Hose Bibbs Good, Better, Best …Ultimate
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.พ. 2025
- In this episode of The Build Show, we're diving deep into hose bibs-from budget-friendly $20 options to premium $400 models. We break down the "good, better, best" approach, highlighting frost-free designs to protect against frozen pipes and sharing essential tips for Southern and Northern builders alike. Plus, check out some innovative products you’ve probably never seen before, including sleek yacht-inspired models and a hot/cold hydrant for ultimate functionality. Don’t miss this practical guide to upgrading your home's exterior plumbing!
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Love that you are mitigating maintenance nightmares for your customers by providing access panels. Everyone should do that at high pain failure points.
I’ve been watching your channel since the beginning. I admire how you’ve grown your business, and even when they are sponsored videos, I find you an honest and credible source to keep up with the latest in building, and I always learn something.
Thanks for the kind words - I try my best to stay honest and transparent
After I saw the Aquor units on your site a few years back, I replaced the "standard" frost free ones on my house with those. Of course since I was that far in ("While I was there")I also removed the siding around them and installed some Builders Edge mounting blocks so I could make sure the whole assembly was air tight and water tight. Once I put everything back it works perfectly and looks professional.
I even have a couple installed on my camper. Works great for quick connect etc!
Based on what I learned from your channel, Matt, i used the same Aquor system you used on your home. My home is in Colorado, and it has worked well for us even in sub-zero weather.
Fantastic! Glad to hear it’s working well! My Aquor is doing great too. It’s a nice day here in Austin TX and I am planning to wash my truck. It’s handy to not have to open a valve for the occasional winter hose use and have to re-drain my system. The Aquor does it automatically
"We don't make pans out of stainless".....pardon? Lol
My stainless pans got a little upset with that comment 😂
No one likes having to do the fancy stuff the first time… But it’s worth it!
Love our Aquors
Every one is good but the thing you MUST do to winterize is, remove the garden hose from the bib. Even the frost proof will freeze if you leave the hose on. It traps water inside the valve close to the exterior and will split it.
Great point! Should have said that too
@
You can use it with an edit. I don’t mind 😉
I have freeze proof hose bibs in Virginia and I still put the covers over the them. I use the one that have a hard shell. Put them on before the first freeze and take them off in the spring. The put them in the garage for storage. I have been using the same ones now for 6 years. It is more the air movement than the actual temperature outside.
Thank you Matt, you know I've looked and searched all over for valves like that bleeder one you described. Amazing I must've used every and any other word rather than bleeder .... and could not find valves. THANK YOU for the vocabulary lesson.
Having one with the ability to mix hot and cold water for washing a car or animal in the winter time is awesome. Ive had one connected to all hot before, but then you have 125 degree water coming out which is too hot. This setup is nice
That last one looks nifty, but for the price it would be cheaper to just install two side by side: one with just cold water and one with a mixing valve set for hot but not scalding.
Or get a prier c108 and be able to adjust it to your taste every time for $100. $400 hose bib -- bah!
But how are you going to be stuck with some craptastic plastic proprietary twist-in adaptor for your garden hose that way? 😂
It definitely helps to understand the value propositions of these more expensive hose bibs helps when you consider the total installed costs and potential risks (including durability) of the cheaper options. I had a "frost free" hose bib installed a few years back but if I had to do it again would definitely have gone for the Aquor option.
We have these frost-free bibs standard where I live and we've had -20C(-4F) temps the past week and I can still crack that tap and get water from it if I need to without worrying about freezing pipes. Further north where it hit -40(C&F) these are standard and work well, though drawing water outside at -40 is kinda useless unless you are trying to make ice.
Woodford has been making hot/cold frost-free hose bibs, such as the Model 22 forever, and I can buy them at the supply house for less than or just over $100.00 depending on the length. You can get them in lengths from 6” to 26” in 2” increments for almost any installation, and they all have integral vacuum breakers. I imagine you are being paid to sell your viewers a $400.00 hose bib, though. If you really wanted to help your viewers, you would also include Woodford’s Line of hose bibs.
I should have included them yes. Good catch.
Beat me to it, spot on. Woodford model 22 is my favorite.
Hey Matt, I’m in South Central Texas. I’ve got Pex plumbing with a manifold so I cut off my hose bibs when it gets really cold and my outdoor kitchen faucet from inside my utility room and then just open the valves and let any water out and I never have an issue.
That’s a great strategy!
I do the same in Houston. I'm able to go to one room and shut off all my hose bibs, and then I drain all of them and blow them out with a Makita M18 blower.
@ I have Pex throughout the house via a manifold with a separate line to each fixture. When we had those real cold days (Texas) a few years back into the single digits. Some of my pex froze like the kitchen and bathrooms on outside walls. No leaks though since it was pex, it was able to expand and not damage..
Matt, how often have you run hot to outdoor spigots, or maybe to toilets for a bidet?
When I built my house, I wished I would've thought of doing this. The house came with the instant hot water system, which is great. But missed the chance to run hot to these other locations.
That "crappy" foam hose bib cover has kept my spigot from freezing for many years, except I buy the slightly more expensive one with a hard plastic shell over it just so it doesn't disintegrate from UV, rain, etc...
The only way a foam hose bib cover will work is if you have really bad insulation in your wall allowing heat to transfer from inside of the building to the inside of the cover.
What do you think they're insulating? There's no heat from hosebibs. I bet you put a temperature probe inside those covers and one outside, the temperature is the same. Those things are junk and don't do anything.
Frost free with a vaccum breaker built in, is my go to unit
With frost free hose bibs, don't forget to remove hose and it must be installed sloping down. It is meaning less if water remains in the tube. I have replaced so many frost free that has burst. Regular hose bib without shutoff valve is more likely to survive than frost free hose bib with hose attached. It is because if water freezes from outside in, water in the pipe will just get pushed toward inside without cause pipe to burst. If there is blockage from ice in the middle or shutoff valve, then there is no place for ice to expand and pipe bursts.
Matt - I emailed you a couple of years ago after my water line to one of my outside hose bibs burst in two different places and flooded part of our home over Christmas while we were gone! I’m in SW Arkansas (no basements), and like Texas, there is no inexpensive way to retrofit a home to go to the frost proof hose bibs since the existing copper pipes are not in interior wall cavities. You agreed. I have since installed a PYHN inline water leak detection system along with some of the additional PHYN sensors. That has already saved my bacon when one of the sensors picked up a very small leak from my water heater. It shut off the water and sent me a notification on my phone. Plus, I’ve stared using the Freeze Miser product an all my hose bibs. Works as advertised as evidenced by the recent two week cold snap with nightly temps down to the low teens. I do not use the hose bibs covers of any kind, just the Freeze Misers, which cost about $30 each. You need to check these out. Think they were invented by some of your fellow Texans. Love your channel. Thanks.
Check out the woodford model 17 or even the model 22 for hot & cold. Much better for the price and super reliable.
Only problem with the hot water hose bib is if you have a salt based water softener, which is common in central Texas, you don't want to use that water where it could run into the yard, the salt could sterilize the soil. I believe that most people with a water softener have their hot water on that system. In San Antonio, the water can't run into the street either during drought conditions which are never ending.
The cadillac of hose bibs!
Honetly just going to go with frost free hydrents you can get one for mid range of those and still use it in winter because shut off is under frost line. no issues with air sealing and most of them can be serviced from the top without any digging.
At least you didn't mention the plague of horribly made arrowhead hydrants. However im a north texas plumber and have to say I wouldnt use any hydrant that takes a special fitting. Manifold system is king
Those Aquor ones sure are pretty, and there's not a lot of good options for lead-free hot cold hose bibs right now. But the regular Aquor are so pricy and to pay that price and still have a proprietary connector just seems like not a very good idea. There are so many good quick connect fittings that retrofit onto standard hose bibs these days that are all brass and work for a lifetime. But even if they don't or you need to replace them in the future, you've still got the underlying non-proprietary thread you can use forever.
Cool products, for our high end residential or commercial, there's a great range of "hydrants" from Zurn, Watts and others, some frost free, some mild climate. Finding the length is always a pain, but it can be done when you're willing to compromise where the hose bibb lands on the outside wall.
I would think that on certain commercial properties that vandalism and water theft also becomes a consideration which may mean selecting a particular design better suited for that.
@@MorryB I would agree with that thinking; most of the better quality commercial hydrants are recessed in a box with a lockable door or very low profile, sticking out from the wall less than 1". Most also opt for a square valve stem that accepts a universal "key" making it harder for public/vandals to turn the water on and let is run until the owner finds it.
Thanks Matt.
Prier has a really nice hot cold model aswell for about $250. I really like it.
Or you can avoid any wall penetrations and the inherent risks of plumbing leaks, air leaks, bug intrusion access, etc by plumb in-ground hydrants below freeze depth.
In TX that would likely be standard 12” below grade. In our climate in CO and MT, we install Woodford hydrants 48” depth below grade. The hydrants themselves are $125-150. Downside is it takes more planning to install when trenching 48” but that’s the depth of our mains here, thus not an issue with new construction. Once done, you have a foolproof freeze-free solution.
Always avoid penetrations into exterior of building envelope whenever possible.
Trying to figure out how I'd retrofit anything like that through my limestone wall.
The last one was super cool do they make one that solid ie with out the removable part. I’m an idiot an lose stuff all the time
$400 each for 2 or 3 hoses outside. Totally worth it. You could place one 1️⃣ in the garage for cars or hosing off driveway.
Shut off valves always. That last hose bib is insane and very cool... But I actually wonder if freezing will be an issue in cold weather if you don't drain the pipe. I guess the hot would be okay though, especially if it's Pex.
I’m good with the $60 frost free.
What is the restriction?
Why not consider having a hydrant made by someone like Zurn like you find on commercial buildings? Expensive but less than $400 and there is a house in our neighborhood that has one set into stone veneer and it looks nice.
For slab on grade bibs go under sink
Wow, those aquor hose ends look soooo restricted - the hole looks like it's 1/4". Are these products not for 3/4"?
I am quite jealous they in Europe we don't really have aquor hose bibs
Sees house on fire.
"No! My $400 hose bibs!"
Your neighbor runs over with a hose to put out a grass fire. His hose doesn’t fit and yours are locked in the shed!
Have replaced similar one. It’s nice but expensive, and can still break pretty much the same way.
Stainless steel is less thermally conductive than copper, electrical conductivity is different
How do you run the build show and not know about frost free mixing valves from prier? I'd rather pay $100 than $400! C108 series, for example.
The frost free hose bibs I have seen to many sloped with back fall. If it doesn’t have fall to the outside it doesn’t drain fully and still bust.
Hey Matt, you mention a home after 40-50 years. I think you need to get with the stadium designers as well. It completely boggles my mind with the number of major league teams of various sports demanding new stadiums that are only 15-20 years old that need to be ripped down and new one needs to be put up! Even in our back yard... The San Antonio Spurs arena that opened in 2002 needs to be torn down now.
I think the hot/cold bib is cool and a nice to have but I wouldn't buy it even if it was 200 bucks not worth it. Especially since there are more things that will indeed go wrong. I really like the one Matt used on his house, ya its spendy but if you only have to buy a few of them it beats having a pipe bust in the wall. Since global warming is making it colder and colder now a days it may be a good idea to start using these.
Im a big hater of Prier. They use a non stainless screw to hold that plastic handle on and the handle covers the packing nut it’s a real pain to make any repairs on them. Woodfords are the most reliable imo but they’re noisy and annoying when you turn the handle.
Thanks for the tip. The model C-108 says it uses stainless steel screws. I will research more.
Mixing Stainless with copper or brass will lead to eventual failure at the junction where the 2 metals meet - called galvanic corrosion.
Need the new 0-60!
You talk about 1x6 walls; what about 1x6 walls with brick veneer?
That stainless steel one had a TINY hole for the water to go through... looked smaller than 1/4...
At these prices the slope should be built into the unit so the faceplate can be flush with the wall. Those angled spacers are a tacky solution, and are harder to air seal.
EDIT: just looked up the Woodford 22 and it has this slope built in. Ha!
these are all nice BUT I see so many folks leaving their garden hoses attached to bibs throughout the winter and bingo frozen pipes.
Using the valve with the bleeder does save you maybe $50. Then you forget to do that, or are out of town and you either have a $300 repair or a flood.
Agree. That’s why I’m advocating for doing both a frost-free and a shut off valve
@@buildshow Yeah most people would have no clue or forget.
Had a feeling this would just be an ad for those stupid Aquor hose bibs.
400 bucks and they couldn't come up with a more elegant solution other than an ugly flap?
and a separate component that you will not be able to find when you need it. at minimum it should store inside the unit so you always know where it is.
It's just stupid not to invest $ 50 but risiking a complete remodeling in events thats happens once every 30 years when there are thousands of homes damaged and no plumber is available for weeks.
On such rare days consider a loss of power for heating, too ... especially in 'warm' states.
Why no mention of
- the necessity of detaching the house to allow water to drain out of the frostproof bib, or
- the Woodford (Model 19?) that has a pressure relief mechanism to at least help if you forget to detach the hose.
th-cam.com/video/jKkkBNEh_qs/w-d-xo.html
Most hose bibs should be replaced with yard hydrants - about the same cost as the black stainless but no building penetrations. No trip hazard from hoses over side walks, put the hose closer to what you want to water, hide the hose mess, less chance of water going into your house. Really a no brainer.
400 dollar hose bib < 13 dollar 3/4 hose Y
I like prier.
I could just buy a used steam pressure washer for the price of that hose bib.
The biggest cause of frozen hose bibs is leaving a hose connected.
ONLY $400? GIVE ME 8! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
No but seriously most people would love a hose bib on all 4 sides of their house or at least one in front and one in the backyard so even having 2 is WAY too expensive for 90% of people with houses.
I just don’t see the urge to want to go to the fanciest model with the flat plate. The cost is significantly more and from a functional standpoint gains nothing over the frostproof 14 inch or 16 inch hose bibs we use in the north. All it gains, you is the aesthetic of a flat plate plate. Mind you it actually does come with a significant downside. Now you have to have a special hose adapter for it which can get lost and/or break overtime. Just not worth it over a silly aesthetic of a tiny little turn valve on the outside of your house, hidden behind likely a bunch of Landscaping. Just doesn’t make sense. Tell me I’m wrong?
$20 model... But both hot & cold.
$400.00? Not a chance.
i honestly don't see the sense in penetrating the house when you don't have to?...
This. I installed yard hydrants around my house. They drain into the ground when you turn them off, so you don’t have to worry about winter proofing them. No water on any exterior wall except where it comes in the house at the laundry room.
@@wesleywahl9675
i think that is the way to go...
@@wesleywahl9675
no sense in following fashion...
More advertisements on yt.? No thanks. Bye bye
Up here in the north in Michigan the problem I find the most is that the Silcock are not installed with a pitch. Most of them actually pitch into the house which is the wrong way and the foam cover they work pretty good actually because they keep the cold air off the Silcock…..🇺🇸👊🏼👊🏼✌🏼🪚🔨
I agree, it’s super important to get the pitch right on those!