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Where to place wrenches to remove hose bib

Home Improvement Asked by d512 on January 3, 2021

I am trying to replace a hose bib on the outside of my house (first time doing this) and it’s not 100% clear to me where to detach it.

It looks to me like they put a female to male adapter on the pipe then attached the hose bib to that. It’s hard to tell but I think the existing hose bib has male threads on it. My new one has female threads.

I know you need to use two wrenches, one to remove the hose bib (or in this case the adapter) and another to keep the pipe itself from turning inside the wall.

I have annotated a picture with the spots where I think each wrench should go.

If somebody could verify that for me, I’d appreciate it.

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Update 12/22/2020

Here is what we ended up with:

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Thanks for all the help.

One Answer

Based on this annotation, it looks like you are correct.

enter image description here

I interpret:

  • The green to be the supply line exiting the house
  • The blue to be a female-female adapter
  • The red is the hose bib

Note that your "first wrench" will need to be a pipe wrench and will need to face the correct direction. A pipe wrench will tighten as the pipe attempts to twist within it, grabbing harder on the pipe as it does so. This needs to be on the green section of pipe.

Your "second wrench" can be a large combination wrench, adjustable wrench or another pipe wrench and needs to go on the blue section.

It looks like that's got some really old pipe dope on those threads (the bands of white between the colors I drew in), so it may take some muscle to get it loosened.

Don't forget to unscrew the garden hose first, that'll make the job easier.

Also, make sure you turn the water off inside before you start, too. That will keep the job drier. (Not dry, mind you, just drier.)


Note that it may be easier to return the hose bib with a female thread and get one with a male thread. That would require a wrench on the blue section and one on the red section to undo just the bib. For this, you could use combination or adjustable wrenches. Personally, I would go this route, as I always struggle to get a pipe wrench to bite properly. I'm sure it's just technique, but sometimes you go with what's best for you.

Correct answer by FreeMan on January 3, 2021

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