The screw holding the outside faucet hande rusted and broke off. I pulled out center portion of the sillcock and took it to Home Depot. The HD employee game me a new sillcock and told me to just break the old one loose and then push the other one up into the wall and screw it in. From what I've been reading on diy sites online, these are sometimes soldered on. Is there anyway that I can determine if this is the proper way to fix this problem? Is there anything else I would need to know? Thanks.
Yes, they can be soldered onto the pipe feeding them, and IMHO for places constructed in the past twentyfive years or so, it's likely it is.
The only way to be sure is to be able to get a peek at the back end. I wouldn't try unscrewing the old one unless you can SEE a hex shaped section at the end joining onto the pipe. You may have to cut away enough of the outside wall to see what you have there, unless of course the wall isn't finished on the backside and you can get at it to see what's up.
Perhaps there's some way you can replace just the parts which broke? If it was truly just the "handle" you ought to be able to buy one which will fit onto the stem, or modify a near fitting one. If the stem broke, you might still be able to buy replacement one, even at Home Depot if you find a KNOWLEDGEABLE employee.
Thanks for the response. The exterior of the house is brick. The current sillcock is mortared tightly in place so I would really have to crank on it to break it loose from the mortar if is is threaded, but there is no way to see the connection without removing bricks. As for the handle, it is an old type knob and the screw broke off flush so I cant just replace the handle. I also tried removing the inside stem from a new sillcock and sliding it into the old, but it is made differently and will not go. At this point, I am at a loss. I really don't want to tear into the outside wall, but I do need to fix the faucet.
If you happen to be in Red Sox Nation or want to mail me the stem, I'm pretty sure I could slap it in my lathe, drill out the old screw and give it back to you with a new screw. Providing you can get by with using a watering can for a week or so.
'Twould be "but the matter of a moment" to do it for you gratis.
Take the stem to a real, old, plumbing supply place if there is one near. Chances are they will have one to match.
Real bad idea to try to unscrew it from the outside without being able to get at the back. Even if it is a threaded connection and not soldered, without being able to put a wrench on the mating fitting you may very well twist the pipe and split it, and then you are in deep you know what.
Thanks for all of the excellent advice. I will attempt to go the plumbing supply route and see if they can give me a replacement. That would be the easiest and cheapes fix.
That was my thought. HD only has a few stems, the most common. It seems the employee there didn't even suggest replacing the stem, which is a better option than unscrewing the sillcock even if one could do that. But a good plumbing supply house will have it.
OTOH, even if your wall is brick, where does the pipe come out inside the house? In the basement ceiling where you can see it? A) even if I were going to unscrew an iron pipe, I'd want someone on the inside holding whatever the pipe screws into. B) If it is copper maybe there is room to cut the pipe (leaving enough to put a couplling on and solder that without unsoldering the T-fitting that comes next.), and then you could put in a frost-proof sill-c*ck, if it gets sufficiently cold where you are that that would help. I wish I had them. But you can try such things later. First I would do easy things.
Absolutely. PC-7 is a fantastic epoxy glue that is incredibly strong and fills spaces. Glue your handle on to the old stem and it might last for 10 to 40 years.
The problem is that the handle doesn't stay on, right? When you hold it on, it's not stripped and it works to turn the faucet on and off right?
If the stem is stripped on the outside too, file some flat spots, and maybe put some steel scraps in the handle to match, and fill all the spaces with PC-7
There is another glue that people here like, probably because it advertises more than PC-7 but I forget the name, and I don't see how it could be better than PC-7. It will even patch a leak while it is still leaking. (drain had a hole and couldn't turn off the water either, roommate in a rental) Just push the stuff up against the pipe or whatever when it falls down or hold it there until it sets. It was an extra 10 minutes or so. Didn't need a second coat. Sticks to glass too. If you want to make a removeable cap, coat the other side's threads with vaseline before applying the PC-7.
Or you could let the handle fall off and keep it nearby, just using it when you want, but that would bother me a bit.
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