Residential · Urgent and seasonal
Outdoor faucet and hose bib repair across Oakville
An outside tap that froze over winter tends to confess in April, the first afternoon the hose goes on: the spray lands inside the wall cavity or the basement rather than on the lawn.
- Typical stay: one to two hours
- On the dolly: frost-free sillcocks, valves, vacuum breakers
- Your part: access indoors behind the tap
- Proof: inside and outside checked
- Licensed plumbers · ask for details on the call
- Cause found and explained before work starts
- Oakville & Halton coverage
What this job involves
An outside tap that froze over winter tends to confess in April, the first afternoon the hose goes on: the spray lands inside the wall cavity or the basement rather than on the lawn. A frost-free sillcock, whose seat sits well inside the heated house, prevents that, provided the hose comes off in the fall.
How the job goes
- Close the supply to the outside tap from indoors.
- Remove the old sillcock and inspect the pipe for splits.
- Install a frost-free sillcock pitched to drain outward.
- Add a vacuum breaker and an indoor stop if missing.
- Test for leaks inside and out.
Warning signs on your pipes
- Water appears indoors when the outside tap is opened.
- The outside tap drips without end.
- The handle spins freely without closing.
- Ice forms around the sillcock in winter.
- Stains on the basement wall below the tap.
From the job notes
A frost-free sillcock still bursts if a hose stays attached, because water cannot drain from the long barrel.
A frost-free sillcock still bursts if a hose stays attached, because water cannot drain from the long barrel. Taking the hose off in fall is the simple, critical step.
Many Oakville homes have sillcocks on two or three sides. We check them all while the water is off.
What comes off the truck
| Tool or part | What it does on the job |
|---|---|
| Wet vacuum and pump | Clears standing water so the source can be found |
| Pipe heat gun | Thaws frozen copper slowly, never with an open flame near framing |
Questions we hear
Is the indoor stop still needed?
With a frost-free sillcock it is good practice in older installs, and essential with a standard one.
My frost-free tap split anyway. Why?
Usually a hose spent the winter attached.
Related plumbing
- Emergency plumbing responsefloods, backups, no water
- Kitchen sink and grease line clearinggrease plugs and food waste
- Hydro jetting of drain linesscouring grease, scale and roots
- Hard water in Oakvilleall year
- Who owns the sewer lateralwhen buying or after a backup
- Kerr Villagepost-war streets off Kerr Street
- Glen Abbey1980s and 1990s homes near the golf course
- Iroquois Ridge North1990s to 2000s detached homes
Not sure which job fits your pipe? Call (365) 517-8536 and describe it.