Run PEX for future hose spigot

[ddurrett896]

Need some help on running PEX for a future hose spigot.

Insulated the walls and will be closing them in over the next few weeks. I want to drop a PEX line and run it thru my attic to the corner of my garage where I plan to add a bathroom in the future.

Running the PEX is easy...drill a hole in the top place of each side and drop a leg.

My question is when I run down the 2x4 wall, what Spigot in the future do I need? The ones I'm seeing have a long end (around 12") and I've got maybe 8"
between the brick + air gap + 2x4 stud.

Thanks!

 

[rlitman]

You can't hide a frost free hydrant in a 2x4 wall.

 

[tdkkart]

Might want to talk with some Texans about running water lines through the garage attic. I know my cousin would advise against it, as cleaning wet sheetrock off everything in the garage is not fun.

 

[ddurrett896]

Might want to talk with some Texans about running water lines through the garage attic. I know my cousin would advise against it, as cleaning wet sheetrock off everything in the garage is not fun.

I don't have a choice given the way my attached garage is situated. I've got insulated water lines in the attic for a bathroom and have no issue.

Plan is to add a shutoff in the new bathroom and shut that line off anyway in the winter just to be safe.

 

[jdm5]

Consider running hot too? I put in hot/cold faucets around my house and it is awesome!

 

[ddurrett896]

Consider running hot too? I put in hot/cold faucets around my house and it is awesome!

I like the idea, but I'm only finding things like the below that had a 10" tail piece.

I've got like 4" of brick + 1" gap + .5" sheathing + 3.5" stud...so only 9" between the exterior and the inside wall covering.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Woodfor...re-Hot-and-Cold-Sillcock-22PX-10-MH/204799967

 

[yatg]

That comes in 8" too.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Woodfor...ure-Hot-and-Cold-Sillcock-22PX-8-MH/204799972

 

[dcg9381]

My question is when I run down the 2x4 wall, what Spigot in the future do I need? The ones I'm seeing have a long end (around 12") and I've got maybe 8"
between the brick + air gap + 2x4 stud.

Thanks!

What spigot are you talking about? Got a link?

Here, they run PEX into a 90 degree "copper stub out" - you cut the copper later and can put a valve on it.

If you just want to drop the pex line in there and think you'll be able to grab it later, I've got at least one hose bib that has a 1/2" PEX female shark bite connector on it.

One of my bibs is run in such a way that I have a mixer on it at the source... So I can make it cold, hot, or warm... It's kinda useful... We use it as pre-heated water for our RV - so we're not limited by the 6 gallon on board water heater.

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

I ran all of my plumbing (except the drains) exposed on the inside wall. Being inside teh garage I figure it is a matter of when (rather than if) they freeze.
I was originally thinking about enclosing them in chases, but doubt that will happen.

 

[SARG]

Don't get the problem .... you would want a frostless sillcock to connect inside the heated space.
And if the garage is not going to be heated a standard type ball valve spigot would be better anyway.
Woodford makes sillcocks up to 20 inches long. One of dozens of makers.

https://www.woodfordmfg.com/woodford/WFDIndex.html

 

[jdm5]

The Prier line has short hot/cold ones: https://www.prier.com/products/p-118/ (I have no skin in the game besides owning a few of them and have been happy). Down to about 7” if I’m reading this right.

 

[flat350]

I know you can get a frost free sillcock as short as 4" in length from different manufactures.
Woodford makes 6",Sioux Chief makes them as short as 4".

 

[rlitman]

I know you can get a frost free sillcock as short as 4" in length from different manufactures.
Woodford makes 6",Sioux Chief makes them as short as 4".

4" with drop ells would fit easily in a 2x6 wall, but I'm not sure it would work in a 2x4 wall unless the sheathing is very thick.

 

[Plump]

I've used PEX directly into a ball valve with great success. Pushed the PEX through the wall and through a 1" piece of cedar that I cut into the vinyl siding and attach to exterior wall. Crimped it together and pushed it on the cedar where I can securely screw it. It absolutely gets drained every year since even if the garage was fully heated all winter, no way a Wisconsin winter would leave this in a safe manner. There is just no way to get a frost-proof sillcock into a 2x4 wall as far as I can see.

Good luck!

 

[Bert_]

Here they would run in on the ceiling in the garage if you didn't put it under the floor. Can't reliability prevent freezing any other way.

 

[MattN03]

Consider running hot too? I put in hot/cold faucets around my house and it is awesome!

This is the ticket! I ran a hot & cold Woodford spigot at my house and absolutely love it. I have one at the shop as well, but currently don't have a source for hot water. That might change in the future

 

[csp]

Plan is to add a shutoff in the new bathroom and shut that line off anyway in the winter just to be safe.

If that's the case you don't need a frost free hose bibb. A boiler drain would work in this situation.

 

[kj_mustang]

I live in VA and had a pex line to my rain head shower that runs in my attic buried in cellulose insulation freeze up the first winter in the new house. Put a section of foam pipe insulation on it too, still froze. I just switch the shower valve back to the other shower head when I am done so it drains the rain head and can't freeze. You think it won't freeze but it will.

 

[dcg9381]

If that's the case you don't need a frost free hose bibb. A boiler drain would work in this situation.

A cut off doesn't do much good unless you can drain the water... Pex is pretty resilient to freezing - not that you want to test it. Anything and everything will freeze if it you let it get cold enough, despite insulation.. Just ask any Texan.

 

[HoosierMark]

I ran a pex line in a black plastic larger water line under my concrete slab. I mounted a spigot on the wall by the garage door. I put a drain and shut off in my basement. In the winter I just turn it off and open drain. Spring I reverse process. If it leaks I can just pull it out and slide a new one in.
You could always wrap it in heat tape if you are worried about freezing.in the attic.

 

[rlitman]

I live in VA and had a pex line to my rain head shower that runs in my attic buried in cellulose insulation freeze up the first winter in the new house. Put a section of foam pipe insulation on it too, still froze. I just switch the shower valve back to the other shower head when I am done so it drains the rain head and can't freeze. You think it won't freeze but it will.

More insulation is worse than less in this case. You want the line in contact with the ceiling, so it is heated by the heated space, with as much insulation above it as possible. But wrapping it in insulation probably makes the issue worse.

In this specific case, if there are no fittings in the attic, then the risk of the PEX bursting when it freezes is minimal, since the PEX can expand around the freeze plug. Not that that's much consolation.

 

[csp]

A cut off doesn't do much good unless you can drain the water... Pex is pretty resilient to freezing - not that you want to test it. Anything and everything will freeze if it you let it get cold enough, despite insulation.. Just ask any Texan.

Well that goes without saying. It's just like a sprinkler system, shut it off and drain or blow it out.

Having a frost free hose bibb isn't going to change that either, which is the point behind why I recommended a boiler drain, because it doesn't require the free space behind the wall that a frost free requires.

Need some help on running PEX for a future hose spigot.

My question is when I run down the 2x4 wall, what Spigot in the future do I need? The ones I'm seeing have a long end (around 12") and I've got maybe 8"
between the brick + air gap + 2x4 stud.