The goal of any of the outdoor faucet types is that they should work well for your garden or yard while also providing good water flow, not only in volume but pressure. Being outdoors also means that they should be weatherproof as much as possible, especially for the winter time.
13 Outdoor Faucet Types
You can take a look at the types of outdoor faucets and learn what you can expect from them below. It really depends on what task you’re trying to complete that will lead you to the right outdoor faucet style.
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Spigot Faucet
Spigots are faucets that are usually always found outdoors. These come with a valve that you can use to maintain the flow of water, requiring you to turn it off once you are done using it. The classic, oldest models that still exist have a handle that you lift up vertically to open the valve and push it back down to close it.
These outdoor water spigot types tend to have a wider mouth as compared to most other faucets. You can either use this mouth to directly pour water into a bucket or bowl or you can connect a hose to it for watering your garden. The water supply usually connects to an indoor pipe. Make sure you know how to tell if a valve is open or closed, especially if you have long hoses attached so you aren’t leaving it open while you’re not attending to it.
Hose Bib Faucet
The most common type of outdoor faucet you’ll find are called hose bibs, usually sticking off of the side of a house or commercial buliding. They can be made from a variety of materials such as brass, aluminum, plastic, steel or cast iron. You should ideally add other weatherproof elements to these to winterize them.
To use them, you twist the handle on top counter-clockwise to open the valve and let the water flow, and then turn it clockwise to close the valve. It’s always “lefty loosey, righty tighty”.
You’ll hear people refer to these by names like outdoor taps, hose valves, a hose attachment, and even as a spigot, which isn’t entirely accurate. You can run a hose from them right to a sprayer, any types of sprinkler heads, fill a bucket or hot tub, and so forth. You’ll see these types of faucet connections as sink sprayer connection types, too.
Kitchen Faucet
If you have an outdoor kitchen in your yard or patio, you will need a faucet that can help you wash and prepare some food beforehand while also letting you wash the dishes without needing to keep going indoors.
These outdoor faucet types are essentially just standard types of kitchen faucets. They tend to have a long curved pipe along with a valve at the side to control the flow. You can attach this faucet to an indoor pipe or even a spigot. Make sure the pipes are fit to prevent clogging.
Just like indoor faucets, outdoor kitchen faucets are also made from stainless steel (meaning stainless steel is obviously waterproof). These need to be more durable so that they can resist weather changes.
Yard Hydrant
Yard hydrants can be ideal if you have a garden with plenty of plants and vegetables growing. These are usually installed directly in the garden and are attached to an underground pipe that supplies water to the faucet.
You can then irrigate your garden easily using this yard hydrant, many of which might also allow you to connect a hose or garden pipe to access remote corners of the garden. These are your best bet when seeking alternatives to underground sprinkler systems.
These hydrants have a handle on the top of their structure. Once you pull this handle up, you can release water from the faucet. Pulling it further can help increase the water flow while pushing it back in can reduce or stop it.
Frost-Proof Faucet
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If you live in a cold and freezing climate, it can be ideal for you to install frost-proof faucets outdoors. These are usually made from metal that can withstand freezing temperatures, frost, snow and rain.
Usually, these types of outdoor water spigots come with a metal pipe that extends inside your house and connects to the other pipes. This metal pipe, present indoors, contains a valve that can allow you to control the flow of water. This way, you can prevent the water from freezing outdoors. It’s pretty nifty how these work.
These types of outdoor faucets also completely rid themselves of water after you turn the valve off because of its vertical shape. This is a good way to prevent the water from potentially remaining inside and freezing the pipes.
Shower Faucet
Sometimes, you might want to install a shower outdoors, especially if you also have a pool and want to clean yourself up before and after using it.
These types of shower faucets are the same as standard shower faucets in terms of their functioning and shape, that is, they have multiple holes that can disperse the water supply and a valve situated downwards to maintain the flow. Ideally, you should connect this kind of faucet to your indoor pipes instead of outdoor bibs.
It is also crucial for you to be careful about the material you select for these outdoor faucet types. Stainless steel can work well, especially if gets too cold during the winters. Make sure you have some types of gutters, french drains, or direct drain holes to carry all this water away safely to the best location.
Wall Hydrant
Wall hydrants are similar to yard hydrants, only that these are installed on a wall instead of being able to stand upright freely. These wall hydrants can help provide water for irrigating your yard or garden. They can also be the fixture to opt for if you have a pond or small pool in your yard and want a nearby water supply source.
These wall hydrants usually get their water supply from an indoor water pipe. Unlike the other kinds of outdoor faucets, these hydrants don’t have a valve that anyone can simply turn to access the water. This makes them much safer and more exclusive.
You will need to use a special key for this wall hydrant so that you can turn the water supply on and out through the faucet. The nice thing is you don’t need to worry about winterization. Of all the different types of outdoor faucets, these should give you the best pressure especially if connected to the main water pipe before the down-regulator leading to your house.
Anti-Siphon Faucet
Anti-siphon faucets are usually in place so that the water inside the faucet doesn’t backflow into the supply pipe as this can otherwise lead to contamination and pollution. This can then end up dirtying the water that comes out from the other faucets relying on the same water source.
These faucets can be most useful if you have garden hoses whose other ends are sitting in some dirty water. In usual cases, this can sometimes cause this water to get sucked into the hose and faucet, which is why an anti-siphon valve can help. They’re very useful is sprinkler systems since they’re embedded in soil.
In many places, having this kind of faucet is mandatory, so make sure you check your area codes to figure it out. Usually, however, all your outdoor faucets should have this kind of function already in place.
Ball Valve Faucet
Ball valve faucets are durable and can resist all kinds of weather conditions. They usually come in stainless steel or brass forms and are quite simple in their function and operation.
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The valve that you can use to turn the water on features a ball and a hole. Whenever you want to turn the faucet on, you can simply shift the valve out from the valve. Once you are done using it, you can turn it back so that the hole fits over the ball.
These outdoor faucet types can work well for you if you don’t have any requirements when it comes to controlling the pressure or flow of water.
Wheel Faucet
Wheel faucets are usually those that have a wheel-like handle or valve to help you control the flow of water.
While other faucets have simple and straight handles that you can pull up or to the side, the wheels tend to cover a larger surface area at the top and have many gaps between the grooves where you can hold on with a sturdier grip.
This can then make it easier for you to turn the supply on or off while also reducing or increasing the water pressure. Some wheel faucets also have a consistent wheel with the gap only present at the top where you can place your fingers.
Tee Valve Faucet
You can differentiate faucets easily if you simply look at the handle. If the handle has a linear handle with a hole in the middle, this is referred to as a tee handle faucet. This kind of faucet is extremely common and popular.
The tee valve faucet is typically paired with some types of outdoor water spigots to make it more convenient for you to turn the water supply on and control the water flow.
These faucets are quite durable and sturdy, considering that they are mainly made from steel or brass. The stem with the hole also has a textured surface that can help maintain friction levels for easier turning.
Turn Hose Faucet
Primarily made from brass, turn hose faucets have a single valve that only extends to one side of the faucet. This kind of faucet can restrict free circular movement, which is why controlling the flow of water isn’t something you can expect from this faucet.
These outdoor water spigot types are highly durable and can resist harsh weather conditions easily. They can also be of various kinds, with some acting as a simple valve that can help you turn the water on or off.
Other different types of outdoor water faucets are designed to be paired with ball valve faucets. Given the free consistent flow, however, you might end up wasting a bit of excess water.
Large Handle Faucet
Some faucets come with huge handles. You might have to use your entire palm to cover and use this handle, with some people also having to use two hands. This might sound like a waste of space but can actually work pretty well if you are dealing with huge fixtures such as hydrants.
These also usually have large indentations that can allow you to get a better grip. As a result, controlling the pressure and flow of water can become more manageable while also proving to be useful for those with injuries.
Types of Outdoor Faucets Designed For Your Needs
There are numerous outdoor faucet types such as spigots, kitchen faucets, shower faucets, wall and yard hydrants, wheel faucets, frost-proof faucets, ball valve faucets and many more that you can opt for based on the weather, material, usage and requirements.
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Source: https://gardencourte.com
Categories: Outdoor