Repairing leaky, rusty water spigot

clkingtx · March 30, 2016

Hello,

I am trying to figure out if this is something I can do myself, or if I will just cause more harm by even trying. Our backyard spigot is really leaky. My hubby can shut it off, but with arthritis in my hands, I can't grip it well enough, and it leaks until he gets home and turns it off. We just moved here in January, and there have been many things to repair, and we both would rather do it ourselves whenever possible. I am fairly capable with tools, and feel like I could probably take it on. I have found some videos, but none that have the same kind of faucet(usually if I can find a video I can copy it). I tried to unscrew the screw on the handle, but it is stripped out. Here are some pictures. I know a lot of you are skilled diyers, and I would REALLY appreciate any advice.

Thanks!
Carrie

heirloomtomaguy · March 30, 2016

The pipe going into the hose bib looks to be copper. It is possible that the hose bib is "sweat" or soldered onto the copper itself. If you remove the ground clamp that is around the hose bib we could get a better look at what you have going on there. That is a ground for electrical, phone, or cable lines in your house. Once removed you will be able to see if the hose bib is soldered or threaded on to the copper. It may be either male or female iron pipe thread going into the hose bib. But without removing the ground clamp it is impossible to see. Hopefully it is threaded then all you would have to do is turn off the water to the house and spin it off teflon tape the threads and spin a new one on and turn back on the water.

henry · March 30, 2016

I would expect that type of tape to have a rubber washer on the inside.
shut of the water to the line and use a wrench to take the tap apart, if it is a rubber washer there should be replacements for it. A new rubber washer would be soft and make shutting of the tap easy

What the inside of the tap should look like not the same tap but should be close.
https://www.google.ca/search?q=repla...de8o4WzP14M%3A

Stvrob · March 31, 2016

Is it leaking from the bonnet, or is it just not closing all the way? You can replace the packing in that style valve.

clkingtx · March 31, 2016

First of all, thanks so much y'all!

heirloomtomatoguy: that wire goes straight into a telephone box, and we don't use a wired phone, so no problem there(whew...if it was electric, hubby didn't want me to attempt it when he wasn't home). I would really love to be able to take care of it myself, and take it off his honeydo list. Tomorrow I will open the siding up and get a better view inside. Hopefully it is not soldered on, I don't have the knowlege or equipment for that.

henry: I will see if I can get it apart. I already bought a couple of new faucets, so hopefully I can swap out parts, or the whole thing, whichever is needed.

Stvrob: It is leaking out of the faucet, and from under the handle itself. Also the threads are pretty stripped, so it leaks from there, too(that one doesn't matter that much, since a leak just during the time it is on isn't that big of a deal).

Well, I will try to get into it tomorrow, hopefully it will be a doable thing, and save a plumber call! I will post pictures when I open it up.

Thanks again, guys!

Carrie

Cole_Robbie · March 31, 2016

If you have copper pipe, the easiest fix for someone who isn't good with copper is to cut it off and put on a compression fitting that will get you to pvc. PVC is a lot easier to work with.

Worth1 · March 31, 2016

More than likely completely wore out I just rebuilt one like it because I had the parts on hand.
Trying to take it apart still connected is a no no it aint gonna happen you will end up breaking your pipe.
It needs to be in a vise with a big wrench and whacked with a hammer.
Trust me I know what I'm talking about.
It is also more than likely a female 1/2 inch pipe thread.
You need a backup on the pipe it is screwed into or you will twist the pipe off.
That means two wrenches not one.
If you said you had joint pain then this is going to be hard for you.
Also my suggestion would be to toss the faucets and put in a full flow ball valve.
That way you can just turn it off and on with a 1/2 turn.
I turn mine on and off with my foot.
If the pipe coming out of the wall is male and you do decide to use PVC which I highly discourage DO NOT screw a female PVC fitting on it.
You can put male PVC into female metal but not female onto male it will split.
It is also against plumbing standards for this reason.

I repeat do not twist that pipe off in the wall you will be screwed big time and have to tear the wall out to fix it.
You just cant unscrew it like you think it WILL twist the pipe off.
You have to have the back up and know how to do it.
If it is sweat DO NOT try to repair that valve by taking it apart on the wall.
You already said that it was rusted out so it just isnt going to happen

If I knew where you lived I would come fix it for you if you weren't too far away.

Honest.

Here is one for any one reading this.
Every year take your valve handles off and put grease on the treads and the spines.
It is called preventive maintenance I do it. and it save a word of trouble down the road.
Your toilet and sink shut off need to be stroked once a year also.
And the flex lines changed out about every ten years with good ones.

Worth

heirloomtomaguy · March 31, 2016

If the threads are stripped i would replace it instead of reparing it. It will save you trouble in the long run. If it is a soldered fitting hopefully they did it right and used a male iron pipe thread fitting. If they did not i would invest a couple bucks and have someone solder on the male iron pipe fitting so you can change the hose bib easier in the future. I would personally steer clear of pvc on a copper line. It is accident waiting to happen if you ever hit it or it freezes. It is easier to use however.

Worth1 · March 31, 2016

Here is my fix for the junkie hose bibs they sell.
what you see is a 1/2 copper male fitting going into a 1/2 to 3/4 bushing into a 3/4 ball valve then a brass close nipple a brass 90 and then a brass male pipe to male hose end.
This thing will last for many years.
Shown in the off and on position.
Worth
IMG_20160330_22392.jpg

IMG_20160330_35844.jpg

heirloomtomaguy · March 31, 2016

Yeah Worth all of mine at my house are ball valves also. So much easier

Worth1 · March 31, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by heirloomtomaguy

Yeah Worth all of mine at my house are ball valves also. So much easier

Hose bibs are a joke.
Have you seen the tiny hole they have in them.

Globe valves are so much better.
Anyone with joint pain needs to have ball valves for sure.

Worth

heirloomtomaguy · March 31, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worth1

Hose bibs are a joke.
Have you seen the tiny hole they have in them.

Globe valves are so much better.
Anyone with joint pain needs to have ball valves for sure.

Worth

Agreed. A 3/4 hose bib has a 3/8 hole at best. A quarter turn ball valve sure beats 20 turns on a hose bib.

PhilaGardener · March 31, 2016

Looks like you have some foundation issues below that faucet too. Home repair jobs often get move involved after you get started. Make sure your solution is appropriate for your winter weather too!

taboule · March 31, 2016

>>> Here is my fix for the junkie hose bibs they sell.

Worth, You da man. I've found myself changing these almost every year. I like your solution.

henry · March 31, 2016

Frost Proof Yard Hydrant, the type I use on the farm we do not have any water lines coming out through the walls of the buildings and have yet to make repairs on this type of tap. They work in the winter never freeze.

March 30, 2016	#2
heirloomtomaguy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: glendora ca Posts: 2,560	The pipe going into the hose bib looks to be copper. It is possible that the hose bib is "sweat" or soldered onto the copper itself. If you remove the ground clamp that is around the hose bib we could get a better look at what you have going on there. That is a ground for electrical, phone, or cable lines in your house. Once removed you will be able to see if the hose bib is soldered or threaded on to the copper. It may be either male or female iron pipe thread going into the hose bib. But without removing the ground clamp it is impossible to see. Hopefully it is threaded then all you would have to do is turn off the water to the house and spin it off teflon tape the threads and spin a new one on and turn back on the water. __________________ “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."

March 30, 2016	#3
henry Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Midway B.C. Canada Posts: 311	I would expect that type of tape to have a rubber washer on the inside. shut of the water to the line and use a wrench to take the tap apart, if it is a rubber washer there should be replacements for it. A new rubber washer would be soft and make shutting of the tap easy What the inside of the tap should look like not the same tap but should be close. https://www.google.ca/search?q=repla...de8o4WzP14M%3A __________________ Henry Last edited by henry; March 30, 2016 at 09:15 PM. Reason: adding to.

March 31, 2016	#8
heirloomtomaguy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: glendora ca Posts: 2,560	If the threads are stripped i would replace it instead of reparing it. It will save you trouble in the long run. If it is a soldered fitting hopefully they did it right and used a male iron pipe thread fitting. If they did not i would invest a couple bucks and have someone solder on the male iron pipe fitting so you can change the hose bib easier in the future. I would personally steer clear of pvc on a copper line. It is accident waiting to happen if you ever hit it or it freezes. It is easier to use however. __________________ “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."

March 31, 2016	#10
heirloomtomaguy Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: glendora ca Posts: 2,560	Yeah Worth all of mine at my house are ball valves also. So much easier __________________ “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."

March 31, 2016	#4
Stvrob Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Jacksonville, FL Posts: 1,413	Is it leaking from the bonnet, or is it just not closing all the way? You can replace the packing in that style valve.

March 31, 2016	#5
clkingtx Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Wichita Falls Texas Posts: 446	First of all, thanks so much y'all! heirloomtomatoguy: that wire goes straight into a telephone box, and we don't use a wired phone, so no problem there(whew...if it was electric, hubby didn't want me to attempt it when he wasn't home). I would really love to be able to take care of it myself, and take it off his honeydo list. Tomorrow I will open the siding up and get a better view inside. Hopefully it is not soldered on, I don't have the knowlege or equipment for that. henry: I will see if I can get it apart. I already bought a couple of new faucets, so hopefully I can swap out parts, or the whole thing, whichever is needed. Stvrob: It is leaking out of the faucet, and from under the handle itself. Also the threads are pretty stripped, so it leaks from there, too(that one doesn't matter that much, since a leak just during the time it is on isn't that big of a deal). Well, I will try to get into it tomorrow, hopefully it will be a doable thing, and save a plumber call! I will post pictures when I open it up. Thanks again, guys! Carrie

March 31, 2016	#6
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	If you have copper pipe, the easiest fix for someone who isn't good with copper is to cut it off and put on a compression fitting that will get you to pvc. PVC is a lot easier to work with.

March 31, 2016	#7
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	More than likely completely wore out I just rebuilt one like it because I had the parts on hand. Trying to take it apart still connected is a no no it aint gonna happen you will end up breaking your pipe. It needs to be in a vise with a big wrench and whacked with a hammer. Trust me I know what I'm talking about. It is also more than likely a female 1/2 inch pipe thread. You need a backup on the pipe it is screwed into or you will twist the pipe off. That means two wrenches not one. If you said you had joint pain then this is going to be hard for you. Also my suggestion would be to toss the faucets and put in a full flow ball valve. That way you can just turn it off and on with a 1/2 turn. I turn mine on and off with my foot. If the pipe coming out of the wall is male and you do decide to use PVC which I highly discourage DO NOT screw a female PVC fitting on it. You can put male PVC into female metal but not female onto male it will split. It is also against plumbing standards for this reason. I repeat do not twist that pipe off in the wall you will be screwed big time and have to tear the wall out to fix it. You just cant unscrew it like you think it WILL twist the pipe off. You have to have the back up and know how to do it. If it is sweat DO NOT try to repair that valve by taking it apart on the wall. You already said that it was rusted out so it just isnt going to happen If I knew where you lived I would come fix it for you if you weren't too far away. Honest. Here is one for any one reading this. Every year take your valve handles off and put grease on the treads and the spines. It is called preventive maintenance I do it. and it save a word of trouble down the road. Your toilet and sink shut off need to be stroked once a year also. And the flex lines changed out about every ten years with good ones. Worth

March 31, 2016	#13
PhilaGardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Near Philadelphia, PA Posts: 1,940	Looks like you have some foundation issues below that faucet too. Home repair jobs often get move involved after you get started. Make sure your solution is appropriate for your winter weather too!

March 31, 2016	#14
taboule Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: MA Posts: 903	>>> Here is my fix for the junkie hose bibs they sell. Worth, You da man. I've found myself changing these almost every year. I like your solution.