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How to install an outdoor faucet (sillcock) without freezing risk?

In Quebec, an outdoor faucet (sillcock) must be installed following strict anti-freeze rules:

Golden rule: Use a frost-free sillcock. This faucet has a long body that places the shut-off valve at least 300 mm (12 in) inside the wall, in a heated space. When you close the faucet, water drains from the long tube to the outside, preventing freezing.

Installation:

  • Connection: ½ in (PEX or copper), with an accessible indoor shut-off valve
  • Slope: The frost-free faucet must be installed with a slight slope toward the outside (¼ in per foot minimum) so that water drains completely
  • Height from ground: The faucet must be at least 150 mm (6 in) above finished grade

Other winter precautions:

  • Disconnect the garden hose before the first freeze
  • Close the indoor shut-off valve and open the sillcock to drain residual water

Chrome brass outdoor sillcocks cost $30 to $60. A company holding the RBQ 15.5 contractor licence can install a frost-free sillcock for about $150 to $250.

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