Outdoor Faucet Leaking From Stem

The packing which looks like string keeps water from leaking out around the stem.

Outdoor faucet leaking from stem.

Examing the washer and or o rings at the end of the faucet stem and replace them. The washer at the tip of the stem is usually secured by a brass screw. On frost proof faucets the washer is located on the end of the long faucet stem. A leaky stem faucet usually means that the packing is worn out or needs tightening.

But left unchecked it doesn t take long for even a small leak from a hose bibb to waste hundreds of gallons of water. Reassemble the faucet turn on the water and test to make sure it no longer leaks. When a spigot leaks the cause is usually a worn washer on the end of the valve stem or worn packing around the handle. If your faucet still leaks the stem may be leaking and you should replace the faucet.

If your faucet leaks out of the spout when it s turned off the washer is bad. These faucets have no aerators and are found mostly in laundry. If a faucet leaks around the handle you either have a loose packing nut or a bad packing washer. The stem of your faucet should never be leaking especially not while the water is off.

It s important that replacement washers be of the same size as the original. A new rubber washer under the packing nut usually fixes leaks around the stem and handle. Repairing a leaky outdoor faucet is a chore that can be done in less than an hour with a few common tools. Find out how to repair a leaky faucet stem with help from a longtime.

However be sure to open the valve stem before inserting it into the tap. The size and type of nut varies a bit with faucet styles. Knowing how to fix a leaky stem faucet saves money and the process is easy. First try tightening the nut with a wrench or pliers.

Another common problem on outside spigots is leaking around the valve stem when the water is. Step 1 tighten the packing nut situated below the faucet handle with an adjustable wrench if the stem is leaking. Trying to squeeze a slightly larger washer in won t work and your faucet will leak. Unscrew the faucet mounting nut and extract the entire stem from the faucet body.

Remove the handle and nut photo 1 and pull the stem from the faucet photo 2.