Faucets, Sill-cocks, Hose Bibbs & hose hook-up Repair

Outdoor plumbing, faucets, pipes, installation, repairs

What Kind of Faucet Have I Got?

If your outdoor faucet looks like our first photo at above, and if needs repair, it is NOT a frost-proof anti-siphon valve, it's a traditional compression valve faucet or spigot.

Some quick fixes for drips or leaks at this faucet are below on this page.

Detailed repair procedures for this type of faucet are

at FAUCET, OUTDOOR HOSE BIBB LEAK REPAIR

Below: a frost-proof anti-siphon outdoor hose bibb or spigot.

Our photo above is a typical frost-free anti-siphon faucet, or "Woodford" valve.

Repairing that faucet is discussed separately

at FAUCET, SILLCOCK ANTI SIPHON LEAK REPAIR

Quick Fix for Traditional Leaky Hose Bibbs in Non-freezing Climates - Compression Faucets

Traditional compression faucets (shown above) allow water to flow from the building supply piping out through the faucet mouth by opening (turning) the valve handle counter-clockwise (to the left when looking at the top or face of the handle).

This faucet, when mounted on the wall of a building in freezing climates, is not protected from frost damage and can freeze, break, and subsequently leak when freezing conditions warm up.

If you live in a freezing-climate and if your outdoor faucet is the older type that is not frost-proof (photo at left), you should be able to turn off water to that faucet and open a small screw fitting on the faucet body side to assist in draining that device when draining the building piping.

For the hose bibb shown above, we found a water shut-off inside the building close to this device.

This hose bibb was also leaking - a slow drip

By installing the duplex hose splitter with two small black valve controls we could use that device to stop the drip - a temporary repair.

The right repair for a drippy faucet, as we will show below, is to replace the stem washer and if necessary, grind smooth the valve stem seat.

Watch out: notice that hose splitter attached to the sillcock at left? If those little black valves are left in the "closed" position in winter the faucet won't drain even when shut-off inside, and it may freeze and break.

Even in a building where heat and water are being left on for the winter we make sure to find and use (or install if needed) the valve to turn off water to each outdoor faucet.

Then we open the faucet to let it drain, leaving it open (and making sure it's not dripping from an indoor shutoff valve that is not working well).

Watch out: Never leave a garden hose attached to your outdoor faucet in winter as water in the hose may add to the risk that the faucet will be freeze damaged.

Quick Fix for a Leaky Outdoor Faucet At the Valve Stem

How to Repair a faucet that leaks around the valve stem when the faucet is turned on

Leaks at an outdoor hose bibb or frost-proof faucet range from a drip to water gushing out of the faucet or out of the anti-siphon vent such as the leaky faucet shown in our photo at the top of this page.

The repair of a dripping hose bibb of this type depends on where the leak is occurring.

In our photo of a hose bibb or faucet in San Miguel de Allende the smaller orange arrow (lower right) shows white deposits on the garden hose below the faucet mouth: those may be due to leaks at the valve stem or leaks at the connection of the garden hose to the faucet mouth.

But the corrosion on the valve stem tells the story.

The larger red arrow points to white mineral deposits around the valve stem - telling us that whenever it was turned on this spigot has leaked for some time, probably years.

How to Fix a Leak at the Faucet Valve Stem

This common leak can usually be fixed by gently tightening the large packing nut (yellow arrow in our photo - also see Carson Dunlop's sketch below).

Tightening the packing nut (yellow arrow) by turning it clockwise may further compress the packing washer to cause it to squeeze more tightly around the valve stem and stopping the leak.

Watch out: do not so over-tighten the packing nut on the faucet that you cause it to crack or break, or it's new faucet time. Try just turning it 1/4 turn, then open the faucet again to see if the leak has been repaired. Tighten in small increments.

Don't tighten more than necessary or you'll find that the faucet handle becomes very difficult to turn.

If tightening the faucet packing nut does not stop the leak around the valve stem you can often repair this component easily.

Those details are

at REPLACE FAUCET VALVE STEM BONNET PACKING - to fix leaks around the valve stem, replace the dome packing

Quick Flush-Out of Dirt in Hose Bibb

Reader question: First Thank you for all your wonderful help a couple of years ago with my well and septic tank issues.

All fixed now. Do you have any diagrams of what the INSIDE of an outdoor faucet (attached to the house) looks like.

I have one that is essentially never used except at the water supply for my swamp cooler in the summer. I am sure it is plugged with mud from all the times the well has been pulled out of the ground over the years and it now seems to be bad enough to be affecting the flow to the cooler.

If I knew what the inside looked like I could at least try to unclog it a little at a time. I am told that because it is almost as old as the house (39yr) that it could break if I tried to remove it to replace it.

I have tried pipe cleaners, wire, water pressure (syringe with Christmas tree adapter), all with no luck. If I just knew what it looked like inside I like to think it would help. Thanks, - S.F.

Moderator Reply:

Thanks for the nice note. We are always very happy when our information proves useful, and thus much welcome questions & content suggestions such as your own.

Because you live in an area where swamp coolers are used, I infer that you're not in a freezing-climate and that your hose faucet is a simple one such as we show above.

Provided you are talking really about an outdoor faucet or hose bibb, (not a water flow control valve installed in a section of water piping) the illustration provided earlier on this page and reproduced at above-left shows what a warm-climate standard hose faucet looks like.

You can see from the cross sectional drawing that the bottom of the feed-pipe and faucet body could indeed accumulate mud and crud, leading to a clog that prevents water flow even when the faucet is "opened".

A simple fix for a debris-clogged faucet that usually works, though it sprays water all over the place (so is only suitable for outdoor repairs) is as follows:

• Loosen the faucet packing nut
  
  to expose the (usually but not always present) smaller nut below the packing nut that secures the stem assembly to the faucet body. You may have to remove the faucet handle to be able to un-screw the packing nut and smaller stem nut completely.
• Turn the faucet towards its "open" position
  
  (you may have to put the faucet handle back on to do this) which will now unscrew the faucet stem assembly from the valve body.
  
  This will give a view into the faucet interior body. If you see mud and crud therein, stand back, and turn on the building water supply to this faucet.
  
  The water should push the mud/crud right out of the faucet assembly
  
  and should flush it clean. If not you may need to pick at the internals of the faucet body to loosen hard-packed mud/crud.

Watch out: don't scratch up the valve seat face with a digging tool or the faucet may drip on reassembly.

Before reassembling the faucet, we recommend

• Install a new faucet stem washer and screw
• A dab of non-hardening teflon paste on the stem washer screw and on all other threaded parts.

How to Redirect an Outdoor Spigot that is Too Low or Too Close to an Obstruction

How to raise up a hose spigot that is too close to the ground

Reader Question: I got a spigot like ground level. Is there things i can do to raise it higher. Besides running a new line. On 2020-04-06 by Mark

Reply by (mod) -

Mark:

How to raise a hose spigot or faucet or "hose bibb" that is too close to the ground

Take a look at my answer to Thom, below, where I illustrate hose bibb attachments that make a 90 or 45 degree bend. You can certainly connect a couple of these to point to the left, then up, then out to construct a hose connection point that is higher on the building wall.

For example, where we needed to attach a sprinkler system timer to a building in New York I used a short section of flexible hose that connected the hose bibb to a point higher on the building wall from which we had room to connect the sprinkler timer assembly.

For a semi-permanent hose bibb extender that gets the hose connection higher above ground level, use a short section of garden hose to connect the existing hose bibb to the extender I illustrate just below, then affix that extender to your building wall a bit off to one side of the existing hose bibb.

The vertical hose bibb extender (Yard Butler IHBE-6 Steel Hose Bib Extender) I show is sold by garden supply outlets for about $30. U.S.

You leave the lower hose spigot ON and turn water on and off at the extender.

Watch out: I would not leave this arrangement on at the original spigot (hose bibb) if going away from the building for any extended period.

With water left "on" at the source hose bibb, if the extension hose between the source bibb and the extension bibb were to burst, water would be left running indefinitely, wasting water and possibly causing local water damage.

In a still more complex and fancier design, if your water source is a local water pump, there are some pumps such as our The Grundfos SCALA2 pressure pump described

at WATER PUMP VARIABLE FREQUENCY / VARIABLE SPEED DRIVE (VFDs) that are so smart that the pump can detect when water is running in a manner that there is a leak somewhere - that pump will then shut down automagically.

OK to use a splitter for exterior spigot to run water into garage?

Can I run a splitter of some sort fro my exterior spigot line into my garage? I need to run a line to an on-demand single- point water heater. On 2020-02-10 by Anonymous

Reply by (mod) -

Anon

Thank you for an interesting question.

Certainly, there are splitting devices basically a y-shaped add-on that will allow you to connect to hoses to hose bib. In fact, there are connectors that will connect many more hoses than that.

However, there are a couple of reasons why I wouldn't consider feeding a water heater. From a hose connection.

First I don't ever want to run permanent Plumbing using a flexible garden hose.

Leaving the hose under pressure at all times as would be necessary in this case risks a burst hose and flood.

Worse if it happens when you're away from home.

If you live in a freezing climate, you would not want to feed your water heater from a split off of your hose bib because of the risk that that line could freeze in winter.

Below I show a multi-hose splitter that offers more possibilities. We used this splitter to supply multiple automatic lawn sprinklers.

How to fix a spigot that faces a wall - too close to use

I have a spigot that is facing a post and is not useful. How can i reverse the spigot so that will of use to me?

My spigot is facing a post and there is no room to attach a hose. How can flip the spigot to face away from the post so a hose can be attached to the spigot for use?

- On 2019-09-29 by tpetty58 -

Reply by (mod) - how to flip or redirect a spigot or sillcock that is blocked

Thom:

You can buy a hose bibb or spigot attachment that gives you a 90 degree elbow, or a 45 degree elbow that can be installed with the hose attachment point facing out away from the building.

Below is an example: Camco 90 Degree Hose Elbow- Eliminates Stress Strain On RV Water Intake Hose Fittings, Solid Brass (22505)

Outdoor Plumbing to Resist Saltwater, Corrosion, Freezing

What faucet type & pipe material do you recommend to resist salt water & freezing?

Re-posted by moderator:

Outdoor Shower Pipe and Valves

Is copper pipe the best option for an exterior mounted outdoor shower or can I use solid brass pipe with a chrome finish or even 316 stainless pipe?
Will a faucet that has ceramic cartridges give me problems in the winter?

The system will be drained before first frost.
I would rather not have to remove and then reinstall the cartridges each season (I know it’s not a big deal but there are other factors at play).

I was able to get a Speakman Commander SC1240-LH exterior mounted shower setup.

My main worry is that while this shower/faucet looks great, am I better off with a copper pipe simple setup like what is in place.

Please see below for more context and details on site conditions and history.

I am in the process of replacing the outdoor shower at my families home by the ocean. The entire system is externally mounted on the exterior wall of the house. The entire shower and supply lines are constructed of 1/2” copper pipe. The hot and cold simply have a valve right before a T fitting that then goes up to a drop elbow.

The current shower has been in service for around 40 years. That said we have to replace sections on it every 5 to ten years. This is due to the high salt content and extreme humidity and the fact that temperatures in the summer reach 100plus F and get well below freezing in the winter (the shower is drained before frost date)

My plan is to sweat threaded ends onto the copper supply lines on the side of the house and then use solid brass (chrome plated) or stainless pipe and the Speakman faucet for the last (shower) section.

Sorry for the length of this and I would greatly appreciate any help or advice.

Happy to provide an email address if that helps.

This is by far the best, most comprehensive and interesting resource I have found.

Thanks B - On 2023-09-08 by Outdoor Shower Pipe and Valves (mod) -

This discussion was posted originally at STEAM GENERATOR OUTDOOR INSTALLATION

Reply by InspectApedia Publisher (mod) - brass resists salt water better than copper or iron but consider plastic or stainless steel

@Outdoor Shower Pipe and Valves,

Thank you for the interesting question about durable and frost-resistant plumbing outdoors in what I take to be a coastal area.

If you can afford it, the most-durable piping for that arrangement is probably stainless steel.

Beyond that pricey solution, from my quick research for this answer, brass or one of the plastic piping systems would be your best bet for exposed piping or piping that will be frequently wet by salt water.

In my OPINION when we add any concern for freeze risk, though I'll refer you to our winterizing articles, plastic such as pvc or pex might be a good bet.

About freeze-proofing, you want to design your piping arrangement so that you can reliably drain all of the water out of pipes and faucets when winterizing the system.

In my experience, if you drain the standing water out of any faucet, and leave it OPEN, the remaining dampness won't make enough volume of ice to cause freeze damage to those parts.

References for Salt Water Resistant Plumbing & Fixtures

• McMillan, Damon, CHOOSING MATERIALS for USE IN THE OCEAN [PDF] - Blue Trail Engineering, Web: bluetrailengineering.com/ - retrieved 2023/09/08, original source: bluetrailengineering [dot] com/post/choosing-materials-for-use-in-the-ocean

Mr. McMillan also suggests a look at this bigger resource

• Dexter, Stephen C., HANDBOOK of OCEANOGRAPHIC ENGINEERING MATERIALS, VOL I, METALS & ALLOYS [PDF] (1972) Woods Hole Oceanographic Inst., US Department of Commerce, NOAA - retrieved 2023/09/08, original source: darchive [dot] mblwhoilibrary [dot] org/server/api/core/bitstreams/bb478708-4182-516f-92ba-123fcbe4f2fb/content

You might also want to check out

• WINTERIZE - HEAT OFF PROCEDURE
• [11] Woodford, How a Standard Frost-Proof Faucet Works [PDF] Woodford Manufacturing Company, 2121 Waynoka Road, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80915, Phone: (800) 621-6032, Website: woodfordmfg.com, Email: sales@woodfordmfg.com, WCM Industries, Inc., web search 5/12/12, original source: wcmind.com/woodford/HowAFaucet/How%20a%20
  Standard%20Frost-Proof%20Faucet%20Works.pdf
• [12] Watts. Cast Brass Hose Bibbs with separate tamper-proof vacuum breaker [PDF] Watts Regulator, ES-SC8, 2005, Watts Regulator USA: 815 Chestnut St., No., Andover MA 01845-6098, website: www.wattsreg.com; Canada: Watts Regulator, 5435 North Service Rd., Burlington ONT L7L 5H7, Website: wattscanada.ca

and finally, thank you for your generous comments. We've worked hard on this information for decades so we're really grateful when readers find it trusted and useful.

Daniel