One of my customers has a weird thing on one of their hose bibs outside: a large brass or bronze cylinder with male hose threads outboard (presumably female on the other side), and a series of holes around the male threads. As the customer put it, it seems to be designed to ... let water leak out, which is what it does when you use the hose.
They surmised that maybe it was put there to guard against overpressure. I've never seen such a thing.
Anyone know what this might be, and whether I can safely just remove it?
Every house I have ever owned here in Phoenix has had them fastened onto the hose bib with a set screw that usually needs to be drilled out in order to remove it. They tighten them down with a regular screw and then cut the head off flush to the anti siphon fitting. So, you go to the home/hardware store, buy a new fitting for a few bucks, and replace it.
They're used to keep from sucking hose water back into the house lines if the main house supply loses pressure. It's a good idea to have one on there.
It is a backflow preventer . The first (normal) type simply thread "on" (female) to the bibb with a standard (~3/4") hose thread. It has the same thread on the other end (male) to connect the hose.
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If that is the type, you're OK and can get them at any plumbing supply place. If its not the standard type pictured in the above URL, then yours may have a thread and a larger diameter than the standard bibb and the thread reversed..
Our neighbors have that other type. Its designed to perform the same function. There is a vinyl/rubber seal inside and that is what is supposed to 'seal' under pressure and stop water 'leaking' out. When the tap is shut off, the seal is supposed to release and let the water in the bibb 'out' and 'air' in creating an air gap therefore preventing any chance of backflow. In yours (and my neighbors) the seal has failed and its not designed to be replaced inside the larger than normal brass fitting.
The first type can be removed and a hose simply connected to the bibb in the normal fashion. The other type has a built in feature that once it's removed, all you have left on the bibb is a 1" large FEMALE thread to which nothing can be connected. Its the design of the bibb itself that's the problem, not the preventer.
That being said, I called all the usual suspects looking for a replacement for the neighbors 'leaking' adapter: HD, ACE, HH and no one had a clue what I was talking about..I even called the builder of the home to find out who the plumber was that put this thing on..no luck. I finally got hold of a company that had them and sent the neighbor over to get a new one. If yours is the first type..well, that's it.. if it's the second type, advise and we'll find out where you can get one in your area.
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