How To: Repair a Leaky Hose Bibb
If water is leaking from your outdoor hose bibb, here are a few ways to fix it fast. Whether you need just a repair or a whole replacement, SharkBite makes it easier.
Repair
If you don’t want to cut through the brick or the wall inside, you may want to repair your hose bibb instead of replacing it.
To start, assess where the leak(s) are coming from on your hose bibb. Your water spigot may have leaks in multiple places, from the packing nut to the inside components or even the connection to your home.
If you are having trouble identifying where exactly the leak is coming from, you can either replace the broken components or replace the entire hose bibb. If you don’t want a complete replacement, turn off your main water line and disassemble your hose bibb. Identify which parts look broken or worn down, which could be the stem washer, o-ring, stem or more. To easily repair these issues, do a Google image search of your hose bibb to find the exact components you will need. This will ensure everything fits properly. Also check out SharkBite’s outdoor hose valve repair parts and kits.
Read More: How to Turn Off Main Water Valve for Plumbing Repairs
If you can easily identify where the leak is coming from, there is no need to disassemble the hose bibb. In this video, the hose bibb was leaking from the packing nut and vacuum breaker. To repair a packing nut leak, simply use a wrench to tighten the connection.
For a broken vacuum breaker, it’s important not to use a wrench to loosen the connection. This could strip the threads on your hose bibb or damage the pipes inside your home. If you can’t hand loosen the breaker, call a local plumber. If you can loosen it yourself, remove the old vacuum breaker and thread a new Cash Acme vacuum breaker onto your hose bibb. Per most building codes, vacuum breakers must be permanently installed. The break-off set screw helps ensure the device can’t be removed once tightened.
Replace
If your outdoor spigot needs a complete replacement, SharkBite has you covered. From 90-degree and 45-degree hose bibbs to frost-free sillcocks, you can find the right fit for you. For a reliable, frost-free solution, go for the push-to-connect frost-free sillcock, which is easy to install and has a shut-off at the inlet of the sillcock to drain the water from the line to protect the valve in freezing conditions.
Click below for a full rundown of installing a new hose bibb or sillcock from start to finish.