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Outdoor tap kits compared
How the self-cutting garden tap kit, a wall-plate elbow plus bibcock, and a tap with a built-in check valve differ, and why the backflow rules are not settled by a product listing.
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Frost-free outdoor taps explains the difference between a true frost-free tap and an ordinary garden tap, and the backflow rules for a hose. This page compares the kits and separate parts Wickes lists for that ordinary tap. We have not tested them. When we checked on 13 November 2026, Wickes still did not list a long-stem frost-free tap.
Three ways the parts are sold
| Approach | What you are buying | Check valve on the listing | What is missing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-cutting kit | One box that clamps onto 15mm copper and includes a tap | Wickes says it has a built-in double check valve | It is not a frost-free tap. The listing disagrees with itself about tools |
| Wall plate and bibcock | Two products: a compression wall-plate elbow, then a union bibcock | Neither listing mentions a check valve | No tap in the wall plate. No wall plate in the bibcock. No cover |
| Tap with an integral check valve | A replacement bib tap for an existing 1/2in wall fitting | Covered on the frost-free page, not repeated here | Not a through-wall kit |
For hoses, water butts and irrigation, read garden watering as well. A shower by a pool is a different backflow risk: see outdoor showers.
The backflow point the listings do not close
A hose can draw dirty water back into the drinking supply. In England and Wales the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 require suitable protection. Water Regs UK says that, in premises built after 1 July 1999, a double check valve used as point-of-use protection for a category 3 hose union tap "must be installed inside the property and if required protected from freezing".
So a check valve in an outdoor tap body, or a line that says the kit "meets standard water supply regulations", is not the whole arrangement that guidance describes for a newer home. Fit the protection inside, where you can reach it and where it will not freeze. For an existing tap, WRAS IRN R060 sets out options. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own rules. Ask your water company if you are unsure. An indoor isolation valve is what lets you drain the outside section for winter. Lag pipes in cold places: see pipe lagging.
How back-siphonage works, and what single and double check valves do around the house, is explained in check valves and backflow.
What the kit listing actually says
Wickes describes the Primaflow kit as connecting to 15mm copper without cutting the pipe or shutting off the supply, with a built-in non-return double check valve, plus screws, wall plugs and thread tape. One line says it provides the components to install a tap with standard tools. A features line says "easy tool-free installation". Those two lines conflict. Read the instructions in the box rather than either slogan.
The kit is still an ordinary outside tap. It does not drain itself from inside the warm part of the house. Winter protection is the drain-down and cover described on the frost-free page.
Wall plate and bibcock, bought separately
This is the older pattern: a wall-plate elbow through the wall, and a bibcock screwed onto the 1/2in thread outside.
The wall-plate elbow Wickes lists is a compression fitting from 15mm pipe to a 1/2in thread, turned through 90 degrees. It does not include a tap, and the features do not mention a check valve. Wickes says it can be used with PEX if a pipe insert is fitted, and that it is fitted with a spanner.
The union bibcock is the tap for that thread. Wickes says it suits 1/2in (12.7mm) BSP wall-plate elbows and has a 3/4in hose union. The features do not mention a check valve. Buying these two parts does not, on the listings, include backflow protection. Add that inside the house, as the guidance above describes, and shut the run off from inside.
Kits and parts at Wickes
We haven't tested this. Figures are as the maker states them (checked 13 November 2026).
Primaflow brass garden tap kit, 15mm. The self-cutting kit. Wickes says it connects to 15mm copper without cutting the pipe, with a built-in double check valve, screws, wall plugs and thread tape. The page says both "standard tools" and "tool-free". For a new installation, still read the indoor check-valve guidance above.
Primaflow brass compression wall-plate elbow, 15mm x 1/2in. The through-wall piece only. Wickes says it connects 15mm pipe to a 1/2in thread at 90 degrees, with a nut and olive, and no heat. No tap and no check valve are listed.
Primaflow brass garden tap union bibcock, 12.7mm. The outside tap for a wall-plate elbow. Wickes says it has a 3/4in hose union and a T-handle. The features do not mention a check valve. Pair it with indoor backflow protection, not with the bibcock alone.
Does the kit's built-in check valve satisfy the rules?
Not on its own for a new installation in premises built after 1 July 1999. Water Regs UK says the double check valve used for a category 3 hose union tap must be inside the property. Read the frost-free guide and the guidance itself.
Is the self-cutting kit frost-free?
No. It leaves an ordinary tap outside. Shut it off from inside, drain it, take the hose off, and cover it. We did not find a long-stem frost-free tap at Wickes.
Can I fit an outside tap myself?
People who are competent with plumbing often do. The backflow rules still apply, and the kit listing disagrees about whether tools are required. If you are not sure how the rules apply to your house, ask a plumber or your water company.