Faucets are a home’s lifeblood. They are the means in which water, power, and gas can come into the home.
Every time you use the sink, you are using a faucet. Every time you water the garden, you are using a faucet.
Every time you use a Bunsen burner in a classroom, you are using a faucet.
With so many faucets around the home, you wouldn’t think too much about their uses or why they are even there.
It’s just a fact of life that they are there. Well, we are here to tell you there are many uses for these faucets and each of them have their place in your home, particularly outdoors.
So, without further ado, let’s get into the 13 types of outdoor faucets (see also ‘Do Outdoor Faucet Covers Work?‘) that are about and each of their uses.
Spigot Faucet
Spigots or spigot faucets are a type of tap or valve that is affixed to the outside of a building or structure.
Normally, a faucet would be used to describe the indoors variety of these fixtures, but for outdoors ones they are normally called spigots.
Due to them being specifically designed for outdoor use, they are made to withstand the elements and made to withstand being turned on and off frequently.
They are also easy to clean and are less likely to accumulate bacteria than normal spigots.
These spigot faucets come in a variety of styles to suit any home or outdoor decor, but generally they are for practical purposes and so do not have much in the way of design nor do they have the ability to regulate temperature.
Hose Bib Faucets
Hose bib faucets are exactly what you’d expect: a faucet with a fairly long snout, to which you affix your garden hose.
With hose bib faucets, you can use your hose to water your garden, wash your car, and other outdoor uses.
These hose bib faucets are made to fit onto hoses to direct the water, so they don’t leak.
They have a swivel connection that allows you to turn the faucet without disconnecting the hose.
They come with a hose attachment for use on any type of hose, such as garden hoses, sprinkler hoses, or rain gutters.
There are also hose bib faucet extensions that you can attach to your spigot to increase its reach.
Ball Valve Faucets
Ball valve faucets are great as a failsafe or on lines or faucets that are not used often but need to remain functional over long periods.
The ball valve is a ball-shaped divider with a hole in one part that lets the water through and one part with no hole that stops the water entirely.
Since they are simple inventions with only one movable direction, they can be made of tougher, more durable material, instead of rubber.
While rubber is great, it can mold and erode over time which, if you need the valve to last, is not ideal.
For example, stopcocks and shut off valves are not really used, but they need to be functional for many years in case of an emergency.
If you used a rubber-based valve, it would break after a few years, but a ball valve wouldn’t.
Frost-Proof Outdoor Faucet
Outdoor faucets with frost-proof technology protect the faucet from the extreme cold of winter, especially in naturally cold environments.
This saves you from having to constantly go inside and shut off the water source.
These outdoor faucets come with a built-in thermostat that shuts off the faucet when the outdoor temperature drops below a certain point.
The connection tube for the faucet is actually at the end of a long metal rod inside the house.
This is so the water flow is unlikely to freeze and only water inside the rod will, which will probably only be a couple of droplets.
Anti-Siphon Faucets
Anti-siphon faucets use anti-siphon technology to prevent the fluid dynamic motion of the siphon effect.
This effect would draw water into the faucet, which would contaminate your fresh water supply, something no one wants.
Anti-siphon faucets resist the siphoning effect of water by creating a backflow of water.
If you use a single-lever faucet, water will come out of the spout and flow onto the kitchen counter.
What anti-siphon faucets do is channel the water back into the faucet. This prevents water from dripping.
You will see anti-siphon technology on kitchen faucets, but it is also found on outdoor faucets.
Yard Hydrants
Yard hydrants are used for watering large lawns, gardens with large yards, in industrial settings, and at campsites, and they can also be used for washing cars, mowers, and other large outdoor equipment.
A yard hydrant will be a large structure with a handle on the top or head of it.
When you want water to come out, you lift up the handle and when you want it to stop, you put the handle back down.
This type of faucet is very effective and useful in times of crisis, as the water will drain below into a pipe, and they are not generally attached to the home itself.
Wall Hydrants
Wall hydrants are used for large water projects, such as city water projects or farming projects.
They are typically found in rural areas where water is scarce or in places where lots of irrigation is necessary.
They are generally mounted on walls next to huge supply tanks or water silos.
Due to the areas they are placed in, the importance of the hydrant, and the importance of the water inside to the area they exist in, no one can access or turn on the water from them without a key.
Outdoor Shower Faucet
A more unusual type of faucet this time. Outdoor shower faucets are perfect for outdoor spas and hot tubs.
These faucets have a hose connection that allows you to attach to an extension cord or a spa pump to allow you to turn the water on and off.
They are commonly for those interested in complicated outdoor fixtures, like a hot tube or even an outdoor shower.
Outdoor Kitchen Faucet
Outdoor kitchen faucet is another type of spigot faucet, but it is more about extending your kitchen capabilities into your garden or yard area.
Like if you wanted to cook outside, but it wouldn’t be feasible or practical for you to go back into the kitchen area.
Clean and fresh water is probably not going to come from your spigot or hose bib faucet, especially drinking water.
As such, people install these faucets instead, taking the kitchen to the outdoors.
They are clean but also incredibly durable, in order to stand the elements year-round.
You can find them in a range of finishes, such as brushed nickel, iron, or oil rubbed bronze.
Outdoor kitchen faucets (see also article on the best four hole kitchen faucets) can also be used in a garden to provide water to plants.
Tee Handles
Tee handles are more talking about the potential control system for an outdoor faucet, but they are ideal for outdoor spigot faucets as well.
Like ball valves, they are intended to be durable and used for a long time, while lasting all those years.
They are more commonly used for outdoor shower faucets and spigot faucets.
They have a large hose loop on one side and a handle on the other side that allows you to easily transfer the hose from one side to the other. These are commonly made of stainless steel.
Wheel Handles
Wheel handles are used to turn valves and turn off spigots. For example, if you want to turn off the spigot for a hose, you can use a wheel handle.
Or, if you want to turn off the power to water in a pond, you can use a wheel handle. These are the most common outdoor faucets.
They can be found on outdoor sinks, spigots, and faucet controls. This type of handle is used, because it is easier to grip and the wheel shape is preferable in outdoor environments.
Another thing that makes these outdoor faucets so popular is that they are not a hassle to clean.
A lot of the parts are made of plastic, so they don’t rust or corrode.
Turn Hose Handles
Turn hose handles are used to turn the water off and on when using a hose.
It can also be used with a garden hose and is much more convenient than reaching out to a nearby spigot.
They allow for full and unrestricted access to water when using the hose and far away from the spigot.
By using this type of handle, problems like low water pressure or traversing constantly back and forth to the spigot will be a thing of the past.
Oversized Handles
Oversized handles are quite self-explanatory. They are very large versions of a number of different handles already shown on this list.
These handles allow for those working in protective equipment, using gloves, with medical problems, or for those with fatigue to turn a faucet or spigot on and off easily.
Conclusion
Outdoor faucets are a necessity to have in any home. They are used for everything that could possibly happen outside the home.
Therefore, when using your faucet, maybe give it a once over and check it is okay. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
