Fixing a leaking outdoor hose bib
Hose bibs that drip at the spout or leak behind the wall are common on older San Gabriel houses.
Updated · 3 min read
The quick version
Drips from the spout mean a worn washer or seat; water around the handle means bad packing. Water at the wall or inside means the pipe behind the bib is leaking. Washers and packing are simple; a cracked pipe behind the wall needs a section replaced.
Sections
Where the leak is
Hose bibs on many San Gabriel houses date to the original build. North of Las Tunas, where the city's survey finds homes from the 1920s and 1930s, the pipe behind them may be galvanized steel.
Look closely while the bib is on and then off. The place the water appears tells you which part failed.
Rebuilding the bib
With water off at the main, the stem is unscrewed, the washer and screw replaced, and the packing nut repacked or replaced.
If the seat inside the body is pitted, the bib itself is swapped. A new bib is threaded onto the existing nipple, or the nipple is replaced if it is rusted.
Leaks behind the wall
If water shows up inside a closet or on the inside face of the wall, the pipe feeding the bib is cracked or a joint is corroded. That repair requires opening a small section of wall or stucco.
Add backflow protection
A vacuum breaker screwed onto the spout keeps garden water from being drawn back into the house line. Most new bibs include one built in.
Questions we hear
Why does my hose bib leak only when the hose is attached?
The hose washer is worn or missing, or the vacuum breaker is releasing as designed. Replace the hose washer first.
Can frost damage hose bibs in San Gabriel?
Hard freezes are rare here. Leaks are far more often from age, scale or a stuck stem.
Should I replace a bib with a quarter-turn ball valve?
Quarter-turn bibs are durable and easy to operate. They are a good upgrade when replacing an old one.