First of two. What is this fixture before the spigot?

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Second of two. Why is the (what I assume to be a) check valve broken? What is its purpose?

>>1214474
the brass thing?

looks like a vacuum breaker with the cap taken off
the fork/nut mounts to the wall with a rod

>>1214478
What is the purpose of the vacuum breaker?
What tools do I need to fix this?

>>1214480
A vacuum breaker prevents backflow and contamination of the water supply.

>>1214480
You need to twist the top part of it like you're undoing a bold. An adjustable wrench works great. If it's really stuck, you're fucked.

Alternatively, if you can think of a way to seal it, you can just seal it up. Once the water pressure is turned off behind that valve, it has a little plastic thing inside that releases any pressure going out of that hose. Never really understood the point, I guess to stop a vacuum from forming. If it's not a sealed pipe going out like a hose with a sprayer, it does nothing.

>>1214482
Also, once you open it you'll see the plastic thing moves up and down on a shaft. What happens usually is that the sealing lip of the part you unscrewed gets lime buildup on it, and doesn't let the plastic piece seal, which causes a slow leak. A big leak is usually cause by the plastic piece being worn out, meaning the rubber part on the plastic is gone or too small to work anymore. The latter means replacement of the valve internals, the first problem means cleaning the sealing lip on the top part with a scrubby.

>>1214474
wtf is a spigot?

>>1214478
>vacuum breaker
aka a check valve.
which is retarded because it should be on the cold side to protect public water supply. pretty much where the lid is sitting. unless you get hot water from the water company too lol?

>>1214481
not in the middle there it won't do shit, because the hot water pressure would flow into the supply under fault condition.

>>1214482
>If it's not a sealed pipe going out like a hose with a sprayer, it does nothing.
but a real good idea because you could easily attach a hose to the threaded end there. there probably was one at some point.

>>1214489
There is one; this is in the Janitor's closet.
If is it useless, is there a way to undo the entire setup? Why does having hot water flowing into the city water make an issue for backflow when the possibly problematic chemicals are in a hopper after the spigot?

>>1214497
Haha, no dude, no. It has nothing to do with the hot water. Backflow preventers are used to keep actual contaminants from getting into the water supply. Like bacteria and fecal matter and stuff. Why do they have them? Because it has happened before. They are generally placed where the water comes into your house, which is a cold water supply. So, your water heater is already covered by that one.

Now, why specifically does the spigot on your janitor's sink have one? Because they are often used to do things you wouldn't normally use a sink for. Let say you are using it to run a hose to an old tank and fill it with water. The tank is filthy so the water gets nasty. Then, there is a drop in water pressure and some of that nasty water gets siphoned into the pipes of your house. You go to get a drink of water and now you are drinking some nasty shitwater. How do you prevent something like that happening? By putting a check valve on the spigot to protect your building's water system. Why do you need one? Because it has happened before.

>>1214503
Ah, I see. Does this check valve's failure, while really inconvenient, break its intended functionality?
I just need to get back to using this sink for what it was put in for without worrying that I am going to blow something up.
I have read that some plumbing is soldered together. Is this a threaded part? Should I try dumping vinegar on it to see if the lime buildup is the problem?

>>1214503
>. Like bacteria and
Bacteria that is encouraged to grow and flourish in warm stagnant water. Bad in pipes worse in tanks.

Fecal matter typically requires an air gap, bidets hoses for example are usually fed by a separate cistern. Check valve doesn't cut it. Guessing this it in the US? You guys have some shit regs lol.

>>1214521
>>1214521
English as a second language, huh? It is not about stuff growing in the pipes, it is about stuff getting into the pipes from an outside source. Utility sinks are often used to clean the mops and such after a toilet overflow, for example. God knows what else they are used for. They are not clean and they have their own backflow preventer because of that. You also often see it on outside spigots, washing machines, and other places.

Also, our toilets use sperate tanks so they aren't directly connected to the water supply. We also used sealed water heater tanks. From why I understand, some places over yonder still use open topped water heater tanks and have fairly nasty hot water because of it.

>>1214521

In this part of the world a vacuum breaker is required anywhere a hose is likely to go. this includes slop sinks and laundry sinks. They're not talking fecal matter in a toilet or bidet sense, they're talking about it in a "I mopped a bathroom floor in a public restroom" sense. As in that mop water now likely contains tiny amount of fecal matter and if the hose were left in it and the was a loss of water pressure, it would siphon that shit water back into the water grid.

>>1214489
>unless you get hot water from the water company too lol

not even sure if I should explain this to you. it seems like you wont get it anyways...

the water that comes into the hot water HEATER comes from the water company the same as the water to the cold faucets. backflow can contaminate the hot water heater as well as go out into the public water system.

now go slap yourself for being this stupid

>>1214545
>English as a second language, huh?
no lol. good for you about non return on utility sinks but thats not the point.

>>1214546
yes. i know. never said it shouldn't.

>>1214549
slap yourself. as soon as the water is heated as far as utility is concerned its contaminated.


you all seem to be missing the point.

>>1214545
>English as a second language, huh?
seems pretty hypocritical!!

>>1214580

no dummy, I was making fun of the other idiot for suggesting that the hot water doesnt come from the water company, because hes an idiot and doesnt know all the water comes from the same source

>>1214580
This still does not explain how I go about replacing this. Is there a way to disassemble it?

>>1214582
>doesnt know all the water comes from the same source
once you heat it its considered contaminated was the point. look up over your head, you might see it,

>>1215012
I already told you how to do it. Read your own thread for fucks sake.
>>1214482

>>1215104
Ah, I had already untwisted the "top part" in my head, which was the cover. You mean the top brass part, then?
C'mon. You can't expect me not to think the top part is the top part, in this case.

>>1215664
Whatever makes you feel better, buddy.