What to consider when installing a garden tap

Consider installing an outdoors tap if you want to help yourself with the boring gardening chores and make it easier to water the garden.

Spring is the perfect time for garden renovations and upgrades. We all love planning ahead about the flowers we can plant, the new garden lights, or where to put the barbecue, but when it comes to garden maintenance it's hard to hide the boredom.

Mowing the lawn or watering the plants are certainly not the most entertaining parts of the gardening hobby, and so we don't tend to look at ways to make these chores easier. At the same time a simple upgrade, such as installing an outdoor garden tap can make a massive difference.

Forget about going back and forth to the kitchen, muddy stains on the floor and carpets, or crushed flowers as we try to drag the hose to a suitable position. Fitting an outdoor tap can make life so much easier, and you just only need to spare a morning for the work to be done.

If you've made your mind on installing an outdoor tap, you can book a qualified Rightio plumber by calling 0800 068 7245.

But before you make the call, make sure to consider the following things:

According to regulations, all outdoor taps should have an isolation valve, which enables you to turn off the water to the tap, without needing to turn off your whole water supply. It should also have a double-check valve fitted in your internal pipework to prevent dirty water from flowing back into your main water supply.

As your plumber is likely to charge by the hour, you should know how long the job is expected to take. An experienced plumber, with all the necessary tools, and provided that the job is straight-forward, will need about 70-90 minutes to complete it.

You need to think of where is the best place for your tap. You'll need a clear surface, a drain nearby, and of course, your pipes will have to be close buy. A perfect place is the back of your property, where the outdoor tap can be connected to the cold water supply under the sink.

Most houses opt for just one outdoor tap, and this is fine if you own a smaller property. If your house is detached or you've got a big front and back garden, it's worth considering installing additional taps. It might take a bit of extra work, but the investment will be worth it. You can also have a hot water tap fitted, which is great for filling a paddling pool, or bathing the dog.

While it's not a difficult job to fit an outdoor tap, we'd always recommend using professional help, to avoid causing more costly repairs, such as damaged pipes.

And a bonus fact:

When was the outside water tap invented?

Technically it was the Romans who invented the outside tap, but since they forgot to record the year (a.k.a. it was lost in history), the modern "re-invention" happened at some point in the early 1920s. Didn't take us long, did it?