Brass outside tap

On this tap, the control is a butterfly handle: two broad red wings you grab with a full hand, even with gardening gloves or wet fingers. No small wheel to pinch, no lever to catch on branches.

On top, a white disc carries the words OPEN and SHUT with their arrows: no more wondering which way to turn, which helps the whole family or a neighbour watering over the holidays. The red stands out against the brass and is easy to spot behind a flower bed or a big pot.

The body is brass, with 1/2 in relief just below the handle. The male threaded inlet therefore screws into a 15x21 female connector, the most common French standard for a garden water point. One photo shows it mounted at the end of a supply riser, in the middle of a garden.

When fitting, a few turns of PTFE tape on the inlet thread, then tighten with a flat spanner on the hexagon of the body, never by the handle. Stop tightening when the outlet points down: that's where the hose will pull least on the connection.

The downward-facing outlet is externally threaded: screw on a hose connector, or an adaptor to use quick connectors, rather than pushing the hose onto a tip. Check the thread of your connector before screwing it on to avoid forcing it.

Once watering is finished, close the handle to SHUT. In autumn, shut off the water inside, open fully to drain, unscrew the hose and store it away. Leave the handle on OPEN over the winter: any remaining water can run out instead of stagnating in the body.