Garden spigot leak?
It’s that time of year where people are heading outdoors, and lawn maintenance becomes more of a regular task.
Well, in the process of watering your lawn, you may notice that your outdoor spigot has a leak. Not to worry. Repair can be easier to fix than you might think. This is good news because repairing your leaking outdoor faucet will save you money and can prevent water damage to your home’s exterior or leakage into your basement windows (if applicable).
Let’s get started!
Step 1 – Turn off the water to the spigot, either by turning off an inline valve that controls the water line or by turning off the main water supply for the house.
Step 2 – Unscrew the packing nut under the handle of the spigot with a wrench. If it won’t turn then simply spray it with lubricant, wait a few minutes and try again. Spray more lubricant if you still can’t turn it.Step 3 – Pull off the nut and pull the valve out of the faucet housing. Turn the valve over and unscrew the washer on the end with a Phillips screwdriver. Pry it out with a flat-head screwdriver and replace it with a new one.
Step 4 – Unscrew the handle from the valve with a Phillips screwdriver and pull off the packing nut if the faucet was leaking from the handle. Replace the packing washer, if there is one. If the faucet has a packing string, pull off the old string and wind new, graphite-treated string around the packing threads.
Step 5 – Push the valve back into the faucet housing, screw on the packing nut and tighten it with a wrench. Replace the handle — if you took it off — and tighten the screw. Turn on the water.
And there you have it. Told you it was easy.
If you have any other questions about outdoor plumbing, call your local Louisville Dauenhauer, any hour.
