Leaking Outdoor Spigot? How to Fix a Hose Bib Leak

Outdoor spigots, also called hose bibs, take a beating in Florida. They run irrigation hoses, pressure washers, and pool top-offs, and they sit in the sun and rain year-round. Eventually most of them develop a drip. Where the water comes out tells you almost everything you need to know about the fix.

Dripping from the spout when closed

If water drips from the spout even when the handle is fully closed, the washer at the end of the stem has worn out and no longer seals against the valve seat. Turn off the water to the spigot, unscrew the packing nut, remove the stem, and replace the rubber washer and its screw. Take the old parts to the hardware store to match them. If the seat inside the valve is pitted or corroded, a new washer may not seal and the spigot should be replaced.

Leaking around the handle

Water seeping out around the handle stem while the faucet is open comes from the packing. Try tightening the packing nut, the hex nut just behind the handle, about a quarter turn clockwise. If that does not stop it, the packing washer or graphite packing string inside needs replacing.

Spraying from the top while a hose is on

Many spigots have a vacuum breaker, a small cap on top that prevents dirty water from being siphoned back into your drinking supply. It may spray briefly when you turn the water on or off, which is normal. Steady leaking during use, especially when a sprayer nozzle is closed, means the breaker's internal seal is worn. Replacement breakers are inexpensive and simply screw on.

Leaking at the hose connection

Check the rubber washer inside the female end of your hose. They crack and flatten in the Florida sun. A new washer costs pennies and fixes the most common outdoor leak of all.

When to replace the whole spigot

• •The body is cracked or badly corroded.
• •The handle spins without opening or closing.
• •The valve seat is too worn for a new washer to seal.
• •The spigot is loose and wobbles in the wall, which strains the pipe behind it.
• •Water appears inside the wall, on the slab, or on interior drywall near the spigot.

In many Central Florida homes, hose bibs connect to a pipe stub coming through a concrete block wall. Replacing one is usually straightforward, but a leak inside the block or below the slab needs proper leak detection to avoid unnecessary demolition.

• Residential plumbing repairs
• Why is my water bill so high?
• Backflow preventer testing explained