etpm
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2021
- Messages
- 2,052
- Location
- Whidbey Island, WA
- Tractor
- Yanmar YM2310, Honda H5013, Case 580 CK, Ford 9N
i know, I shoulda taken pictures, and will if folks here insist. The pictures would show how I defeated the anti siphon feature on a couple faucets that had failed anti siphon mechanisms. I would have replaced the faucets except that they are the type that are freeze proof if the hose is disconnected. This freeze proof feature means that they penetrate from the exterior wall about a foot into the interior wall. So replacing the faucet requires opening up an interior wall and all the fuss that entails. Better to fix the exterior portion of the faucet, even though that means defeating the anti siphon feature.
One faucet, of which I have two, are the type that deliver hot and cold water. On these faucets the anti siphon fiddly bits comprise a spring, a plunger, a rubber washer with two cuts that allow the center to open up like a heart valve, a rubber seal and a hard plastic seal. Also, there were two rings of holes that allowed air through when the anti siphon feature is working. Because the seals in the faucets failed water constantly leaked through these holes whenever the faucet was being used. My fix was to throw away all the fiddly bits first. Then I cleaned up the insides of the anti siphon device where the holes penetrated and used lead free solder to plug these holes. This was easy. I just held the parts in my welding vise, applied soldering flux to the parts, then used solder to plug all the holes.
When I put the anti siphon device back on the faucet I used good thread sealant and now nothing leaks.
The other faucet is also a freeze proof type but delivers only cold water and is made by a different manufacturer. This faucet has a different type of anti siphon device. It also had several different failure prone fiddly bits that went into the trash. I was then left with a plastic part with a large central hole where water constantly came out. I think I could have successfully tapped the hole with a 1/8 taper pipe tap and then screwed the part back into the faucet, using plastic safe thread sealant, and called it good. But no, I have a machine shop, I'm retired and still like making things. So I sorta copied the plastic part, sans hole and with an added hex for a wrench. I applied thread sealant to the part, screwed it in, and now my faucets are leak free.
What really pisses me off though is that the reason for all the leaks was failed seals. Failed PROPRIETARY seals. Seals that I could not buy. I could only buy complete assemblies. These faucets are only about 15 years old but I would have bought the complete assemblies, complaining all the while, but replacing them would have required opening up interior walls.
At the end of the day I was able to make the repairs because I can solder well and have a machine shop that enabled me to make a part from brass to replace a plastic part. But I still could have tapped the plastic for 1/8 pipe and used a pipe plug to seal the hole. Then used good thread sealant to take the place of the shitty seals that failed well before they should have.
Eric
One faucet, of which I have two, are the type that deliver hot and cold water. On these faucets the anti siphon fiddly bits comprise a spring, a plunger, a rubber washer with two cuts that allow the center to open up like a heart valve, a rubber seal and a hard plastic seal. Also, there were two rings of holes that allowed air through when the anti siphon feature is working. Because the seals in the faucets failed water constantly leaked through these holes whenever the faucet was being used. My fix was to throw away all the fiddly bits first. Then I cleaned up the insides of the anti siphon device where the holes penetrated and used lead free solder to plug these holes. This was easy. I just held the parts in my welding vise, applied soldering flux to the parts, then used solder to plug all the holes.
When I put the anti siphon device back on the faucet I used good thread sealant and now nothing leaks.
The other faucet is also a freeze proof type but delivers only cold water and is made by a different manufacturer. This faucet has a different type of anti siphon device. It also had several different failure prone fiddly bits that went into the trash. I was then left with a plastic part with a large central hole where water constantly came out. I think I could have successfully tapped the hole with a 1/8 taper pipe tap and then screwed the part back into the faucet, using plastic safe thread sealant, and called it good. But no, I have a machine shop, I'm retired and still like making things. So I sorta copied the plastic part, sans hole and with an added hex for a wrench. I applied thread sealant to the part, screwed it in, and now my faucets are leak free.
What really pisses me off though is that the reason for all the leaks was failed seals. Failed PROPRIETARY seals. Seals that I could not buy. I could only buy complete assemblies. These faucets are only about 15 years old but I would have bought the complete assemblies, complaining all the while, but replacing them would have required opening up interior walls.
At the end of the day I was able to make the repairs because I can solder well and have a machine shop that enabled me to make a part from brass to replace a plastic part. But I still could have tapped the plastic for 1/8 pipe and used a pipe plug to seal the hole. Then used good thread sealant to take the place of the shitty seals that failed well before they should have.
Eric
Been there but since it wasn't my house had to replace faucets to avoid liability.