Introduction

A garden tap is a useful addition to any sized garden. It stops the need to traipse through the house every time a bucket of water is required.

In order to prevent contaminated water being drawn back into the system, a non-return valve should be used as part of the plumbing. Brass taps are normally made for maximum weather resistance. There are complete kits on the market which are designed for the DIY enthusiast.

The simplest kit contains the tap, wall fitting, a stop valve and a supply connector. There are others which include easily workable plastic supply pipe, an automatic supply connector for breaking into an existing pipe without turning off the water supply and push-fit connectors for jointing.

Position

The tap must be positioned where it is going to prove most useful. It should be sited over a gully, drain, pathway or at least on top of very hard ground. If sited above grass or soil, it is very likely that muddy patches will appear when there is some spillage which is often inevitable.

It is useful to fit an automatic hose reel next to the siting of the tap, which can be easily connected for convenience. A hose can be attached for use with a lawn sprinkler, for washing the car or for use with building work.

It is sensible to keep the run of outside pipe as short as possible and to provide a means of shutting off the water and draining the system during cold winter months. When the siting is decided and you have chosen a suitable connection point to the rising main, you are ready to begin the fitting.

Method

• Turn off the main water supply at the stopcock and run off the kitchen cold water tap.
• Drain the rising main and cut through the piping with a junior hacksaw. It is important to keep the cut absolutely square.
• Fit a tee joint in the rising main to run the supply to the tap.
• Still inside the property, run a short piece of pipe to a convenient location for a second stopcock and the non-return valve, being careful to check that the arrows marked on both fittings are pointing in the direction of the flow of water.
• A draincock should now be fitted.
• A hole needs to be made in the wall and a pipe run through. You can cut the hole for the pipe with an electric hammer drill fitted with a heavy duty masonry bit and extension. Otherwise you can use a club hammer and a long cold chisel to hack through the wall. If you have a length of plastic overflow or conduit, use it to run the piping through, as this will stop water leaking through the masonry. It is also useful for detecting leaks quicker.
• Outside the property, wrap PTFE tape around the bib-tap thread and then screw it into a wallplate attached to the masonry.
• Re-instate the water supply and operate the new tap, checking the entire run for leaks.

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