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How to install an outside
tap |
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| Installing an outside tap is often considered
more trouble than it's worth and as our winters get colder many
prefer to put up with the inconvenience of using internal hose
connectors rather than risk frozen pipework. Recent product
innovations however have simplified the installation task.
Hepworth Plumbing's Hep 2O pipe is designed to expand when
water freezes within the pipework and contract when it thaws,
making it ideal for unheated spaces and the professionals
choice for areas where the pipework is at risk from freezing.
The Hep 2O system has been successfully developed and proven
over the last 20 years and offers significant benefits over
traditional materials for plumbing and central heating applications. |
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Tony Gorman Senior Technical Support Engineer
at Hepworth Plumbing, is a member of the Institute of Plumbing
IoP.
Tony talks through a typical installation of an outside tap
explaining the principals and benefits of using the Hep 2O
piping system. |
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Specialist tools required for this job:
- Power drill Hep
- 2O pipe cutter
- Copper pipe cutter
- Pipe grips
- Adjustable spanner
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 The
case study example is typical; the stopcock is located near
to the kitchen sink to supply fresh drinking water from the
mains water supply. |
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The work area is tight but accessible.
The outside wall is immediately to the right, the house has
had an extension; you can see the 12 inch outside wall on the
right hand side of the washing machine |
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| From the outside you can see how the extension
wall forms a recess. Fortunately an outside drain has been located
here and is already being used for the washing machine waste.
The tap will be located here thus minimizing the external pipe
runs.
A simple job, in this case to fit an external tap, often
has unforeseen complications, and develops into a multiple
of jobs as closer inspection reveals plumbing faults or equipment
that has failed and needs replacing. The case study example
was no exception; three additional jobs were identified.
- Installation of an outside tap incorporating the replacement
of the householders stopcock.
- Replacement washing machine isolation valve.
- Washing machine waste outlet.
So as not to complicate the original job i.e. to fit an
external tap, each job will be treated separately, simply
click on the links coloured blue to view each section: |
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Installing
an outside tap: Installation of the external tap Unfortunately
the stopcock was found to be seized, this would prevent the
occupier turning off the cold water mains supply from inside
the dwelling in the event of an emergency e.g. a burst pipe.
It is not usually necessary to change the stopcock when fitting
an external tap, however if it is in close proximity to the
work being carried out, then it may be prudent to do so. This
section will therefore cover the installation of an external
tap and the replacement of an internal stopcock.. |
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Installing
an outside tap: Replacement washing machine isolating valve
The hot water washing machine valve was found to be leaking
and will need replacement. The hot water circuits will need
to be isolated to replace this fitting. The hot and cold water
systems may not be isolated simply by the incoming mains stopcock.
Some may and some may not you will need to check, this section
details the process. |
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Installing
an outside tap: Washing machine waste outlet Once the
washing machine had been removed we identified that the washing
machine waste outlet had been simply looped over an un-trapped
vertical waste pipe outlet. In effect this is an open drain,
which means that foul smells from the drainage system simply
rise up the pipe into the room. Even if the pipe was capped
foul smells could still enter the room via the washing machine
itself.
This is a serious health hazard and needed to be remedied
immediately by installing a suitable waste trap. This section
focuses on the installation of a Hep vO hygienic self sealing
waste valve as the ideal and simple solution. |
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