Leaky outdoor faucet

[Strokes77]

I'm struggling with this. I have a faucet on the exterior of my house that when we first moved in was very very hard to tighten it closed. I could barely get it with hand pressure to stop water drips. After awhile I had to start using a wrench to tighten it.

Eventually I couldn't get it tight enough to stop drips.

I took it apart and replaced the washer inside that was very chewed up at the back of the long tube. I was expecting this to stop the leaks. It did not. I am not very handy with plumbing.

What is my next step? Did I provide enough details for you guys to offer help?

[geek2me]

Strokes77 said:

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After awhile I had to start using a wrench to tighten it.

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Using a wrench probably bent the stem, common problem. The fix is to replace the stem, but it's probably less expensive to just replace the whole faucet.

[Mr_Mike]

I'd have already replaced the hose bib with a 1/4 turn version by now.

Do that.

[TDKPE]

The gland may also be messed up, or just worn. The seat may also be shot, from having an old washer mashed against it with a lot of force. Pull the guts out as a single unit, if it comes out that way, and see if you can match it at a plumbing supply.

Or just replace it with a new hose bibb.

[Strokes77]

Wow there is alot of names for these parts. I want it fixed, for good. I would rather not call a plumber for something that should be simple.

The house is Brick, so I can't go in there messing around. What can I buy to replace the whole thing?


link

Would something like that work and guarantee the problem goes away?

Or are you suggesting all I need is this?

1/4 turn

[Robert Adams]

Most likely your hose bib is soldered to copper pipe. That means no threads to undo. And even if it were threaded you wouldn't be able to get it off cause you can't get a wrench on the pipe.

It's a very common problem here in tx because houses are all brick etc... There are two ways to fix it usually.

1) remove the brick surrounding the hose bib and that will give you room to get behind and take it apart and replace it.

2) tear out the drywall behind the bib and replace it from there. (Brick is easier to repair than textured drywall)

What often happens is a combination of the two.


Now for what most people do... Find a valve to mount to the faucet threads. Like the ones in the garden section but better quality.
Or the other method is to cap it off with a brass cap.


Unfortunately plumbers use the cheap junk hose bibs and the method of installation is quick and dirty so replacement is usually a nightmare for what should be a simple job.

Another reason I don't want to own a brick house again .... I hate brick houses on so many levels.

[TDKPE]

Assuming it doesn't freeze where you are, the first one is possibly a direct change out, though the stems can often be had in different lengths. The vacuum break is probably required. And it has a flange for mounting to the house, but brick may make that difficult.

You should be able to get the manufacturer's name off the existing, and get a new one just like it, so the holes line up.

[TDKPE]

And in light of what the previous poster said about brick and Texas houses, I'd still look into a rebuild kit or a guts set for the existing, which is more than a rebuild kit as it comes with essentially everything except the tube. I replaced the one in the back of my house a couple of years ago with a kit, but it was a freeze-proof type, with the actual valve deep inside the tube, inside the house. And yours may not be made that way. Can't tell from here.

[Strokes77]

Robert Adams said:

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Most likely your hose bib is soldered to copper pipe. That means no threads to undo. And even if it were threaded you wouldn't be able to get it off cause you can't get a wrench on the pipe.

It's a very common problem here in tx because houses are all brick etc... There are two ways to fix it usually.

1) remove the brick surrounding the hose bib and that will give you room to get behind and take it apart and replace it.

2) tear out the drywall behind the bib and replace it from there. (Brick is easier to repair than textured drywall)

What often happens is a combination of the two.


Now for what most people do... Find a valve to mount to the faucet threads. Like the ones in the garden section but better quality.
Or the other method is to cap it off with a brass cap.


Unfortunately plumbers use the cheap junk hose bibs and the method of installation is quick and dirty so replacement is usually a nightmare for what should be a simple job.

Another reason I don't want to own a brick house again .... I hate brick houses on so many levels.

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This was my next question, when I googled it I learned about soldered pipes.

We have a slab house. We can't get underneath, and this exterior wall is in our living room.

So, I assume replacing the pipe (is that the bib?) is not an option unless I want to tear out the brick.

Is there another way then? What do you mean by, "Find a valve to mount to the faucet threads." Would you mind finding a link to the the product you are referencing?

Thank you men for the help. As you can tell I'm clearly lost.

[Mr_Mike]

Need a picture. Multiple ones, close ups.

A hose bib is the valve. Same thing. I'm suggesting you replace the whole thing.

You need to find out if your existing hose bib is soldered or threaded.

All the ones in my house are threaded and easy to replace. You just have to get one with the same thread.

I like the 1/4 turn ones. They flow better and tend not to leak. But, its no sin to go back with a conventional valve.

The brick may present problems, but without a good picture we cannot figure out what the issue with replacement is. Most of the time, you can see to mating features between the hose bib and the piping and can easily determine how to proceed.

I would not call a plumber until you give us enough information to assess the situation.