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Outdoor hose fixture leaks

I have a hose bib outside that leaks from the handle when the water is turned on. How do I fix this?

Reply to
Pat
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Try tightening the packing nut below the handle.

Reply to
RBM
[top posting repaired]

Will work for small leak/drip if the washer/packing has some flex still left in it...

Failing in that, disassemble, and if it's relatively new, likely to be able to find new stem washer.

Failing that, buy some regular packing cord and repack it the old fashioned way...

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Reply to
dpb

As long as you have the wrench out to tighten the packing nut, take a little extra time and:

- Turn off the supply to the bib - Loosen the packing nut and remove the stem - Inspect/replace the washer at the bottom of the stem - Put it all back together

The stem washer shouldn't cause it to leak from the handle, but as long as you've got the wrench out, why not do a little preventive maintenance?

Reply to
DerbyDad03

It's not worth fooling with. Pick up a new one at your favorite box store and replace it. Newer building codes call for the anti-syphon widgets on sill c**ks now, so you may as well take advantage of that feature. HTH

Joe

Reply to
Joe

Since I don't leave the hose on for long periods I've had success reducing stem leakage by back seating it.

tom @

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Reply to
Just Joshin

I've successfully replaced the plumbing on an entire house (copper changed to plastic) but am not a plumber and have no idea what is meant by the following terms:

packing nut stem washer packing cord anti-syphon widgets sill c**ks back seating

This bib feeds the hose I use to fill my pool and irrigate the garden, and thus needs to be left on for long periods. I want to do it right. It looks like an ordinary hose bib with a handle shaped like a wheel mounted on the front and perpendicular to the ground, with a screw in the center. I tried tightening and loosening that screw. Loosening it makes the leak worse, tightening it appears to do nothing.

Reply to
Pat

The packing nut is the large nut at the base of the stem around which the leak is coming.

The valve handle screw is simply that-it just holds the handled on the stem.

You need a wrench to tighten the nut on the valve body, not a screw driver. You should get a backer and hold the valve body to be sure not to do something bad if it's sweated copper. If it isn't tightened some pretty easily, it isn't likely to solve the problem (and may not long term, anyway, although it has been known to for quite a while, also).

The stem washer is the seal that keeps the water from leaking around the stem when the valve is open -- it's just a bevel washer in most newer faucets although older ones tended to use a different style/shape than is commonly found today. The local hardware store will have a sizable assortment.

To disassemble, you remove that nut (have to turn the water off, of course) and then the stem will simply unscrew out of the valve body giving you free access to see what you need, specifically.

"Packing cord" is valve "packing" in a small diameter rope. Before the days of washers and so on, it was what was used almost exclusively. You simply take some off the roll, wind it around the stem and then when it is replaced and tightened, the compression causes it to seal...the hardware store will have this, too....

The other stuff is beyond what you need for the problem...

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Reply to
dpb

"dpb" wrote

| The packing nut is the large nut at the base of the stem around which | the leak is coming.

The leak actually seems to be coming from the handle area, right in the front.

Reply to
Pat

Are you sure it's not coming around the stem and just running down or spraying up to the handle?

The screw at the end of the stem in the center of the handle goes into nothing but a tapped hole in the stem and there's no water there...

Reply to
dpb

I don't think you are really trying. Leaking at the handle is what the packing deals with. Why not just hire a plumber if you don't want to do what is suggested?

Here is a picture of a faucet

I know it is not a picture of your faucet. Look at the picture, find the area labeled "packing" . Packing is different than the washer. Your faucet could probably use both, though several people have suggested just snugging the packing to see if it solves the problem. You would need to open the faucet and snug up the packing nut. It has also been suggested to just replace the unit, a more major project, but doable.

Reply to
DanG

Here is an even better one with a movie to watch:

Reply to
DanG

"DanG" wrote

| Here is an even better one with a movie to watch: |

This is very helpful. Thanks!

You know, I spent half an hour or so searching all over that website and could not find this information. I guess I just don't know how to search very well.

Reply to
Pat

Google: "repair+dripping+faucet" yields 106,000 hits.

It would take longer than half an hour to review that many.

Reply to
HeyBub

"HeyBub" wrote

| Pat wrote: | > "DanG" wrote | >

| >> Here is an even better one with a movie to watch: | >>

| >

| >

| > This is very helpful. Thanks! | >

| > You know, I spent half an hour or so searching all over that website | > and could not find this information. I guess I just don't know how to | > search very well. | | Google: "repair+dripping+faucet" yields 106,000 hits. | | It would take longer than half an hour to review that many.

I googled "repair leaking hose bib" and got a ton of results, many of which turned out to be useless. Many led to the bobvila.com site. That site is where I spent the most time searching, because it seemed to have everything one could need, but I found nothing like what DanG posted. Several more searches using different word combinations failed to find what DanG found as well.

I apologize for not spending more time searching, and for hoping someone in the newsgroup could point me in the right direction, and for asking for help. I try to avoid asking for help, but sometimes I give in to temptation because I run short of time. Unfortunately I do not know everything yet. Please forgive me.

Reply to
Pat

Well, okay... But penance and an act of contrition may be required.

I'll get back to you.

Did you see:

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Reply to
HeyBub

"HeyBub" wrote

| Did you see: |

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Yes. The faucet is now fixed. It was the simplest thing, just a few turns of a wrench.

Reply to
Pat

Which is what you were told in the first two responses within a few minutes of the original posting...

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Reply to
dpb

"dpb" wrote | Pat wrote: | > The faucet is now fixed. It was the simplest thing, just a few turns of | > a wrench. | | Which is what you were told in the first two responses within a few | minutes of the original posting...

ONE MORE TIME - I APOLOGIZE FOR MY STUPIDITY I DID NOT KNOW WHAT A PACKING NUT IS.

Geez, next time anything goes wrong around this house, I know where not to look for help if I need it.

You just made this lonely woman's day.

Reply to
Pat

Well, that wasn't the intent, sorry you took it that way...I was simply pointing out that the question was answered directly and the responses didn't _directly_ address what you did/or didn't know...

I tried best as knew how to describe the "where" and "how" of the nut as being that part on the valve body through which the stem protruded and that you would need a wrench instead of a screwdriver to tighten it in response to the next one...don't know what else I could/snould have done...

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Reply to
dpb

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