If it’s not possible to install an outside tap, another way to provide a water source would be to install and use a water-butt. This is a great way to capture and store water, no just because rainwater is pretty readily available in the UK, but also because it is free! Show: 10 20 50 100 FixTheBog Outside Garden tap kits FixTheBog are the leading supplier of outside garden tap kits. As it’s highly unlikely that you’ll use the tap anyway through the winter months, this is certainly the best choice. Alternatives to Fitting Outside Taps Apart from a handy supply pipe you also need to ensure there is enough free space to install the necessary pipes and work comfortably. Next, cut another short length of pipe to run from the isolation valve to a drain valve or drain plug. Fit the drain to the end of the pipe and then insert the other end into the isolation valve. Make sure any compression joints are tight and that you have used PTFE tape. We like to add one of these wherever possible as it allows you to drain down the outside tap pipework.

Always start with a small drill first to drill a pilot hole as this takes the strain off the drill trying to drill too large a hole in one go and also when it busts through the wall on the other side it doesn’t blow a huge chunk off. If you haven’t done much plumbing before, cutting water pipes to fit an outside tap may seem rather daunting, however, by following the guide below it’s a job that anyone can do, read on. Parts of an Outside Tap How to connect water butts together for a greater supply of water to the garden Other Helpful Resources

How to Fit an Outside Tap or Garden Tap

Insert and fix the pipe into the bend coming through the wall. This will either be into a compression joint or soldered. However, the connection does not have to be made under the sink, as long as it’s a cold water supply at mains pressure, that’s all that’s needed. Don’t be tempted to feed an outside tap from water coming from a cold water tank as this will seriously affect cold water availability in the home. When running a water pipe or indeed any object through a wall you really should run a sleeve through the hole first and then run any pipes or similar through the sleaving. Also, it will need to be in line with the branch joint of the T-fitting. To ensure this, place a spirit level under the bottom edge of the branch joint and level it and then run along the level and mark the wall where you want to drill the hole. Measure up around 7mm from your mark and make another mark and this should then be dead centre to the T-joint. Push each olive down to meet the body and then wrap 3 or so layers of PTFE tape around the threads on the body and screw the compression cap up and tighten, making sure the joint for the new pipe branch is straight and level and pointing the right way.

Once you have chosen your install location the next job is to tee into an existing water supply pipe. This pipe will have to be cut to allow the introduction of the T-joint needed to branch off. When drilling the hole try to angle it down towards the outside by 8 – 10mm or so. This will help prevent any water running in from the outside. Choose a place to cut the pipes that has plenty of space around it and a good 100mm or so either side of the pipe so that you can easily get a T-joint in place. Cover the area with dust sheets and then pop the 8mm bit in the drill and position the tip on the drilling point and start drilling. Don’t force the drill bit into the surface too much, let the drill do the work. For this example we are going to use copper pipework and compression fittings and a standard wall plate for the tap. Diagram for Fitting Outside Tap

Should you Sleeve Pipes Running Through a Wall?

There is usually a tangle of waste pipes and hot and cold water feed pipes under the sink which make connection of an outside tap difficult so in many cases it may be easier to look between the units, or even behind them to source a cold water feed to the outside tap which is a little easier to work with. Finally, cut another length of pipe so that it runs up to the hole through the wall. It should be around 10 – 15mm short of the hole to allow for a 90° bend to be fitted. A pipe clip also needs to be fitted along this section. In this case, the water carrying pipe (e.g. the pipe running from the supply to the tap) should be allowed to expand and contract naturally through temperature change without fear of erosion or puncture due to it expanding and rubbing on the rough masonry. If you are soldering, solder the bend on the pipe before fixing it in place as it’s easier than trying to solder when it’s just poking through the wall. Likewise this is also the case if using compression joints.