How To Repair Replace Outdoor Spigot

Using her master's in sustainable development, Susette helps Southern California water agencies carry out their h2o conservation projects.

If y'all have a leaking water spigot, information technology might exist easier to only replace it rather than try to fix it.

Outdoor faucets (also known every bit water spigots or hose bibbs) are subject area to a lot of wear and tear that cause them to leak over fourth dimension. However, they can be easier to set than you might think. If you are the exercise-it-yourself type who welcomes challenges effectually the house, this is the commodity for you.

Before Yous First, See if You lot Tin can Fix the Spigot

Yous've probably noticed that your spigot is leaking, just does it only crave a small-scale repair, like replacing a washer, or do you lot need a completely new one?

Examine it for whatsoever visible signs of damage to the handle, stalk, or supply piping. Is it leaking from the handle, spout, or where information technology joins the main supply pipe?

• If it's leaking from the handle, try tightening the packing nut or replacing the washer(s) offset (see the photo below).
• If it's leaking from the joint to the supply pipe, remove the spigot, audit the threads for damage, clean the threads, and wrap them with Teflon record.
• If it's leaking from the spout, the inner mechanism may be damaged, and it's probably easier and cheaper to just replace the entire thing.

Hose bibbs commonly cost anywhere from $5–ten, but a plumber may charge you lot upwardly of $150 for the replacement service. Save some money and do it yourself. As you'll see, they're really quite simple to replace.

Hose bibb handle parts unpacked and labeled

To make the job piece of cake and avoid frustration, gather all your tools and supplies get-go.

• Replacement spigot
• Two piping wrenches
• Spray lubricant (penetrating oil)—to assist loosen the threads
• Stiff-bristled brush—to remove corrosion and other droppings
• One-time rags—to wipe your hands and the piping later scrubbing
• Teflon tape (plumber's record)—to seal the threads and prevent time to come leaks

What Blazon of Spigot Should I Go?

I recommend removing the quondam spigot and taking it to the hardware store to observe a direct replacement. In that location are two things you or the store clerk should be looking for:

1. Thread size: They commonly come in 1/2-inch or 3/4-inch. Brand sure you get a replacement that'due south the same size.
2. Male or female: Is your spigot male (the threads are on the outside) or female (the threads are on the within)?

How to Supervene upon an Outdoor Water Spigot

1. Locate the water shut-off valve.
2. Shut off the water supply past turning the water shut-off valve clockwise.
3. Open up the spigot to drain the remaining water.
4. Remove the spigot by firmly grasping both the spigot and the supplying pipage and twisting the spigot counterclockwise.
5. Brush the threads to clean the corrosion.
6. Seal the threads with Teflon tape.
7. Install the new spigot past mitt before tightening information technology with a wrench.
8. Bank check for leaks.

Each of these steps is explained in particular in the sections that follow, and photos are provided to help guide you through the procedure.

Outdoor faucets frequently have their ain shutoff valves, which can be located well-nigh the spigot or inside the house on the wall where the faucet is. If yours doesn't, you lot'll take to look for the main shutoff valve.

1. Locate the Primary Water Shutoff Valve

In most houses, the main water shutoff valve is located near the water meter. If yous live in a common cold region, the meter is likely in your house or garage. If you live in warmer climates, the meter is probably exterior on the front or side of your house.

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Yous may have i or two valves. The valves will either be controlled past a lever or a cycle handle. Brawl valves use levers, while gate (or globe) valves use wheel handles.

Turn the lever or bicycle handle clockwise to close off the water.

2. Shut Off the Water Supply

If you're unsure which shutoff valve will cut supply to the faucet you're trying to supersede, turn the faucet on slightly, locate a shutoff valve, and shut it. The h2o should stop running inside a minute or two. If it doesn't, go back to the meter and look for another shutoff valve.

A business firm with a large belongings can have up to three main shutoff valves––i from the street that shuts off all h2o on the property, one to the irrigation system alone, and another that controls the house h2o supply.

Shutoff valves with levers ordinarily turn only 90 degrees. Wheel handles turn until they are seated (usually within one or ii full revolutions).

Drain leftover water to avoid making a mess.

3. Drain the Backlog Water

Open the spigot to let any remaining h2o drain out. You may have stopped the water period, merely in that location is probable still some water in the portion of the pipe from the shutoff valve to the spigot. Call up to close it once more when yous're done.

Brand sure the supply pipe is secured to foreclose any damage from the twisting strength.

4. Remove the Old Spigot

Firmly grasp the supply pipe at the hex nut with one pipe wrench. Keeping the supply pipe steady to avoid damaging the entire organisation, turn the spigot counterclockwise with the second pipe wrench.

Tip: If information technology doesn't turn, stop. Don't forcefulness anything, as this can cause additional damage. Spray some lubricant in and around the joint and exit it on for a few minutes to loosen the threads.

A few quick taps can also help loosen upwardly the corrosion. Just call up to stabilize the supply pipe before doing so.

Utilise a brass or nylon brush rather than a steel brush to avoid scoring and damaging the threads.

5. Castor the Threads to Make clean the Corrosion

Utilize a stiff-bristled brush to remove corrosion, left-over plumber's tape, and other debris. This prevents harm when installing the new spigot and ensures a h2o-tight seal.

Offset from the base and overlap by one/2–three/iv the width of the tape.

six. Seal the Threads With Teflon Tape

Wrap the exposed threads with Teflon tape, starting at the base and overlapping about half the width of the tape until you accomplish the tip. Teflon tape fills in the tiny gaps between the threads to ensure that no h2o can leak out.

Hand-tighten get-go to make sure you don't accidentally cross the threads.

vii. Install the New Spigot

Carefully spiral on the new spigot past paw until it is seated. Tighten it the residuum of the fashion using a pipe wrench. To prevent damage to the protective stop, wrap a towel around the spigot before grasping it with the wrench.

8. Check for Leaks

One time information technology'southward installed, cheque for any leaks from the joint, stem, and spout. Make sure the spigot is turned off before turning the h2o supply dorsum on. Then, open the spigot and make sure that water is only coming out of the spout.

Video: How to Supplant a Leaky Spigot Exterior

Mutual Questions About Water Spigots

In this section, we'll become over some of the most often asked questions about outdoor faucets.

What'due south the Difference Between a Tap, a Faucet, a Spigot, and a Hose Bib?

All of them can refer to a valve that controls the flow of water, only there are some differences in their usage. For case, a tap in British English language refers to the water control valve in sinks and bathtubs—what would be considered a faucet in American English language.

Spigot is a more technical term for a tap or faucet used by plumbers and other people in the industry, and it normally refers to outdoor faucets. Hose bibb (or hose bib) is another term for a spigot and is then named because it is where you would normally attach a hose.

How Does a Spigot Work?

In a regular spigot, water supply is controlled by a valve—either a ball, globe, or gate valve—that can be opened or closed by a spiral-down machinery. The diagram below depicts a gate valve. As you plow the handle, the machinery either opens or closes the valve.

Leaks from the spout generally occur due to wear and tear in this inner mechanism. You lot may cull to replace the individual components, only it is unremarkably cheaper and easier to only supercede the entire spigot.

How Can I Prevent an Outdoor Faucet From Freezing?

If y'all live in a region that is prone to frost, leaks can be caused past water expansion inside the piping and/or spigot. To prevent frost damage, follow these steps:

1. Close the main water shutoff valve and bleed the water from the spigot(due south).
2. Wrap the spigot and any exposed pipes with pipage insulation (usually cylindrical foam pieces). Duct tape them for a tight and secure seal.
3. Install a frost-proof faucet.

Note that wrapping with insulation simply slows heat loss. It does not forbid information technology, nor does it generate oestrus. With continuous exposure to freezing temperatures, the insulation will get ineffective. This is why draining the h2o out or installing a frost-proof faucet are the all-time means to forbid frost damage.

How Does a Frost-Proof Faucet or Spigot Work?

The basic mechanism of a frost-proof or freeze-proof faucet is like to a regular faucet; a valve is opened or closed to command the flow of water. The difference is where the valve is located.

In a frost-proof spigot, the stem (the portion that houses the valve control mechanism) extends up to two feet into the house. This prevents the water from being exposed to freezing temperatures since the valve (the point where the water supply stops) is now located in the house.

This content is accurate and true to the all-time of the author's cognition and is non meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional person.

Questions & Answers

Question: What practise you exercise when the supply piping is not attainable to agree while removing the faucet?

Respond: How far away is it? If it's only within the wall in a hole that'southward too narrow to fit your mitt in, you could probably use a long-handled pipe wrench. Otherwise, try using a faucet handle puller. They don't price much—just $xv or and then on Amazon.—and they requite y'all extra reach.

https://smiling.amazon.com/Plumbers-Palatial-Faucet-Ha...

Question: My exterior faucet has an anti-siphon thing at the top which is where I have my leak? How do I set up that? And my spigot is welded to a pipage (maybe 6"). I was able to unscrew that pipe.

Answer: That's a good question. The anti-siphon role is at that place to stop water from the hose backing up into your house h2o supply. If it'south leaking, there's a practiced chance of some clay or trivial rocks clogging it up and stopping the lilliputian piston inside from moving up and down. It's an piece of cake gear up, and then that's the commencement thing I would try. Here's a video that will show you how:

https://world wide web.youtube.com/scout?v=M9NQFo4-OeU

Question: What do yous do when the supply pipe is in the wall and no style to agree it in place to stabilize/steady it when removing the faucet? ie. the faucet is right against the brick wall.

Reply: Something or somebody had to be holding that piping, while the faucet was screwed on initially. That ways there's probably access inside the house (basement?) to the other side of the piping. I would recruit an assistant to push the pipe forwards from the inside, so you can insert a pipe wrench on the outside, as soon as there's room.

Question: How exercise I supervene upon an outside water spigot, if I have a PVC pipe for the feed?

Answer: It depends on why you're replacing it. Offset by acquiring a combination PVC/metal fitting and some CPVC glue. And so turn off the house water. If the spigot is the problem, you lot'll take off the old one, make clean the PVC pipe, screw the new spigot onto the plumbing fixtures, then glue the plumbing equipment onto the PVC piping. If the problem is a intermission in the PVC pipe, but the spigot is ok, yous'll have to saw off the broken pipe, clean out the pipe left in the wall, screw the sometime spigot onto the new fitting, and glue the new fitting onto the PVC pipe. Hither is a video that shows how to install a new fitting and spigot onto the PVC pipe.

https://www.youtube.com/spotter?v=WctT8AGsaBs

Question: How do I supervene upon an outside water spigot if I have copper pipes?

Answer: Information technology depends on if the copper pipe is threaded or not. If it is (I'yard bold you're replacing the faucet), you will replace the onetime faucet with a new one in the same way you would with any other kind of pipe.

If it isn't threaded, and the leak is where the pipe joins the faucet, you'd accept to cut off the end that inserts into the faucet, and use either solder or a compression plumbing equipment to put a new end on.

https://www.youtube.com/sentinel?v=t7T-MtE3FL0

Here's how to solder it on:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?5=Grand-BlJBJIUdQ

If you utilise a compression fitting, watch out that you don't tighten it too much:

https://www.youtube.com/lookout?v=KR9cQwnnHXw

If you're connecting copper pipes to plastic, you lot'll want to insert a liner in the plastic pipe to keep information technology strong and not leak nether the compression fitting:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUeyjugrdDM

Question: What to do when the exterior faucet is on and h2o leaks into basement?

Answer: Yous'll need to trace the leak from the basement back to the source. It could be that the faucet will have to be replaced, or it could be that the piping has frozen at some point and cracked inside the wall, which is a much bigger job. There are dissimilar ways to examination it. The following forum is an first-class resource, with the questioner asking the same question you are—maybe with a different outcome, simply it will assist you understand some of the possibilities. https://www.doityourself.com/forum/plumbing-piping...

Question: The spigot bankrupt off from a contumely pipage. How do I know that I tin can supercede my new spigot to my old pipe?

Respond: The best thing to practise is take a photo of the pipe and take it, forth with the new spigot, to your local hardware store—not a concatenation store, if yous tin help it. Family hardware stores are usually run past people who really know what they're doing. They'll also need to know how big the piping is, so before yous accept the photo you tin can clean upwards the old pipe, measure to see if information technology's a 1/2" or 3/four" opening (or other), and write the measurement on a little notation you can hold side by side to the pipage. Then take a photo. Better yet, accept the photo before buying a spigot, then buy whatever your local hardware store rep recommends.

Question: Should I add grease to replacement washers?

Answer: It depends on the type of h2o you have flowing through. If information technology leaves calcium deposits behind, making your faucet stiff to plough, so applying plumber's grease might be a good idea. Or if your faucet squeaks a lot, grease can assist remove the squeaking. You lot're not applying the grease to the washer, though. Yous're applying information technology to the handle where it turns.

© 2022 Susette Horspool

Susette Horspool (writer) from Pasadena CA on July 29, 2022:

Aah. Hoses come in dissimilar sizes. You lot might want to measure your faucet at the bespeak where the water comes out. Near likely information technology will be either 1/two" or iii/4" across. So you'll demand to buy a hose that's the aforementioned size.

Dawn Miller on July 29, 2022:

I don't have a leaky faucet, but I need my faucet replaced (I remember). The water hose does not fit on the faucet, so I can't use the water as needed. I don't know what happened to it, the h2o works. I bought a new hose, and it'southward not the hose.

Davana on September xi, 2022:

I just got ripped off by plumber who just replaced the head on a yard hydrant afterward arguing with him about having to dig upwardly the stand pipe. I was informed that if it wasn't bent froze or otherwise damaged there was no demand to dig up just to supersede faucet head. Just unsrew and replace ! Of form, shut off h2o and becareful non to damage twist or turn stand piping accommodate water for valve and voila. I am seventy yr old woman and tin't use a big wrench or would have done it myself . I ordered the l.+ Part and asked a plumber to install... 735.00 dollars. I complained but to no avail! I am very upset to say the least. I even chosen manufacturer of the function and they said 1 in 100 times practice always have to dig up a stand pipe the sent instructions and everything 3 step process with pictures! Even so argued but said he'd try it but he e'er dug them up. That would accept cost 1200.00 dollars OMG!!! Am I basics or what?

wathman on August 26, 2022:

I just repaired the hose bib in a house I simply bought and it might be beneficial to add some insights for frost free hose bibs. Here is what I encountered. My commencement thought was to try to replace the whole assembly with something newer, but the threaded coupling for this type of hose bib is typically viii-12 inches deep into the wall. Figuring out how to uncouple the old one and thread on and seal a new ane with side by side to no admission from my basement was not happening. A plumber might exist able to practise it, but definitely non cheaply.

Equivalent new hardware was most $30 if I did accept a way to install it as a DIY project.

What I ended up doing is disassemble the frost costless hose bib and examined the stalk assembly. Was generally in good shape, simply the gasket and washer had some kind of oxidation caked on and were pretty stiff and compacted. Establish a "Wall Hydrant Repair Kit" for $20 that had a new washer and a new handle that I also needed (most $8 for that part alone). After cleaning out the residual of the stalk assembly and swapping in parts, the frost gratuitous outdoor hose bib that has probably been abused for the past 25 years is leak gratuitous over again.

Susette Horspool (author) from Pasadena CA on September 04, 2022:

@Patricia - The price is going to vary depending on the difficulty of the project, i.e. how long it'due south probable to take for the repair. From what you say below it sounds like the plumber will have to suspension into the stucco to admission the piping inside the wall. He won't know where the leak is relative to the nearest join (where 2 pipes connect), so he'll need to exist able to actually see the pipes to decide how much needs replacing. He'll also want to see if the pipe is breaking down because information technology's old, in which instance there may be leaks in connected pipes as well.

Breaking into the stucco, checking for leaks farther in, repairing each one, then closing up the stucco afterwards makes the cost higher than the crude effigy I gave below. Looking at it in terms of time, $900/$55 per hour = sixteen hours for the one repair, bold they charge what nigh plumbers do.

To verify whether the plumber's judge is reasonable for your area, I would suggest you telephone call your water supplier and tell them your situation. If they can't help you lot, inquire who can. Or look for a local nonprofit similar Rebuilding Together to encounter what they recommend.

https://rebuildingtogether.org

Patricia Ludwig-Longello on September 04, 2022:

I take a spigot that is slightly leaking not certain where Not far down the line but notwithstanding- somewhere in the line close to the part that comes from the stucco- I had a visitor that came and gave me estatament from 900-1300 and then told me they could get as depression every bit 800 when I questioned price but no lower their reviews seem to be good except for that pricing i'm just trying to get an honest opinion about the price

Susette Horspool (author) from Pasadena CA on August 30, 2022:

That depends on what y'all mean by "cemented." If information technology'due south really cemented or glued, you'll probably have to supercede the pipe backside it likewise. In that case, don't even carp trying to pry it autonomously. But unscrew the piping behind it and take information technology off as one slice.

If what you mean is that information technology's seriously stuck, then y'all'll need two 12" wrenches to unscrew it equally follows:

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/ways-stuck-faucet-off...

Angela on Baronial 27, 2022:

If the one-time faucet appears to be cemented on to the pipe, how practice you recommend getting it off?

Susette Horspool (author) from Pasadena CA on July xi, 2022:

@Nick - The cost depends on what's wrong, of course. In the U.S. the average replacement cost for the unabridged faucet will be around $250, if a plumber does it (includes labor). If there'south a leak in the pipe behind the faucet, information technology will cost more to replace both. The minimum charge for a plumber is $55 per hr.

If y'all do information technology yourself and it's simply the faucet, it should cost a little less than $100 for materials, plus the time you spend shopping and installing. If you live in a cold area, exist certain to buy a frost free silcock (outdoor faucet). Proficient luck!

Nick Brown on July 10, 2022:

Bang-up web log, extremely helpful.

One question, tin you give me a berh rough judge on cost of materials needed to supplant the spigot, replacing the entire spigot, faucet, and tap?

Parts cost $125, $200, $300...?

Merely spent twoscore minutes cut up my hands trying to water my dead rose bushes. Time for activeness!

Thank you

Nick

Susette Horspool (author) from Pasadena CA on June 15, 2022:

@Carole - You mean the nut that holds the spigot onto the pipe? Did you spray a lubricant on it first? If so, and it was still also hard, can you get some assistance to spiral it off with the pipe wrenches?

Carole Brinkert on June fourteen, 2022:

fifty am still one of many that cannot remove the screw in the handle...so the remainder of the info. is moot!

Kristi Sharp from Born in Missouri. Raised in Minnesota. on June 28, 2022:

Very useful and well explained. Information technology seems every bit though you've detailed everything step past step which is exactly what people need. Slap-up utilise of videos. Nicely done. -K

Susette Horspool (author) from Pasadena CA on June 28, 2022:

Lindacee - Nosotros haven't even started talking about outdoor plumbing problems nevertheless. Now think most all the sprinkler leaks that don't get fixed, and then the potential irrigation pipe leaks underground! LOTS of water wasted!

Simone - I hold and that'south why I wrote it the fashion I did. It helps me, also, to know how a thing works before I call in someone to fix it for me.

Simone Haruko Smith from San Francisco on June 28, 2022:

This is so helpful! While I still have no intention of replacing an outdoor water faucet past myself, it actually helps to know what to look for and which decisions I should be making.

Linda Chechar from Arizona on June 28, 2022:

Thanks for clearing upwardly the tap, faucet and spigot confusion, watergeek. I've always used the terms interchangeably -- and incorrectly! Good instructions for this DIY projection. I wonder how much water is wasted each twelvemonth considering of faulty outdoor plumbing? Not to mention the damaged caused to foundations and basements!

Susette Horspool (writer) from Pasadena CA on June 27, 2022:

Aha! Plumbing is not your DIY field, eh? ;-)

Om Paramapoonya on June 27, 2022:

Thanks for the pace-by-step instructions. You lot made it sound pretty simple, but however, it doesn't audio similar fun. LOL Rated up and useful :)

How To Repair Replace Outdoor Spigot,

Source: https://dengarden.com/home-improvement/How-to-Replace-an-Outdoor-Water-Faucet

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