Leaky Outdoor Faucet? Hose Bib Repair for Florida Homes

Outdoor faucets, or hose bibs, are easy to forget about. They sit in the Florida sun and get hit by sprinklers all year. A slow drip outside might not seem urgent, but it runs around the clock, and a leak where the faucet goes into the wall can soak the wall without you noticing. Here's how to figure out what's wrong and what to do about it.

Where Is It Leaking?

• Dripping from the spout when it's off: the washer inside the faucet is worn and doesn't seal anymore.
• Leaking around the handle when it's on: the packing around the valve stem is worn, or the packing nut has loosened.
• Leaking from the top part where the hose attaches, when a hose is connected: often the vacuum breaker, a small backflow device on many hose bibs, or a worn hose washer.
• Water on the wall, or inside the house behind the faucet: the leak is in the pipe or the faucet body inside the wall. This needs a plumber.
• A cracked faucet body: the hose bib needs to be replaced.

Quick Fixes to Try

Replace the hose washer. If water sprays out where the hose screws on, the rubber washer inside the hose end is probably worn or missing. New washers cost almost nothing.

Tighten the packing nut. If water leaks around the handle stem, use a wrench to gently tighten the nut just behind the handle about a quarter turn. Don't overtighten it.

Replace the faucet washer. For a drip from the spout on a standard hose bib, turn off the water to it first. Many homes don't have a separate shut-off for outdoor faucets, so that may mean shutting off the main. Remove the handle and packing nut, unscrew the stem, and replace the washer on the end. Take the old one to the store to match it.

Habits That Help

• Don't leave a hose connected with the nozzle closed. It keeps the faucet and hose under constant pressure.
• Turn the handle off gently. Cranking it down hard wears out the washer faster.
• Aim sprinklers away from hose bibs and the wall. Constant spray speeds up corrosion and wear.
• Check outdoor faucets once a year, especially near the coast, where salt air corrodes metal faster.

When to Replace the Hose Bib

If the faucet body is cracked or corroded, the handle won't turn smoothly, it keeps leaking after a new washer, or there's water behind the wall, it's time for a new hose bib. Replacing it means working on the pipe where it comes through the wall, so it's usually a job for a plumber. A new hose bib with a built-in vacuum breaker also protects your drinking water from being siphoned back from a hose.

While you're at it, consider where your outdoor faucets are. Adding one in a more convenient spot is a common small project.

Outdoor Faucet Help

Believe Plumbing repairs and replaces outdoor faucets across Tampa Bay. See our faucet repair and installation services, including Tampa, Riverview and Clearwater. Indoor faucet dripping too? See leaky faucet: repair or replace, or contact us.