Houseworks: Why I installed hot water outdoors

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeLifeHomes Houseworks: Why I installed hot water outdoors  Perhaps the most valuable use was washing our kids when they were young and had managed to get remarkably filthy outdoors Author of the article: By Steve Maxwell Published Sep 15, 2026 Last updated 51 minutes ago 3 minute read Join the conversation While it’s a rare home feature, hot and cold running water outdoors offers a lot of benefits. This commercial-duty faucet at Maxwell’s house has been working well for 30-plus years.  PHOTO BY STEVE MAXWELL  Article content I’ve never seen another house with a feature I installed at my place more than 30 years ago, but it’s something I’d reinstall immediately if I ever had to live in another house: hot and cold running water outdoors.  Article content Most houses have an outdoor tap, but it delivers cold water only. My setup uses an industrial-style faucet with a swivelling spout and two lever handles that mix hot and cold water. It behaves like a regular indoor faucet, except it opens up possibilities that work much better outdoors.  Article content Article content Article content I can’t count how many skunked dogs I’ve washed at that tap over the years. Slightly warm water is also great for washing soil off vegetables coming in from the garden, cleaning large greasy objects you don’t want in the house, and all sorts of other messy jobs.  Article content Perhaps the most valuable use was washing our kids when they were young and had managed to get remarkably filthy outdoors. Our house is very private, and the faucet is on the back side, where it’s even more secluded. During warmer months, it was wonderful to be able to wash muddy children outdoors and send them into the house squeaky clean and ready for pyjamas. I even turned it into a game called “slippery piggy”. I’d pretend to be losing my grip on each damp kid as I carried them inside in a towel. Every little person looked forward to being the piggy.  Article content To make hot and cold outdoor running water a reality at your place, you need a convenient location for the faucet and a reasonably easy way to connect to existing hot and cold water pipes inside.  Article content A short length of garden hose with a shut-off valve on the end allows control of water flow while washing kids, dogs or any other filthy thing you don’t want in the house. PHOTO BY STEVE…