Faucet & Sink Repair
Repair drips, weak flow, stuck shutoff valves and leaking outdoor spigots.
Plumbing guide
Outdoor Spigot Leaking: Causes and How to Fix It
A leaking hose bib looks minor and wastes more water than most people expect. Where the water shows up tells you which part has failed.
By the Urban Comfort Plumbing team ·
Find out where it leaks
Turn the spigot on and off and watch. Water dripping from the spout when the handle is closed points to a worn washer or seat. Water leaking around the handle, behind the knob, when the spigot is on means the packing is worn. Water spraying from a cap on top of the spigot is a vacuum breaker releasing water.
Water that appears on the wall or in the soil near the spigot, or inside the house on the wall behind it, means the leak is in the pipe or the connection, not in the handle.
Dripping from the spout
Inside most standard spigots is a stem with a rubber washer on the end. When you close the spigot, the washer presses against a seat and stops the water. The washer wears out or the seat corrodes, and water seeps past. Replacing the washer is a simple job: turn off the water supply to the spigot, unscrew the packing nut and the stem, replace the washer and reassemble.
If the seat is pitted, a new washer will not seal. A plumber can replace the whole spigot, which is usually the better choice for one that is old or corroded. Salt air and humidity speed up corrosion on coastal properties.
Leaking around the handle
A leak at the stem is a packing problem. The packing nut compresses a seal around the stem. If it loosens, water seeps out when the spigot is on. Try tightening the packing nut a quarter turn with a wrench. If that does not stop it, replace the packing, or the packing washer, available at hardware stores.
If the stem itself is bent or the handle wobbles, the whole spigot is worn out. Replacement is fast and not costly, and it avoids a repair that will not last.
The vacuum breaker
Many spigots have a vacuum breaker, a device that lets air in and keeps water from flowing backward into the drinking supply. Water sometimes sprays from the cap when the spigot is on and the hose is attached. That is the breaker doing its job when the hose end is closed, or it can be a worn breaker.
If a hose is left attached and under pressure, the breaker can leak. Disconnect hoses when not in use, and replace the breaker if it leaks without a hose. For more on backflow protection, see backflow testing and prevention.
A leak inside the wall
Water on the inside wall near the spigot, a stained ceiling in the garage under the spigot or a spigot that drips even after you replace the washer can signal a leak behind the wall. The pipe connection to the spigot may be corroded or cracked. A leak inside a wall can rot framing and grow mold.
Turn off the water supply to the spigot, if there is a valve, and call. Leak detection pinpoints the source, and a plumber can repair the line and the connection.
Tools and parts you need
For a washer or packing repair you need an adjustable wrench, a screwdriver, a replacement washer kit and plumber's grease. Bring the old washer to the store to match the size and shape, since there are several kinds. A new spigot needs thread seal tape and, if it is sweated, a plumber with a torch.
If the supply to the spigot has no shutoff, you will need to turn off the main valve for the house. A shutoff valve inside the house on the spigot line makes future repairs simple and is worth adding.
Replacing the washer step by step
Turn off the water to the spigot. Open it to drain what remains. Loosen the packing nut with a wrench, and unscrew the stem. Take the stem out and remove the screw at its end that holds the washer. Install the new washer and screw. Lightly grease the threads of the stem, put it back and tighten the packing nut until snug.
Turn the water on slowly and test. If the spigot still drips, look at the seat inside the body. A rough or pitted seat needs a seat dresser tool or a new spigot.
Irrigation connections
A spigot that feeds an irrigation line or a hose reel sees more pressure and more wear. Check the connections for drips, and use a quality backflow protector where the hose connects. See backflow testing for the devices that protect irrigation lines. EPA's WaterSense program warns that an irrigation leak only 1/32 of an inch across can waste about 6,300 gallons a month, and it recommends checking in-ground systems for leaks before use.
What a leak costs you
A spigot that drips once a second wastes thousands of gallons over a year, and a spraying breaker or a cracked body wastes more. The water goes straight into the yard, so the loss is easy to miss, and you pay for it twice if the water is also used to fill a pool. A simple meter check with all water off shows whether the spigot is part of a larger leak.
Hoses, freezing and long-term care
A hose left connected holds water against the spigot and speeds wear. Disconnect hoses when you finish. Florida rarely sees hard freezes, but on a rare cold night, an exposed spigot can crack, so cover it or open it to drain when a freeze is forecast. EPA's WaterSense program also advises checking the hose connection at the spigot for leaks and, if a hose leaks while running, replacing its washer and tightening the connection with pipe tape and a wrench.
Check spigots once a season. Open and close them, look for drips and check the handle and packing. A small leak caught early costs little to fix.
When to replace instead of repair
A spigot that is old, corroded or leaking from more than one place is better replaced. Plumbers can swap a spigot quickly, and many install a model with an integrated vacuum breaker. Combined with a new shutoff valve inside, it makes a leak much easier to deal with in the future. See faucet and sink repair for how a plumber handles it.
Common questions
Outdoor spigot questions
The washer or the seat is worn. A new washer often fixes it, or the whole spigot can be replaced.
It is likely the vacuum breaker releasing water. Check for a hose that is left attached, or a worn breaker.
Yes, if the leak is inside the wall. It can rot framing and cause mold.
Florida rarely freezes, but a rare cold night can crack an exposed spigot. Cover it if a freeze is forecast.
Related services
Leak Detection
Find a hidden leak behind a wall, under a floor or between the meter and the house.
Backflow Testing & Prevention
Test and maintain the device that keeps irrigation and reclaimed water out of drinking water.
Spigot leaking inside the wall?
Call and describe where the water shows up. The dispatcher will connect you with a local contractor.