Anti-Siphon Frost Free Hose Bibs/Sillcocks

 I have two outdoor hose bibs attaching to the walls of my house. From the
fittings on them, I think they are "anti-siphon, frost free" hose bibs
(a.k.a. "sillcocks"). Each  hose bib actually consists of three valves. Two
normally have water flowing through them when I have a garden hose attached
and am watering my outdoor plants. The third is a small, approx. 1/4-inch
valve (and line) coming off the side, too. I'll call the valve closest to
the house wall V1; the small, approx. 1/4-inch valve v2; and the valve
farthest from the house wall, V3.

Questions:
1.
What is the function of v2? To do a final drain just before winter comes?
(My area most certainly does get below-freezing temperatures.) This doesn't
really make sense to me, as I thought the valve closest to the house had its
body located in the wall of the house, where it will be warm in winter(?).
So by first shutting all valves, then opening the valve farthest from the
wall, I will have satisfactorily drained the line for winter.

2.
What's the best way to operate each hose bib when I'm preparing to water my
outdoor plants with my garden hose? Then when securing my daily watering?

Right now, I am figuring V1 is the most important valve to preserve and thus
minimize wear and tear on. I start with all valves (V1, v2, and V3) shut. I
then open V1. The water flow stops as soon as the small space between V1 and
V3 is filled. Thus the time that the water runs at high velocity over V1's
parts is minimized. I then open V3 and water away.

When I am done watering, I shut V3. Then I shut V1. I then re-open V3 to
drain water out. Even though it's summer time and the water won't freeze, I
do this to be conservative engineering-wise.

v2 stays shut the whole time.

3.
Apparently, my area requires anti-siphon protection even on hose bibs. Is
this in the belief that some numbskull will leave her/his hose lying on the
ground in a pool of, say, pesticide, with the water turned on, and then
suddenly the city water pressure accidentally drops to zero, and so the
pesticide can be drawn into the city (or house) water system?

4.
One of my anti-siphon devices apparently is broken, and my stupid house
inspection and home warranty is being held up by it. The home warranty is a
contracted item in my recent home purchase which I regret but which the
seller started on months ago. I regret it because the guys doing the
inspection and repairs are yahoos. So far, I have had to re-do two of their
repair jobs (which failed) -- my grandmother could have figured these out
and done the repairs correctly. The warranty covers the furnace and water
heater also, but these are both less than ten years old and small units, and
I'm handy, and think these other guys are y's. But I digress.

So the little anti-siphon device is broken. The broken part seems to be a
little, roughly 1/2 inch thin plastic circular disc with various holes in
it. It's located under a small black cap on top of the hose bib. Can I buy
this part at Home Depot and just install it?

5.
How'd the home inspector know this anti-siphon device was broken? That is,
how did he test it?

TIA

  On Wed, 27 Aug 2003 15:34:47 GMT, someone wrote:


It does not have to be something so stupid and obvious as a "pool of
pesticide".  Let's say somebody is watering with a hose on the ground,
or even inn the midst of washing their car, and there is indeed some
type of pressure loss and back suction, which could be from the washer
in the basement being running (when the supply goes out) while the
hose is at a higher elevation on the outside ground.  Public health
regs want to avoid drawing questionable ground water into the supply
system.  Unexpected water pressure losses are not announced in
advance, that's why they are unexpected, so its not like a "stupid"
person will say, gee, the pressure will be oing off soon, so I will
place the end of th ehose in a puddle".

Lighten up, Mr. Superior Know It All who yet has to ask....



.

Sheesh, the inspector actually FINDS something that is broken (isn't
that what he gets paid to do) and now its stupid????

-v.

 v wrote:


He was excpecting a rubber stamp "everything's OK" inspection apparently.

 

No. I am the buyer (and have already bought). A home inspection was
important to me. Now if you had read what I wrote after these sentences,
you'd realize my annoyance is with the several handypeople who were supposed
to make the repairs. They screwed up two of the repair jobs, and I ended up
fixing their mistakes. It shouldn't take five inspector and handyperson
trips to fix what was pretty minor stuff and get the home to pass the
inspection, in my opinion. At this point, I think the home warranty company
and handypersons are scamming the seller, who happens not to be around to
oversee all this.

I think these one-year home warranties are baloney. If a home inspection
reveals either an aging and vulnerable furace, water heater, A/C unit, or
some other aging appliance, then the buyer should factor this into the price
and tell the seller.

That's my opinion and experience. Yours may differ. And remember, you
weren't there. So don't be a jerk when people disagree. Or be a jerk. Some
people here prefer this.

 On Sun, 31 Aug 2003 14:28:56 GMT, someone wrote:



Well, *you* were the one who called it a "stupid house inspection".

You should have been more clear as to what aspect was "stupid".  (BTW,
what part *was* "stupid"?)

Guess you don't like it when people disagree with you, either.

-v.