The problem
My house is built on a crawlspace and the floor of the house is just a few inches above grade. The hose bibbs come straight out of the crawlspace and are thus very close to the ground. The guys who installed them 60 years ago knew this would be awkward, so they pointed the outlets 45ยบ away from vertical.
I'm ready to solve this awkwardness in a way that does not increase the risk of freezing pipes. Here's what I've considered so far:
Frost-free sillcock
A modern, frost-free sillcock placed 18" above grade and plumbed down to the crawlspace inside an exterior wall. This is problematic because the shortest frost-free sillcock available (called a six-inch one) is actually more than eight inches long and might not fit within the thickness of the wall.
Sillcock with shutoff
A regular spigot placed 18" above grade and plumbed down to the crawlspace inside an exterior wall, but with a draining shuttoff valve inside the crawlspace. This is problematic because I might forget to shut off the water in the crawlspace and because the winter here (Colorado) is mild enough that needing occasional use of the hose during winter is inevitable.
Elaborate electromechanical solution
A regular spigot, but with a three-way solenoid valve inside the crawlspace that can shut off and drain the final leg of the spigot run, controlled by an above-ground switch. I'm not averse to setting this up, but it seems like there must be a simpler answer.
I'm not completely satisfied with any of these choices. What is the best way to raise my spigots above ground without introducing an untoward freezing risk?
Best Answer
The link describes a yard hydrant or a barn hydrant. It is similar to a frost proof sillcock. The installation requires that you bury your supply line to 4 feet. The plus is you can put it any where in your yard.