Quote:
Originally Posted by PimpMyHubcap
What is the best way to secure the tap? I searched the forums and several suggestions popped up but what is the easiest way in terms of install etc. I would do the plumbing myself if required"
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I had a similar issue at my old place. Initially I turned the tap off really tight with a large shifter, but the thief next door (a retiree who was home in the day when we weren't) woke up to that, and used his own spanner. Also, it wrecked the washer in a short time, so that's not a good long term solution. In the end, a local plumbing supply shop sold me a brass cap that fitted on the outlet of the tap, and needed to be tightened up with a pipe wrench. It wasn't too inconvenient for the rare few times I needed it, but it was enough to stop someone with limited tools.
The people living there now purchased a weird set of 1/4 turn lock-in fittings for their hose reel, and epoxy glued the matching fitting onto the front tap. It's easy for them to use, but the tight-*** won't spend the money on matching fittings to steal the water anymore.
recently a young guy at work caught his retired neighbour (what is it with tight-*** retired thieves?) hooking up to his secluded tap on the side of his house during the daytime, and filling his tanks, just like your neighbour. This guy didn't realise my colleague was having a sick day, and he was alerted to it by hearing water running while he was laying in bed.
Not wanting to confront him, we came up with the solution - as that tap wasn't in use by him, they turned off the water, removed the tap completely, and fitted a screw-in plug. He turned down my suggestion about leaving a note where the old tap was.
You can get security style taps that have a 'key' arrangement - the T handle is separate, and only fitted in to tin the tap on & off, like those in council parks, toiled blocks, and quite often now in shopping centres. That would be the simplest solution if you regularly use the tap.