How Can I Lock My Outside Water Faucet? It is unfortunate to learn that water theft is still a huge problem in big cities or newly developed residential areas. It is understandable that people require access to clean water.
However, you have to consider the fact that water is not free. If left untreated, water theft could cost you hundreds of dollars. So, is there any solution for this? How can I lock my outside water faucet?
What is water theft?
Water theft is a crime that involves illegally tapping the water supply system. It is one of the primary sources of non-revenue water problems in the US.
This crime can be done by an individual or a group. In residential areas, water thefts are commonly done by homeowners.
This may include borrowing other residences’ water hoses without telling them, tapping into other residences’ water supply, or irrigating their farms with other’s water.
Regardless of the method, water theft is a crime and its culprit can be processed according to applicable law. So, how to find out if your neighbor is stealing water? Pointing a finger certainly won’t help.
So instead, you can compare your water bill. If the bill is suspiciously higher than your water consumption, there is a chance that you’re a victim of water theft. So, how can you prevent this? How can I lock my outside water faucet?
Outdoor water faucet lock
If you discovered that your neighbor had stolen water from your outdoor faucet, you can install an outdoor water faucet lock.
As the name suggests, an outdoor water faucet will prevent other people from accessing your outdoor water faucet. This is an incredibly handy and easy method to protect your water, especially when you’re away.
Water faucet lock comes in different varieties. Each of them also comes with its own mechanism and installation. Typically, the most common outdoor water faucet locks are:
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Spigot lock
Spigot lock is the simplest form of outdoor faucet lock. This type of lock also comes in two varieties. One spigot lock might be installed on your faucet valve, preventing it from being turned.
Another spigot lock might require you to thread the lock onto the faucet opening. Despite the design difference, most spigot locks use a padlock and key as the locking mechanism.
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Faucet guard lock
A faucet guard lock is a steel cover that fits the whole faucet, preventing people without access from using your faucet.
The installation is more complex than the spigot lock as it requires you to drill the base into the wall.
Once some holes have been drilled, you can install the steel cover and lock it to the base. Like the spigot lock, the faucet guard lock also uses a padlock as the locking mechanism.
So, how can I lock my outside water faucet? Water theft is a common problem in most residential areas. If you find out that someone had regularly stolen water from your outdoor faucet, you can install a faucet lock.
You can choose between two varieties of faucet locks. Regardless of your faucet lock selection, you have to make sure that the faucet is turned off. Other than that, make sure that the lock fits your faucet.