Frost-Free Hydrants & Wall Faucets

90 frost-free hydrants — Woodford (37), Arrowhead Brass (29) and PRIER (24) — with stems from 2" to 14" and inlets in FIP, MIP, sweat, crimp PEX and expansion PEX, in 1/2" and 3/4".

Four names, one device. Woodford calls it a freezeless hydrant, Arrowhead calls it a frost-proof hydrant, PRIER calls it a wall hydrant on one line and a heavy duty wall faucet on another, and the fixture aisle calls it a frost free spigot or a sillcock. They are the same thing: an outdoor faucet whose valve seat sits at the far end of a long stem, back inside the heated wall, so the water shuts off where it cannot freeze and the exposed tube drains itself.

Stem length is the spec that gets ordered wrong, and it is not the same number as wall thickness. The nominal length runs from the mounting flange to the valve seat at the far end, and the seat has to finish inside heated space — past the sheathing, the stud bay and the insulation, with the supply fitting behind it. Come up short and the seat sits in the cold zone, which defeats the entire device; go too long and the stem fouls the framing or the pipe behind it. Measure the finished wall and add for the fitting before choosing between 4", 6", 8", 10", 12" and 14".

The inlet is a second, independent choice — and the PEX options are not interchangeable. Woodford's Model 19 alone ships as 19P (FIP/MIP), 19CP (sweat/MIP), 19PX (crimp PEX) and 19W (expansion PEX), and Arrowhead and PRIER split the same way. Crimp is ASTM F1807 and expansion is ASTM F1960: different fittings, different tools, no crossover. Order the hydrant to match the system already in the wall, not the one you would prefer.

Anti-siphon means the vacuum breaker is built in. A hose left in a bucket, a pool or a sprayer of fertilizer is the classic cross-connection, and most codes now require a vacuum breaker on every hose connection. Arrowhead splits its line explicitly — 455 Standard, 425 and 465 and 469 Anti-Siphon, 485 Self-Draining — and PRIER's C-series and P-series both carry integral breakers. If the model number does not say anti-siphon, plan on a separate hose connection vacuum breaker at the outlet.

Quarter turn and multi-turn fail differently. Arrowhead's QuickTurn and PRIER's quarter-turn soft-grip models use a ceramic cartridge: a quarter of a turn is full open, and there is no washer to compress. A multi-turn stem closes a rubber washer against a seat, which costs more turns and eventually a repair kit — but is also the design most repair parts exist for. Neither is wrong; the quarter turn is the better handle for someone who will crank it hard, the multi-turn is the better choice where parts availability decades out matters.

A 3/4" inlet is not a luxury on a long run. Woodford's 65, 67 and 68 series are 3/4" throughout and that is what keeps pressure at the end of a hose on a large lot or a wash-down. Arrowhead's 1/2" FIP or 3/4" MIP dual-inlet bodies let one hydrant serve either supply.

One detail worth knowing: Arrowhead's 485-06LK is a loose key model — the handle comes off and goes in your pocket, which is how you keep a hydrant on a commercial wall or a rental property from being used by whoever walks past.

The device still depends on two things nobody can build into it. It has to be pitched down toward the outside so the stem drains, and the hose has to come off before the first freeze. A hose left connected traps water against the seat and the freeze happens inside the wall instead of outside it. That is the expensive version, and it is not a product failure.

Part of outdoor faucets, hose bibbs and hydrants, alongside sillcocks, hydrant repair parts, hose bibbs and yard hydrants.

Popular in this collection: Woodford 67P-6 Model 67 Freezeless Hydrant, 6", Woodford 67P-10 Model 67 Freezeless Hydrant, 10".

Frequently asked questions

Is a frost-free hydrant the same as a frost-free sillcock?

Yes. Frost-free hydrant, freezeless wall hydrant, frost-proof hydrant and frost-free sillcock are names for the same kind of outdoor faucet, with the shut-off valve at the inside end of a long stem.

What size frost-free hydrant do I need?

Two sizes matter: the stem length, which has to reach past the wall into heated space, and the inlet, 1/2" or 3/4", with the right connection type for the supply pipe. A 3/4" inlet keeps more pressure at the end of a long hose.

Do I need an anti-siphon frost-free hydrant?

Most plumbing codes require backflow protection on hose connections. An anti-siphon hydrant has the vacuum breaker built in; otherwise add a hose connection vacuum breaker at the outlet.