Outside faucet (sillcocks) vacuum breaker set bolt removal, The National Plumbing Code for all faucets that can connect to a hose must have a back-flow device to prevent possibly contaminated liquid from entering the potable drinking water in a building.
To prevent theft, improper removal or tampering of the vacuum breaker they come with a ‘break-off’ screw. After threading the vacuum breaker on the faucet the installer tightens the ‘set-bolt’ until it breaks off so it is secured to prevent removal. This is great until the device fails and you need to remove it.
This video details the removal of the ‘set bolt’ using two drill bits, a small one (3/32) to get a pilot hole into the center of the ‘set bolt’. This is the hard part because the brass around it is softer than the steel and if you get off center and into the brass you will have to saw it off.
Once the pilot hole is complete, be sure to stop when you feel the change in the drill and it contacts the threads of the sillcock.
With a pilot hole complete use an 11/32 drill bit to remove the body of the ‘set bolt’ remembering to stop when you feel the sillcock below.
If drilling out the old ‘set bolt’ is not possible you can take a hacksaw with a 24 tooth blade and cut at an angle across the vacuum breaker stopping just as you are seeing the threads of the sillcock below.
Usually you can see the color change by stopping and checking the bottom of the cut made by the saw.
Then I take a slotted screwdriver, bigger the better, inserted into the cut and pry against the brass.
Typically the soft brass will break allowing you to unthread the remaining vacuum breaker without ruining the sillcock.
I suggest when purchasing a new vacuum breaker you get a stainless steel 5mm set screw (all the ones I have worked on use a 5mm screw but there may be others that use a different size) and replace the break-off bolt with the set screw.
Purchase a Backflow Preventer-Vacuum Breaker by going to either link below! https://mrhardware.com/store/#!/Hose-…