Comments on: What was this spigot attached to?

Question: What was this spigot attached to?

SixteenTons — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 07:56:57 -0800

What was this spigot attached to? It was found underneath the floorboards of part of a late 19th century luxury hotel in Montana (operating from 1889 to about 1940), along with many champagne and beer bottles and other alcohol-related paraphernalia. I can't find any examples of spigots that have similar valve hardware. I was thinking it was a beer or wine tap, but I have no evidence to support that.

By: buggzzee23

buggzzee23 — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 08:25:45 -0800

I have a somewhat similar spigot that I retrieved from my grandparents' barn. My grandmother told me it was attached to a water hose and my grandfather used it primarily to fill the radiator on his model T and Model A based orange grove equipment. It's basically a ball valve and the odd looking appendages on the top and bottom control the valve. And the hooks allowed it to be hung on the wall.

By: k5.user

k5.user — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 08:29:07 -0800

If it was found around lots of alcohol related stuff, perhaps the control nozzle for the old-fashioned seltzer bottles ?

By: Thorzdad

Thorzdad — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 08:54:12 -0800

buggzzee23 nailed it. Hose spigot. Examine the nipple on the right side...It's very easy to imagine it fitting into a hose, with a banjo clamp fitting around the outside.

By: jamjam

jamjam — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 08:58:39 -0800

Under floorboards suggests prohibition era, and buggzzee23 is definitely right about the connector being designed for a hose. The bit of greenish corrosion on the side might mean nickel plating rather than chrome, if the brown is rust. I can't tell if the handle was designed to be lifted or turned; lifted makes more sense to me for one-handed operation at the end of a hose.