I purchased the 1/2” Vacuum Breaker and am ready to install. Thank you!! Is their a suggested way to install that allows for removal in the winter months where we have a temp drop 1-2 times below freezing? I had a backflow preventer for the sprinklers in Chicago and it had an internal (basement) shutoff valve and external connections that allowed for the removal. This looks like something that is more permanently installed.
As you can see from the photo I will need to run copper down to enter the bottom of the vacuum breaker and then over and down to hit the existing pvc. This will be a lot of exposed copper where I cannot remove the water from the pipes. I am not aware of an exterior water faucet shutoff valve for the home. We do not have a basement.
Thanks,
Ryan
There are several ways to install. I'm not sure what the freezing season is like in Texas, but I can't imagine you have to worry too much about that, as evidenced by your current setup: a fully exposed copper pipe and hose bib. I get freezing temps here, down to the 20s, and have plenty of exterior copper that is just encased in insulating foam. No problem. I wouldn't worry about the breaker exposed to a few freezes, myself. And it has two shut off valves on it, so you could close the first one, leave the second one open, and just relieve the remaining water pressure by working the auto-fill valve. My guess is you could leave that on all winter and not have a problem, but if you're really worried about it you could install a shut off valve close to the house, with a compression fitting or just push on a sharkbite valve and be done. I don't like sharkbites because of their o-ring, but if I was going to use one, outside like in your application is where I'd be OK with it, because if it ever failed, it'd just flood your yard and not your house. I digress. Go sneak a peek at neighbors' exterior plumbing (hose bibs and water mains, etc) and see how they are done. That'll give you an idea of what you can get away with in your neighborhood, or contact the local building/planning dept and just ask them about exposed copper pipe and see what they say (you don't have to tell them about your project, just say you have some exposed copper and ask if that's something to worry about in your town).
Valve or no valve, you can sweat a copper "L" onto existing pipe, or after the valve if you want one, and turn it up, right into the breaker valve. The proper installation for a breaker valve is well above the water line. Six or 12 inches, maybe more, depending on local code, as measured from the bottom of the valve. It won't be pretty, but don't try to disguise it by going low, or below ground, by going way down and back up again, just mount it right close to the existing copper pipe. Then that'll be only a few inches of exposed copper, which you can wrap with insulation. You could conceivably wrap the whole breaker in insulation if you are still worried about freezing. Mine isn't wrapped, and it was fine this winter. Up to you. If you really want to make it removable, then use a shutoff valve into a union, with another union after the breaker. But that really seems like overkill for Texas.
Go PVC after the valve, with a PVC male thread to slip adapter, then on to existing PVC pipe, all of which is slightly more forgiving in cold weather than copper. You can insulate all that too, which will keep the sun off it (which is arguably the bigger concern for external plumbing). 30-60 minute project, depending on your skill and materials used...