about ane ½"-2" above flooring level in society to clear the wall plate. But even if you tin can't locate this in an inconspicuous spot, this small (about two") slice of pipe should be barely noticeable in any case.

Running the Water Line Inside the House

It may exist possible—or even desirable—non to run this new line under the firm, nevertheless. Why not run the new water line to a higher place the floor, inside the house? 1 reason, of grade, is that a bare water line running forth a wall might exist cruddy, just it could be concealed by boxing information technology in with small-dimension lumber. Also, you may be able to alive with a short run of an exposed water line in a utility room or cupboard.

Doing the job this way will make the task much easier; there volition be no need to drill holes in the floor, for starters, or to crawl under the house.

It may even be possible to run the new water line within a closet or cabinet, where it won't be visible.

Actually, some people run all their plumbing lines indoors. Information technology solves many problems: Lines are less likely to freeze inside the firm, and when information technology's time to piece of work on the plumbing, there is no need to crawl under the house to do it. Anyone who lives in a cold climate who has spent much fourth dimension crawling through puddles of ice-water under the house to set a broken pipe volition immediately see the advantage of being able to do whatsoever needed work indoors, where it's warm and dry. Moving all water lines indoors is possible and can aid forbid frozen pipes.

Figure iii

This diagram shows the water line to the spigot passing through the wall to the inside of the business firm, and then turning to pass through a ¾" hole in the flooring. Notice that the curt piece of pipe and the elbow are against an interior wall, where they will exist visible inside the house.

Figure 4

This diagram shows how the new line will be connected to an existing above-the-floor cold-water line. Fittings (one T and 1 elbow) are shaded green. The shut-off valve volition require one male adapter at each cease. Find that you will probably take to drill a new pigsty in the floor for the line to the spigot to pass through. Drill this hole using your electric drill with a ¾" spade bit.

What You'll Need

The plan here is to use ½" CPVC h2o lines to plumb in the spigot. If your existing common cold-water lines are PVC, and then it volition be more convenient to do this job with PVC water lines. PVC is oft used for common cold-water lines, and CPVC for hot-h2o lines. I prefer to utilize CPVC for both, but that's merely me.

CPVC water lines can exist fastened to existing copper h2o lines, just this volition require a CPVC to metallic transition fittings. This is a discipline to hash out with the guys in the plumbing aisle.

The supply listing assumes that you are using CPVC lines and fittings for this task. If you lot plan to use PVC lines and fittings (because your existing common cold-h2o lines are PVC), yous tin can nonetheless use this supply list; only become PVC instead of CPVC.

H2o lines are normally ½" lines. When purchasing supplies, it's a good idea to be very careful to brand sure that you are getting the correct size fittings. When you lot purchase the spigot, become alee and spiral the ½" male person adapter into it, to make sure it matches. When you buy the shut-off valve, screw the two male adapters into information technology, to make certain they match. When purchasing water lines (sticks of CPVC), you might want to insert ane cease into other fittings, to make certain everything fits. Taking extra intendance now can save yous a return trip to the hardware store. But don't beat yourself upwards if you do have to make several trips back to the plumbing alley. This is plumbing. Every bit any plumber can tell yous, "Plumbing doesn't happen without cussing."

Supply Listing

• A spigot intended for half-inch CPVC water lines.
• Since the spigot will take female threads, you lot volition need one male adapter to adhere it to the ½" CPVC water line. If you take selected a spigot that has male person threads, evidently you will need a female adapter, instead of a male adapter. (See pictures of male person and female adapters below.)
• Ane close-off valve. The cheap kind is fine, equally information technology will exist indoors. The shut-off valve volition have female person threads at each end, so you lot will demand ii male person adapters (one for each cease) to adhere it to ½" CPVC water lines.
• 1 ¾" spade bit, to drill a hole through the interior wall, and so through the outside wall.
• One 1" spade bit, to drill a hole through the exterior wall. The reason you are drilling a ¾" hole in the interior wall, is because this is the right size for ½" CPVC pipe. The hole needs to be bigger than ½" considering the bore of CPVC line is a measure of the inside of the line. The full diameter of the line measured from the exterior edge is a little more than ½". The reason y'all are drilling a 1" hole on the outside of the house is because that is the size pigsty you lot will need to receive the male adapter, which volition be inside the wall. It won't fit through a ¾" hole. Holes drilled through the flooring will be made with the ¾" spade chip, since only the ½" line needs to pass through these.
• I or more "sticks" of ½" CPVC water line. Measure the distance the water line must run from where you will splice it into the cold-water line to where the spigot will be located, allowing for a lilliputian actress for vertical pieces that must come up through the floor, as well equally for the possibility that the lines may take to make some unexpected turns.
• Now purchase some CPVC fittings. You will demand one T, which y'all will employ to splice the new line into the existing line. If the distance from the splice to the spigot is too long for a single stick of CPVC to make the run, yous will demand at least 1 straight coupling to attach 2 sticks together. Side by side, decide how many places in the h2o line will make 90° turns. You lot will need one elbow (or 90) coupling for each such turn. It is often a skillful idea to purchase a few extra elbows.

• One can of CPVC primer/cleaner.
• One can of CPVC cement.
• 1 container of pipage-thread chemical compound. All threaded fittings require pipe-thread compound. This is an important affair to call back when doing plumbing.
• You will demand one or more than cut tools for cut CPVC lines. For cutting new lines—that is, lines that are non already plumbed into a tight infinite, a skill saw works fine, and a miter saw is especially dainty for quickly cutting CPVC sticks to marked lengths.
• You can purchase a special tool for cutting CPVC lines at the hardware store. There are several kinds of such cutting tools, which are useful when cutting existing lines in tight spaces. Such a tool can exist used for making all the needed cuts, if you lot don't own a skill saw or a miter saw. Personally, I apply a jigsaw for making cuts to existing lines in tight spaces. You volition probably not desire to use a jigsaw except in tight spaces, because of the vibration.
• One Sharpie, to mark CPVC pipes for making cuts. A Sharpie tin can also be used to characterization the lines you will be working effectually "hot" or "cold." This will avoid inadvertently plumbing your spigot into a hot-water line, or at least cutting the incorrect line. Better safe than sorry!

Male adapter.

Female adapter.

Step-by-Pace Guide to Installing an Outdoor Spigot

The simplest mode to exercise this job is to begin at the spigot end of the line and piece of work your way back to the betoken where the new line will be spliced into an existing line. Past outset at the spigot terminate, you can consummate about the whole job before you cut into an existing common cold-water line—which means you lot won't have to turn off the water to the house until the job is nearly finished.

While there are many dissimilar kinds of spigots, the cheap kind has female person threads and requires a male person adapter to be screwed into it. (If your spigot has male threads, you volition need to use a female adapter.)

1. Begin by attaching the male adapter to the spigot, using pipage-thread compound. E'er use pipage thread chemical compound to all threaded fittings. This is what keeps threaded fittings from leaking. I like to utilise the viscid "liquid" pipe thread chemical compound, rather than Teflon record. Apply the pipe thread chemical compound to the threads of the male person adapter and spiral it all the mode into the spigot, using a pipe wrench, if necessary, to make sure it'southward screwed all the way in.
2. Using a ¾" spade flake, drill a pigsty in the interior wall, where the water line will pass through the wall to the outside. Continue drilling until you have also fabricated a ¾" hole in the outside wall. Information technology's easiest to do it this way, since otherwise, you could have a hard time figuring out where to drill the hole in the exterior wall.
3. At present take your drill outside, where you will run into the ¾" hole in the exterior wall. Using a 1" spade scrap, enlarge the hole in the exterior wall to 1".
4. Accept a stick of CPVC water line and attach it, without gluing, to the male person adapter that you have threaded onto the spigot. Go exterior the house and push the line through both the exterior and interior holes in the wall. Keep pushing until the spigot is apartment against the side of the house.
5. Get back indoors and make a mark on the h2o line to show you lot where you will cutting it. This line needs to be about ¾" by the interior wall. This extra stub is so yous will exist able to adhere a plumbing equipment to it.
6. Cut the stick of CPVC where you made your mark. Now you have a brusque piece of CPVC pipe that is just the right length to pass through the wall, with a little extra to receive an elbow plumbing equipment. Using CPVC primer/cleaner and cement, attach this curt slice of CPVC to the male person adapter. Information technology is a expert thought to comprehend the expanse in which you will be applying primer/cleaner and cement with a thick layer of newspapers. Primer/cleaner, especially, will stain anything it touches. You will never get the regal out of the linoleum, if some gets splashed on it.
7. The manner you lot glue CPVC together is to showtime employ the primer/cleaner to nigh ¾" of both the terminate of the stick of CPVC and to within of the female person coupling that volition receive it. The primer/cleaner makes these surfaces tacky, then they will concord the CPVC cement (glue) better. Later on allowing the primer/cleaner to dry briefly (you can blow on it), apply the CPVC cement to both ¾" of the end of the stick of CPVC and the inside of the female coupling. Now push button the cease of the CPVC pipe into the coupling, pushing and turning it a little, to make sure it goes all the way in.
8. Now, directly beneath the hole in the interior wall, drill a ¾" hole in the flooring.
9. Become exterior the house and push this assembly (small-scale piece of CPVC pipe, male adapter, spigot) through the wall until the spigot is flush against the wall. Spiral the spigot to the exterior wall.
10. It's pretty obvious what you practice from hither: Put an elbow on the piddling bit of CPVC pipe sticking out of the interior wall, put a stick of CPVC through the hole in the floor (later on commencement dry out-fitting it into the elbow), crawl under the house and brand your mark for a cut on the vertical pipe, and come back indoors, remove the CPVC stick from the elbow, and cut it to the right length. Poke it back through the pigsty in the flooring and, using primer/cleaner and CPVC cement, glue the vertical line into the elbow—and, of class, the elbow to both the line coming through the wall and the line going through the floor.
11. When you become to this point, the situation should look like Effigy 3.
12. Now all you have to do is crawl under the house, fit an elbow to the vertical length of CPVC, and measure a stick of CPVC so that information technology ends just below where it needs to come back up above the floor through a ¾" hole y'all have drilled. Maybe this hole is under the kitchen sink, bathroom sink, or near the water heater or washing automobile.
13. The easiest way to effigy out how long the horizontal slice of CPVC traveling under the floor needs to exist is this: Poke a stick of CPVC through the hole in the floor where you take planned for it to emerge. Then, once you are under the house, you will be able to dry-fit one end of your stick of CPVC into an elbow at the bottom of the line from the spigot. Then holding this stick of CPVC horizontally, you lot can see where information technology will see the stick of CPVC you poked through the flooring. Make your mark on the horizontal piece, to bear witness where you will cut it.
14. Dorsum indoors, cut this piece to the right length and dry out fit an elbow to one end of it. Now you can crawl dorsum under the house, taking the cans of primer/cleaner and CPVC cement with you. Glue 1 end of the stick of CPVC into the elbow you lot have already glued to the line going to the spigot. As you are doing this, at present glue in the elbow at the other end of this line so it winds up facing upward, because that elbow will receive the vertical piece of line that you poked through the flooring.

Figure five. This is how things will wait if you splice the new line in at the water heater.

And then you can come across that all you have to exercise is start from the spigot and run a h2o line under the floor. And then yous bring it back above the flooring again, at a point where y'all can tie it into the business firm's cold-water line. Here, I've shown the water line to the spigot coming above the flooring nearly the h2o heater and spliced into the cold-water line that runs into the water heater, merely this line could equally easily be brought into the house under the kitchen or bath sink and spliced into the cold-water line under either sink. You will probably decide to bring the line from the spigot above the flooring and into the firm at any identify is closest to your new spigot.

So how do yous splice the water line from the spigot into an existing cold-water line? After you have decided where the line from the spigot will bring together an existing cold-water line, you volition accept to make a cut in the existing cold-h2o line at the betoken where you wish to join the ii lines.

Say it's nether the kitchen sink.

Figure half-dozen. If you are slicing the new line in under the sink, hither is where you will brand your cut.

After turning off all h2o to the business firm, run h2o from the taps until the water stops running to drain the lines.

There will still be some water in the lines when you make your cut, but information technology volition not exist h2o under, say, 60 psi of force per unit area, so h2o will trickle from the cut line, rather than spraying all over the place.

The easiest tool to use to cut CPVC piping in tight spaces is a jigsaw, although you lot may want to purchase a special tool for cutting CPVC at the hardware store, for use in tight spaces.

Now that you take made your cut to the existing cold-water line, you lot are ready to splice the water line to the spigot into it. To do this, cut the existing cold-water line where you want the new line to join it. Glue a T coupling into the cut line, as shown in Effigy 7.

Since you made a cut in a line with some water in it, these pipes are probably wet. Dry out them with a material or paper towels before applying primer/cleaner and cement.

Use primer/cleaner and glue equally before, when connecting CPVC lines to couplings.

Figure 7. Afterwards cutting an existing cold-water line, glue a T coupling into information technology, to receive the finish of the new cold-water line to the spigot.

Now all you have to do is connect the line you ran from the spigot back upwardly through the flooring to this T coupling. Just first, put a shut-off on this line, as shown in Figure 8.

Since the shut-off has female person threads at each end, thread a male person adapter into each end, later on applying pipe-thread compound to the male threads of the male adapters. Next, gum the whole affair together with CPVC primer/cleaner or mucilage as shown in Figure 8. The final step is to mucilage the end of the CPVC line into the T coupling, thus joining the new spigot line to the existing cold-h2o line.

At present you're done.

This is a adept time to await over all lines carefully to make sure you didn't forget to gum a spot.

Effigy 8

This is how the fittings are assembled, ready to be glued into the T coupling. Once y'all've assembled this line, including a shut-off with male person adapters at each end, all you have to do is glue the pipage into the T coupling in the existing cold-water line.

Before Turning the Water On

How long should you look for the glue to dry before turning the water dorsum on? Most authorities say you lot should expect 24 hours for the glue to dry earlier turning the water back on. In bodily practise, however, 1 hour is sufficient.

Before turning the water back on, make sure the shut-off to the spigot line is turned to the "on" position. And then go outside and make sure the spigot itself is turned off.

Plough the water back on at the main shut-off after the glue has had well-nigh an hour to dry out. Have a look at all the lines both to a higher place and beneath the floor, to make sure at that place are no leaks.

It is not exactly incommunicable that you missed a spot. Recall that, "Plumbing doesn't happen without cussing." If there are leaks, just turn off the h2o at the main close-off and mucilage the spot yous missed. Exist sure to dry out the pipes and fittings with paper towels or a fabric before gluing a missed spot. Now you lot take to wait another hour for the glue to dry.

After you accept examined the lines, and they are tight and dry, go outside and turn on the spigot.

You tin be pretty sure you will have h2o running there.

This commodity is accurate and truthful to the best of the author's knowledge. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes but and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional person communication in concern, fiscal, legal, or technical matters.

© 2022 Sharon Vile

Sharon Vile (author) from Odessa, MO on January 02, 2022:

Interesting! A check valve sounds like a good thought for the reasons y'all mentioned, and information technology looks similar a check valve is an like shooting fish in a barrel and cheap device that only screws onto the spigot earlier the hose is attached. (The spider web page I viewed quoted the price of such a check valve every bit only $iv.33!.) Obviously, y'all don't want brackish h2o that has been sitting in your garden hose, often in the hot sun, to backwash into your abode h2o lines. You tin get the same backflow state of affairs if y'all leave a hose-type showerhead or attachment immersed in water in your sink, tub, or shower. The water information technology is sitting in tin can backflow into home water lines. Many years agone, I knew a guy who worked for Poison Control, and he told me a story about this. He was doing a flake of detective work trying to find out why people in a particular apartment building were becoming ill. It turned out that 1 of the tenants left a hose attachment to her bathtub immersed in dingy h2o (in which she soaked used diapers), which was being sucked into the edifice'south water supply.

Eugene Brennan from Ireland on December 31, 2022:

Interesting, useful and voted upwards!

Information technology's also a good idea (and probably required by regulations) to include a one-way (check) valve in line with the outdoor spigot. This prevents dirty water siphoning back into the indoor supply if for instance a hose is fastened and the water in information technology becomes stagnant.

Sharon Vile (author) from Odessa, MO on Apr 13, 2022:

No one goes into the plumbing aisle if they don't have to, so it'due south a well-kept secret.

Suzanne Twenty-four hours from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on April xiii, 2022:

Sounds good - I accept not investigated the magical backdrop of PVC!

Sharon Vile (author) from Odessa, MO on April 12, 2022:

Plastic pipes--PVC and CPVC--have endless possibilities. The pipe is practiced to utilize for tomato plant stakes--and a LOT cheaper. A person could build a nice arbor or trellis with this stuff, or use information technology to brand "teepee" blazon supports for pole beans, or you could build curved supports for garden row covers. (Information technology'southward rather flexible.) If I call up right, I think a ten-human foot stick of half-inch CPVC is most $3. PVC is a little cheaper. Fittings are around 25 cents. Cheap and interesting materials merely to play with.

Suzanne Day from Melbourne, Victoria, Commonwealth of australia on Apr 12, 2022:

Thanks for the info, maybe a hub on the naughty $.25 of plumbing might exist interesting to endeavor? Could be a viral one!

Sharon Vile (author) from Odessa, MO on Apr 12, 2022:

Yous'd exist surprised how like shooting fish in a barrel plumbing is--at least if you are using plastic pipes. Ane of my daughters installed a pump when she was sixteen. All by herself--except for advice from the guy who sold u.s. the pump. Beginners practice frequently take long conversations with the guys in the plumbing alley.

I never actually thought also much nigh the sexuality of my fittin's. In that location is actually a fitting called a nipple--but I think that'due south but on gas lines. One of my old construction buddies once told me a story about how a lady client got very offended and upset when mentioned "the nipple." I recall she thought he was deliberately using an offensive option of words. This same buddy always referred to pipage insulation every bit "donkey dick"--which actually is a deliberately offensive option of words. (Have a look at it some fourth dimension.)

The woman who taught me plumbing had such a broad Louisiana accent and used and so many funny expressions, I couldn't understand her half the fourth dimension.

Thank you for looking at this article! Information technology is non one of my more successful hubs..

Suzanne Twenty-four hour period from Melbourne, Victoria, Commonwealth of australia on April 11, 2022:

Howdy blueheron, this is very practical and useful information. I must admit it is a little over my caput but that would soon be corrected if I needed to install a spigot! Having a piddling chuckle over the male and female parts (why were they invented, instead of using unisex parts?) and thank you for a very useful hub.

Source: https://dengarden.com/home-improvement/How-to-Install-an-Outdoor-Spigot-for-Watering-Your-Garden

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