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Discussion Forum

Quality replacement plumbing supplies?

GLAUCON | Posted in General Discussion on May 24, 2009 08:56am

I have a frost-free sillcock that I installed about 3 years ago. I bought it, a Quartermaster, at a local HD. It is now leaking through the stem. I tried replacing the washer at the hand valve end, but it still leaks. I suspect that it is the business end 12″ away that has a faulty component. I’m not sure it makes sense to replace the stem (HD does not stock replacement parts), so I’d likely replace the whole piece.

My question is this: 3 years is a pretty short lifespan for a sillcock. I have noticed that the quality of the plumbing parts in big box stores is getting worse and worse overall (like the quality of everything else in these outlets). I’d be more than willing to pay a higher price for better quality plumbing supplies, but it is hard to find a place that sells them. The local hardware stores (I’m near Philadelphia) are disappearing, and many of the ones that remain are no better than HD.

Any suggestions about a quality replacement for the sillcock? Any tips on places to find decent plumbing supplies? For me it is the time and effort it takes to do the job (the pipe for this sillcock is buried and hard to work on)- I’d as soon use the best parts to do the job once. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Glaucon

If you don’t think too good, then don’t think too much…

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Replies

  1. Howard_Burt | May 24, 2009 09:10pm | #1

    I've got this  particular Zurn unit on my house. No problems for 15 years.

    http://zurn.com/operations/lightcommercial/pdfs/specsheets/67402.pdf

    Here's a link to their catalog page if you want to see all the units they make.

    http://zurn.com/pages/catalog.asp?ProductGroupID=74&OperationID=7

     

    1. GLAUCON | May 24, 2009 10:37pm | #5

      Looks promising. Are they brass?Dan, are the Nibco brass?Thanks,
      Glaucon

      If you don't think too good, then don't think too much...

      1. danski0224 | May 24, 2009 10:51pm | #7

        Nibco sillcocks are brass.

        Mansfield is also a good brand.

      2. Howard_Burt | May 24, 2009 11:23pm | #8

        Exterior finish is chrome. Brass casing with all bronze interior.

  2. danski0224 | May 24, 2009 09:43pm | #2

    Those were junk. HD no longer carries them.

    Buy something US made- or at least not Taiwan or China. Big boxes carry low wholesale high retail imported junk whenever possible. Last I checked, Menards in my area still stocked Nibco.

    Other brands that should be good are Nibco or Woodford. Products with a commercial rating are probably better than residential ratings.

    If you do a search for "wall hydrant" you will probably get more hits than "sillcock".

  3. VAVince | May 24, 2009 09:52pm | #3

    Maybe....just maybe.. you left your hose connected this past winter and the frost free hydrant is now broken!! Frozen and destroyed.

    1. GLAUCON | May 24, 2009 10:34pm | #4

      I don't think so. I always disconnect, coil and store my hoses, and bleed the valve ~Thanksgiving. Since I was using the hose for the past 2 months (April and May) without a leak until yesterday, this seems unlikely.Glaucon

      If you don't think too good, then don't think too much...

  4. davidmeiland | May 24, 2009 10:38pm | #6

    Why not buy your stuff at a plumbing wholesaler?

    1. GLAUCON | May 26, 2009 03:11am | #10

      David,I live just west of Philadelphia, my telephone directory is 450 pages long. There are just two plumbing supply houses listed: one is in Delaware. Not sure why there are so few, given that several hundred thousand people live here, and there are 10-12 big box stores. It seems to me that there should be more, I can't believe that every plumber goes to HD...Glaucon

      If you don't think too good, then don't think too much...

      1. davidmeiland | May 26, 2009 03:20am | #11

        They don't...

        1. GLAUCON | May 26, 2009 05:36am | #12

          David,Try to limit your discursive answers.Glaucon

          If you don't think too good, then don't think too much...

          1. davidmeiland | May 26, 2009 06:39am | #13

            Sorry. There have got to be at least one or two wholesalers within a reasonable distance where you can buy your stuff. Walk in and ask if they'll set you up as a cash account, which they probably will. Most of the salespeople will be willing to answer your questions and steer you to the good products. These places are in business to sell products and make money. They are keenly aware of needing to compete with box stores. 15 years ago that was not the case, and they only wanted to wholesale to plumbing contractors, but in my experience that has changed and you can probably get as good or better from them at the same price as the box stores charge. I order plumbing supplies from a a couple of different wholesalers that deliver to my shop, and they are cheaper than the box stores and online sources.

          2. GLAUCON | May 26, 2009 07:02pm | #14

            David,I grew up mostly in Connecticut, not far from Waterbury ("The Brass City"- Anaconda, Scovil, Waterbury Farrell, etc). Plumbing supply houses were common. I remember going to them with my Dad. The guys who ran them were usually gruff, laconic and competent. You could bring in an old faucet and they would look at it and give the cartridge or washer or repair kit for it. You paid cash. Almost any town of any size (>15,000) had at least one.Last year I had to replace a faucet for a laundry sink in my basement. It was an old brass fitting. I went to a number of big box and hardware stores without luck. At a HD, one guy tried to sell me a cheap chrome plated kitchen faucet. When I pointed out to him that the supply came from above (not from below as is typical in a kitchen), he tried to sell me on re-routing the plumbing to come from below. I finally found an almost exact replacement of heavy, unplated brass in the McMaster Carr catalog. It took all of 10 minutes to install it. It seems a shame to have to drive 15 miles into Phila and double park just to buy a decent plumbing fixture, but it doesn't seem like there are many other alternatives if you want to see something before you buy it.Glaucon

            If you don't think too good, then don't think too much...

          3. davidmeiland | May 26, 2009 08:14pm | #15

            I think in some cases you can buy from box stores safely. I sometimes buy pipe and fittings there. Anything else I go to a wholesaler. I don't know how common this is, but I get a lot of stuff delivered. There are 2 plumbing wholesalers and 2 electrical that serve this area and they all run deliveries. We are in a remote location and it isn't possible for those of us here to make the trip to them, so they come to us.

  5. plumbbill | May 25, 2009 12:33am | #9

    Woodford is the best. I have this one w/ the box.

    http://www.woodfordmfg.com/Woodford/Wall_Hydrant_Pages/model67.htm

    Arrowhead is a quality resi unit that i have installed several times.

    http://www.buy.com/retail/Product.asp?sku=204622384&listingid=11311529&dcaid=17999

     

  6. DanH | May 26, 2009 08:44pm | #16

    I thought I should just mention that it's not unusual for the stem packing on a sillcock to need adjusting/enhancement after a few years.

    As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz
    1. GLAUCON | May 26, 2009 09:40pm | #17

      You're probably right. But if I have to pull this thing out from behind a wall, I will probably just replumb the whole thing to run in the clear between two joists. I'll run new pipe and a new shut off valve, and replace the sillcock at the same time. That way, I will be less likely to have a problem, and if I do, it will be easy to access to fix. If I can do the above with decent quality fixtures, it'll be worth the time and trouble not to have to worry about it in the (near) future.Glaucon

      If you don't think too good, then don't think too much...

      1. DanH | May 26, 2009 10:44pm | #18

        You can totally disassemble it from the outside.
        As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz

        1. LTAB | May 27, 2009 01:55am | #19

          Umless the carry tube was frozen over the winter

          1. DanH | May 27, 2009 02:49am | #20

            True, but that generally presents as a leak inside the house, not a stem leak.
            As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz

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