Questions · Leaks and pipes
A dripping hose bib
A hose bib usually drips from one of two places: the spout, which is the washer or the seat inside, or around the handle, which is the packing. Valley sun and hard water are hard on them. An outdoor drip is easy to ignore and adds up quietly on the bill.
Tell where it is coming from
- Dripping from the spout with the handle closed: the washer or the seat inside
- Weeping around the handle while it is open: the packing nut or its washer
- Wet at the wall behind the bib: the connection or the pipe behind it, which is the one to act on
- Dripping only when a hose is attached: the hose washer, which costs nothing
Why they fail here
A hose bib on a west or south wall takes full Valley sun every day of the year. Rubber washers harden, plastic parts go brittle, and hoses left attached and pressurized put constant load on the valve.
Hard water adds mineral to the seat, so a washer that is trying to seal against a rough surface never quite does. That is why a bib can drip again soon after a new washer, and why the seat matters as much as the washer.
The one that is not a drip
If the wall behind the bib is damp, or the ground below it stays wet with the bib closed, the problem is the connection or the pipe behind the wall rather than the valve. That is worth looking at rather than tightening, because the water is already inside the wall.
From the job log
Work we’ve done
Answers
Can I just replace the washer?
Often, yes, and it is a fair first move. If it drips again quickly, the seat is worn and the valve itself is the answer.
Should I leave hoses attached?
Leaving a hose attached and pressurized keeps constant load on the valve and the hose washer. Taking it off is free and it does help.
Is an outdoor drip worth fixing?
A steady drip runs all day and all night, and it is outside where nobody sees it. It is one of those repairs that pays for itself on the bill.
If you need this done
- Valves, hose bibs and water hammerShutoffs that won't turn, washer valves, outdoor hose bibs, and arrestors for pipes that bang when a valve closes.
- Pipe and leak repairDamaged, corroded or leaking pipe repaired or replaced, including hidden leaks behind walls, with as little disruption as possible.
- Water pressure and regulatorsPressure checked with a gauge, and regulators repaired or replaced when the house is getting more than the plumbing should take.
- Where we workEvery town and ZIP across the Valley we cover.
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