How to Fix Outdoor Faucet Leak in Your Home
A leaking outdoor faucet is a water waste, and it runs up your utility bills. While it may seem like a small problem, it isn’t going to fix itself. You need to get in there and make the repairs yourself or hire a professional to handle it.
First, you need to identify where the leak is coming from. Your facet may be leaking for several reasons, so do some investigative work and testing. Is the faucet leaking when it is shut off? This is usually because of a washer. Water may spray up around the handle or drip from the handle area.
If water leaks while the tap is on, it may be coming from the spindle. Frozen pipes can also be the culprit as they can crack or burst if water is not turned off over the colder months. Mineral buildups and other debris can build up over time and cause a blockage that damages the pipe too.
Once you know what you are dealing with, you can ask an Mississauga plumber to make repairs. Can you repair the leak yourself? Absolutely. Here is how to fix an outdoor faucet leak.
Understand the outdoor faucet assembly
Your faucet comprises several parts, working together to allow access to water. They include:
Supply Pipe
This is the water line inside the house.
Wall Mount
The wall mount securely connects the water supply line to the house’s exterior.
Faucet
This faucet or spigot is just the housing around the interior parts were the turning handle mounts on to allow water to flow.
Valve Seat
The valve seat is behind the faucet housing is the valve seat. It regulates the flow of water.
Stem Washer
This is at the bottom of the spindle, above the valve seat and moves up and down to alter water flow.
Spindle
The spindle is a long stem piece that runs through the housing from the handle and turns to restrict the water flow by guiding the stem washer onto the valve seat.
Packing Washer
This is the washer that sits below the packing nut, inside the faucet housing. It is there to prevent water from flowing up and spraying the faucet handle.
Packing Nut
The packing nut secures the handle to the faucet.
Faucet Handle
Handles vary from faucet to faucet, but they all rotate to regulate water flow, turning it off and on.
Check the packing nut
Your packing nut is right beneath the faucet handle. If water leaks from this area, it might be a loose nut. Take an adjustable wrench and try to tighten the nut to see if it stops the leaking water. Over time, your packing nut can become loose, and water will escape through the path of least resistance. Tightening it up may be all that needs to be done.
Replace the washer
To replace the washer, you need to disassemble the faucet. Start by turning off the water supply, so there is no surprise soaking. Now you can loosen the nut until you can take it off. Inside the nut is a packing washer.
Remove the washer and put a new one in. Reassemble and tighten the nut. Turn on your main water and check for leaks. Make a quarter turn to tighten and check until the leak stops.
Replace the outdoor faucet
If your faucet is still leaking from the spout, it may be cracked or broken and will need to be replaced. Start by shutting off your water supply and draining the line by turning on the faucet until it runs dry.
Use a pipe wrench to turn the faucet counterclockwise to unthread the connection from inside the wall. It may be a long pipe, up to eight or more inches. Once out, get a replacement faucet with the same length of pipe and make that connection first with silicone tape for a tight seal.
Wrap more tape around the end, insert it into the fitting, and turn until it is secure, using your wrench to tighten and orient the faucet upright. You can finish off by caulking around the opening to seal the gap.
Crack or burst pipes
If your problem is at the connection point of the supply pipe to the faucet, you will have to replace the connection pipe with the faucet. Turn off your outdoor water supply to the faucet during the colder months to prevent this. You can also wrap the exterior faucet with a slip-on cover and remove any connected houses.
Fixing an outdoor faucet can be a challenging job. Taking it on yourself is empowering and part of a handy homeowner’s repertoire. If it is above your skill level or desire, contact a qualified plumber to come and provide a solution for you. They will have your outdoor faucet up and running in no time.
