An outside faucet is almost a necessity if you need to keep plants watered or if you like to hose off your patio or car. Having a faucet outside can also be a safety feature since you'll have quick access to water when you need it. Even if you already have a spigot on the back of your house, you might need another one, or you might want a faucet on a post some distance from your home where it's closer to your garden. Here's a look at having an outside faucet installed.

Choose The Mounting Place

When it comes to installing an outdoor faucet, you have to consider what is on the backside of the wall as well as where you want the faucet mounted on the exterior of your home. If you have a basement, you'll want a place where the backside isn't blocked by building materials, ducts, or other plumbing. Decide where you want the faucet outdoors and then look for a place inside that's suitable since the faucet needs to run through the wall from the indoor plumbing to the spigot outside.

Drill The Hole

Once you or the contractor has chosen the ideal spot for your new faucet, the next step is to drill a hole through the wall so the faucet can be installed. The faucet needs to connect to a plumbing pipe indoors, so the plumber might need to add a flexible pipe or copper pipe. If using copper, the plumber needs to solder an elbow on the end so the pipe can make the turn to hook up to the faucet.

When putting the faucet through the hole, the plumber may use plumbing putty to make sure there is a tight seal to keep bugs and drafts from getting in around the pipe. Once the faucet is set and the back is hooked up to the plumbing, the faucet should be ready to go.

Dig A Trench For A Remote Faucet

Installing an outside faucet that's some distance from your home is a little different since it's necessary to dig a trench to hold the plumbing line that goes from the house to the faucet. You or the plumber need to call the utility companies to have utility lines marked before you start digging. The trench has to be deep enough that the plumbing line is below the frost line to keep it from freezing.

The faucet can be mounted on a post or the side of a shed where it's convenient. The plumbing line is then connected and placed in the trench where the other end will enter your home and be connected to your indoor plumbing.