Very odd garden faucet thread

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Gb-lindsay

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Lindsay Ontario
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Can anyone identify this outside faucet that has a standard garden hose thread - but with a flat on each side that causes any attached hose to leak.

Specifically I need an adapter so I can get a regular garden hose onto this thing.

The outside diameter of the thread is about 1.05 inches. The diameter across the flats is 0.92 inches. The inside diameter of the faucet is 0.71 inches. Any help us appreciated.

Further info: inscription says “Watts-No.8A

googles indicate a Back Siphon Backflow Preventer?
 
Those vacuum breaker spigot adapters are a real pain in the arse, but are required at most, if not all municipal water systems. They are designed to stop the siphoning of water back into the water supply. With my adapters, they will purge water through the holes when turning off the spigot, but are designed this way. As said above, if this leaks all the time between the garden hose and adapter when the spigot is turned on, you need to replace the washer.
 
A further updates. Simply putting in a brand new washer doesn’t help. Also note that this is not an adapter, it’s the actual faucet coming out of the side of the house. I don’t really see the purpose of the flats on each side of the nozzle thread unless unless there is some additional adapter to go between it and the hose.

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The flats are to make it easier to line up. They don't cause it to leak... Now if the actual threads are worn and you can't screw it tight enough to compress the washer that could be an issue.
 
Many faucets like this will leak water during operation, unless you open the faucet up to full volume.

The anti-siphon moving parts parts inside it operate on water pressure.

If you are sure the leak is from the threaded part, try different types of hose washers.

And your female hose connector might be the actual leak, not the faucet at all.
Many are pure junk.
You can cut it off and attach a quality solid brass one, available at big box or hardware stores.

The faucet might also need servicing or replacing.

Post a good clear pic of the leak in progress.
 
Jeff Handy is right. It's hard to get these to seal and there can be several contributing factors. Modern nylon hose washers last longer but don't seal as well. There could be nicks or defects in either mating surface (even a speck of dirt between the washer and female hose fitting). The flats reduce the water-to-air distance slightly in two spots but they're normal. If it's important to stop the leak, tightening the connection with pliers or replacing the hose will probably help but don't get carried away. I gave up long ago on stopping this kind of leak entirely.
 
After replacing the washer, from the regular pattern of leakage around the top of the hose connection it seems like the anti-siphon is kicking in. The amount of leakage is proportional to the amount of back pressure in the hose (sprinkler or thumb over the hose) and the amount that the faucet is turned on. I can only think that this adapter, if that’s what it is, and it is quite old, has become defective. I have already tried removing it but I wiill give it another go knowing that the flats are indeed a means of turning it. Otherwise the whole faucet will need to be replaced.

Below is the pattern of leakage.
 
If that vacuum breaker has gone bad, you can try to cut it off with a Dremel tool or similar careful destruction.
You can find info on Google, but cutting is hit or miss success.

Or just replace the sillcock.

The safety police have made that fitting non-removable.

You can screw it on to install it, but if you unscrew it you will destroy it.
 
A friend has this similar situation (leaky outdoor spigot) and I'm glad the experts have weighed in on this. They were told by management to replace the vacuum breaker themselves and that might solve the problem. But if it continues to leak when water is turned on, they'll have to live with it. I thought this was strange advice but seeing the comments, I guess it could be a hard problem to solve without replacing the whole spigot.
 
Per Jeff Handy, I had the same issues and I used a Dremel tool with a cutting disc to carefully cut a slit where the broken off "set bolt" was located and then carefully unscrewing the anti-siphon valve. Call me a rebel or a plumbing "terrorist" if you must (and I would never recommend you doing this) but I never opted for putting another one back on and am as happy as a Pismo Beach clam blowing bubbles uncontrollably.

If I were to put another one back on, I would either 1) never replace and break off the bolt/set screw or 2) I would install a set screw with a hex head or Allen wrench opening should I ever want to remove the beast.
 
The problem with removing the vacuum breaker, and leaving it off, is that some hose faucets are now designed to have an added vacuum breaker.
So the threads on the faucet are fine thread, not hose thread.
The threads are designed to mate up with the vacuum breaker, which then gives you the hose threads.
At least that is what I have observed from some posters on this forum.
 
BlueSkyHigh said:
Per Jeff Handy, I had the same issues and I used a Dremel tool with a cutting disc to carefully cut a slit where the broken off "set bolt" was located and then carefully unscrewing the anti-siphon valve. Call me a rebel or a plumbing "terrorist" if you must (and I would never recommend you doing this) but I never opted for putting another one back on and am as happy as a Pismo Beach clam blowing bubbles uncontrollably.

If I were to put another one back on, I would either 1) never replace and break off the bolt/set screw or 2) I would install a set screw with a hex head or Allen wrench opening should I ever want to remove the beast.
Click to expand...
Interesting. My spigot doesn't have a vacuum breaker, plumber replaced about 10 yrs ago, and neither does my neighbor who got a new one last year. I wonder if it's not required by code. Maybe my friend can just remove it and connect the hose directly, assuming the threads line up. The spigot is probably over 20 yrs old so not the new type.
 
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