How To Fix a Leaky Outdoor Faucet

Does anyone have an outdoor faucet that is not leaky? It’s a common problem! Some homeowners have just accepted that after watering their garden, they must go inside their house to turn off the water supply to stop the spigot from leaking. There are a few causes for a leaky outdoor faucet, and with the right tools, you might be able to fix a couple of them, but, as we’ll explain, this is often a job that is best done by a New Hamsphire plumber.

How to fix a leaky outdoor faucet

When you turn on your outdoor faucet, if its leaking water close to the tap or knob, it might be a fairly easy fix. Just under the knob you’ll see the bonnet or packing nut. Use an adjustable wrench to tighten that nut and test to see if that stops the leak.

If not, it may be the packing under the bonnet (a rubber o-ring) that needs to be replaced or it could be the washer at the bottom of the stem unit. In either case, you’ll need to shut off the water, remove the knob and then pull the stem unit out. After removing the packing nut, you can replace the packing. Be careful removing the brass screw holding the washer in place as it could easily strip or break.

Keep reading to find out why we don’t recommend either of these two steps for the average homeowner. And don’t worry! If you’re ever too anxious about a DIY fix, our team is here and ready to provide you with expert plumbing repair!

Why it’s not a do-it-yourself job

As we just explained, removing that brass screw at the bottom of the stem unit can be tricky. It’s been in water for a long time, and it could break if you don’t use the right screwdriver with slow, even pressure to remove it. Additionally, finding the right washer and bonnet packing can be tricky. Plus, if you’re replacing that washer, you really should use a reseating tool inside the assembly to make sure the new washer will make a good seal.

Often the better solution is to replace the whole faucet as the inner parts of the stem unit do wear down over time. Removing the old faucet will require the use of two pipe wrenches, one on the supply pipe and the other to remove the faucet. Screw this up and you can twist or break the pipe. Even if you do that right, if you fail to install the new faucet properly, you could have a slow leak inside your walls that won’t be seen until there is substantial damage done. Our Bristol plumbers can fix your outdoor faucet, and provide professional leak detection to determine there are no other issues.

Bristol Plumbing Repairs from Rowell’s

You don’t have to live with a leaky outdoor faucet. While you might be able to fix it yourself, the older your faucet, the more likely it has multiple problems or one of the more advanced problems we described above. By contacting Rowell’s Services, you could have a Bristol plumbing service expert fix or replace your outdoor faucet and give you confidence that it won’t be leaking again anytime soon.