How to fix a leaking outdoor faucet
Where the water comes out tells you what is wrong. A drip at the handle is often a five-minute fix. Water inside the wall when you turn it on means freeze damage and a call to a plumber.
- DifficultyEasy
- Time15–45 minutes
- If you need helpPlumber
An outdoor faucet that drips does more harm than you might think. It wastes water, keeps the ground wet against your foundation, and can be a sign of hidden damage inside the wall. The good news is that many leaks come from a couple of small, inexpensive parts.
The first job is to figure out what kind of faucet you have and exactly where the water is coming from. That tells you whether this is a quick fix or a call to a plumber.
Most homeowner fixes take 15 to 45 minutes once the water to the faucet is off.
What you'll need
- Adjustable wrench Shop for Adjustable wrench (opens in a new tab)
- Screwdrivers Shop for Screwdrivers (opens in a new tab)
- Faucet washer and packing assortment, or the maker's repair kit for your sillcock Shop for Faucet washer and packing assortment, or the maker's repair kit for your sillcock (opens in a new tab)
- New hose washers Shop for New hose washers (opens in a new tab)
- Plumber's tape Shop for Plumber's tape (opens in a new tab)
- Flashlight
- Rag and a small bucket
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Write down the brand and model printed on the faucet before you shop. Repair kits are model-specific.
Know your faucet
| Type | How to tell | Where it shuts off |
|---|---|---|
| Standard hose bib | Short body. The valve is right at the outside wall. | Usually a separate shutoff valve inside, which you close in winter. |
| Frost-free sillcock | Longer body that runs through the wall. The valve seat sits inside the heated house. | The faucet shuts water off inside the wall, so it is meant to stay on in winter, as long as no hose is attached. |
Many faucets also have a vacuum breaker, a small cap on top or on the spout. Watts and SharkBite describe it as anti-siphon protection that keeps hose water from flowing back into your drinking water.
Find where it is leaking
- Check the hose connection. Turn the faucet on with a hose attached. Water spraying from the threads is usually just a worn hose washer. Replace it, it takes a minute.
- Check around the handle. Water seeping out around the stem when the faucet is on points to the packing nut or packing.
- Check the spout with the faucet off. A steady drip from the spout when the handle is closed means the seat washer is worn.
- Check inside. Turn the faucet on for a minute and look at the inside wall, the basement ceiling or the crawlspace behind the faucet with a flashlight. Water there is a sign of freeze damage.
Fix a leak at the handle
- Tighten the packing nut. This is the nut just behind the handle. With the faucet off, turn it clockwise a little with a wrench. Woodford's instructions say to tighten it until snug. Do not crank it down hard.
- Test it. Turn the faucet on. If the leak stops, you are done.
- Replace the packing. If it still leaks, shut off the water, remove the handle screw and handle, and unscrew the packing nut. Remove the old packing washer or packing and install a new one from the repair kit. Reassemble and test.
Fix a drip when the faucet is off
A drip from the spout means the washer at the end of the stem is not sealing. On a frost-free sillcock, that washer is at the far end of a long stem, inside the house.
- Shut off the water and open the faucet to drain the pressure.
- Remove the handle and packing nut.
- Back out the stem. Turn the stem counterclockwise until it comes free, then pull it out. On a frost-free faucet, it is long, so slide it out straight.
- Replace the washer. Take out the screw at the end of the stem, swap the old washer for a matching new one, and replace the screw. Check the kit for a new packing too.
- Reinstall and test. Slide the stem back in, turn it until it seats, then reinstall the packing nut and handle. Turn the water back on and check for drips.
Woodford notes that if a new seat washer does not stop the drip, the seat inside the faucet may be damaged, and the faucet may need replacing.
Signs of freeze damage
A frost-free sillcock can still freeze and split if a hose is left attached, because the water in the pipe cannot drain. Woodford says:
- There is often no damage you can see inside the house.
- The split is past the valve, so it may not leak until you turn the faucet on, often months later in spring.
- A small bulge may leak just a few drops at first.
If water shows up inside the wall, ceiling or crawlspace when the faucet is on, Woodford says the faucet must be replaced. Shut off its water and call a plumber.
When to call a pro
Call a plumber if:
- You see water inside the house, wall or crawlspace when the faucet runs.
- The faucet drips after a new washer and packing.
- The faucet needs to be replaced, especially if it means soldering or cutting into the wall.
- You cannot find a shutoff for the faucet, or the shutoff will not close.
- The vacuum breaker leaks steadily.
Renters, report outdoor faucet leaks to the landlord, especially water inside the wall. Codes for replacing faucets and backflow devices vary by city and county. Not sure? Try the fix-or-call quiz.
Keep it from happening again
- Disconnect hoses before the first freeze, even on frost-free faucets. Add it to your fall maintenance checklist.
- For standard hose bibs, close the inside shutoff in fall and open the outside faucet to drain it.
- Do not overtighten the handle. Close it until the water stops and no further.
- See how to prevent frozen pipes for more cold-weather steps.
Common questions
Why does my outdoor faucet leak around the handle?
The packing around the stem has worn or the packing nut behind the handle has loosened. Woodford's instructions say to snug the packing nut first and replace the packing if the leak continues.
Why does water leak inside the wall when I turn on the outside faucet?
That usually means the pipe inside a frost-free sillcock froze and split, often because a hose was left attached over the winter. Woodford says the faucet must be replaced in that case. Shut off the water to it and call a plumber.
Do I really need to take the hose off in winter, even with a frost-free faucet?
Yes. A frost-free faucet drains itself only when nothing is attached. Sillcock makers such as Watts and SharkBite say to disconnect the hose before freezing weather.
Can I just remove the vacuum breaker if it leaks?
No. It is there to keep dirty water from being pulled back into your drinking water. Replace the faulty part or the faucet instead.