· Updated

How to Fix a Leaking Outdoor Spigot (Hose Bib Repair Guide)

Stop a dripping or leaking outdoor faucet yourself — covers packing nut tightening, stem washer replacement, and frost-free cartridge swaps.

A leaking outdoor spigot wastes hundreds of gallons a year and can damage siding, foundations, and freeze into a bigger problem come winter.

A leaking outdoor spigot wastes hundreds of gallons a year and can damage siding, foundations, and freeze into a bigger problem come winter. The good news: most hose bib leaks are $10 DIY fixes that take under 30 minutes once you know where the water comes from.

What You Need

Diagnosing Where the Leak Comes From

Before reaching for tools, watch the spigot for 30 seconds with water running and then again with it shut off. The location of the drip tells you exactly what needs fixing.

Drip from the spout when fully closed: The seat washer at the end of the stem is worn. Water is bypassing the valve seat because the rubber no longer seals.

Leak around the handle or stem: The packing nut is loose or the packing material inside it has failed. Water is escaping up the stem shaft rather than out the valve seat.

Leak at the wall where the spigot meets the siding: The spigot body threads into a fitting inside the wall. This is either a failed thread seal or, more seriously, a cracked pipe from freeze damage. This repair typically requires opening the wall.

Drip only when hose is attached: Almost certainly a worn hose coupling washer — not a spigot problem at all. Check the washer inside the hose’s female end first.

How to Fix a Spout Drip (Worn Seat Washer)

This is the most common outdoor faucet repair. The stem washer presses against the valve seat when you close the faucet. When the rubber wears flat or hardens, water seeps past it.

Step 1: Shut off the water supply. Find the shutoff valve inside the house on the pipe feeding the outdoor spigot — typically in the basement, crawl space, or utility room directly behind the spigot location. Turn it clockwise to close. Then open the outdoor spigot fully to drain residual pressure.

Step 2: Remove the handle. Most hose bib handles are secured by a screw under a decorative cap on top of the handle. Pry off the cap with a flathead screwdriver, remove the screw, and pull the handle straight off.

Step 3: Unscrew the packing nut. With your adjustable wrench, turn the packing nut counterclockwise. This is the large hexagonal nut directly behind the handle. Once it’s off, pull the entire stem assembly straight out of the spigot body by rotating counterclockwise.

Step 4: Inspect and replace the seat washer. The seat washer is the rubber disc at the tip of the stem, held in place by a brass screw. Unscrew the brass screw (it’s often corroded — use penetrating oil if needed), remove the old washer, and match it from your assortment kit. Install the new washer with the flat face pointing out toward the valve seat, then tighten the brass screw snugly.

Step 5: Reassemble. Thread the stem back into the body by turning clockwise, then tighten the packing nut. Reinstall the handle. Turn the water supply back on and test — the spout should no longer drip when closed.

How to Fix a Handle Leak (Packing Nut and Packing)

A leak at the stem or handle means water is escaping around the stem shaft. Try the quick fix first.

Quick fix — tighten the packing nut: With water running, use your adjustable wrench to snug the packing nut down one-quarter turn clockwise. Do not overtighten — you want it snug enough to stop the leak, but the handle still needs to turn freely. Test immediately. If the drip stops, you’re done.

If tightening doesn’t stop the leak — replace the packing:

Shut off the water, remove the handle, and unscrew the packing nut completely. Inside the nut you’ll find either a rubber O-ring, a rubber packing washer, or several wraps of graphite packing rope wound around the stem.

Remove all old packing material. Wrap 3–4 layers of new graphite packing rope clockwise around the stem in the groove where the old packing sat. Reinstall the packing nut, tighten firmly but not excessively, reinstall the handle, restore water, and test.

O-ring replacement: Some modern hose bibs use a dedicated O-ring on the stem instead of packing rope. Match the O-ring diameter from an assortment kit, lightly lubricate it with plumber’s grease before installing, and reassemble.

How to Repair a Frost-Free Hose Bib

A frost-free (anti-siphon) spigot has a stem that’s 8–12 inches long — the actual shutoff valve is deep inside the wall so it doesn’t freeze. The repair process is similar but with one important difference: the entire stem assembly threads out as one long unit.

Spout drip on a frost-free spigot:

The seat washer is at the far end of the long stem (the end that was inside the wall). Remove the stem exactly as described above — unscrew the packing nut and rotate the stem counterclockwise until it pulls free. The washer is on the far tip. Replace it and reassemble.

Note on stem length: When buying a replacement stem or cartridge for a frost-free spigot, the length matters. They come in 4-inch, 6-inch, 8-inch, 10-inch, and 12-inch versions. Measure your old stem before ordering — using too short a replacement defeats the freeze protection.

Cartridge replacement: Many frost-free hose bibs use a cartridge that contains the seat washer, stem, and sometimes the packing in a single replaceable unit. If the stem is corroded, bent, or you’ve had multiple washer failures, replacing the entire cartridge is faster and more reliable than repeated washer swaps. Bring the old cartridge to the hardware store or photograph the brand name stamped on the spigot body to find the correct replacement.

Replacing the Entire Hose Bib

If the body is cracked, the threads are stripped, or you want to upgrade a standard spigot to a frost-free model, replacement is the right call.

What you need: A replacement hose bib (match the pipe diameter — typically 1/2-inch or 3/4-inch), Teflon tape, and a pipe wrench. If your existing spigot is soldered to copper pipe, you’ll need a torch and soldering supplies or a push-fit fitting — at that point, many homeowners call a plumber.

For threaded connections:

Shut off the main water or the dedicated shutoff. Unscrew the old hose bib from the threaded fitting in the wall by turning counterclockwise. Clean the threads on the fitting with a wire brush. Wrap 3–4 layers of Teflon tape clockwise around the male threads of the new hose bib. Thread it into the wall fitting by hand, then snug it with a pipe wrench — aim the spout downward at a slight angle so the spigot drains fully. Do not overtighten threaded fittings; 1–2 turns past hand-tight is sufficient.

Restore water, check for leaks at the connection, and test the spigot operation.

Winterizing Your Outdoor Faucet After Repair

Once the repair is complete — or at minimum every fall — winterize your hose bib to prevent freeze damage.

Disconnect and store all garden hoses. Hoses left attached trap water and prevent frost-free spigots from draining properly, which is the leading cause of frozen and burst hose bibs.

If your spigot is not frost-free, locate the indoor shutoff valve, close it, then open the outdoor spigot to drain any remaining water. Leave the outdoor spigot handle in the open position so any residual moisture can evaporate.

For frost-free spigots: as long as you remove the hose, the spigot drains itself automatically. No additional winterization is required unless your winters are extremely severe (below -20°F for extended periods), in which case an outdoor faucet cover adds another layer of protection.

When to Call a Plumber

Most hose bib repairs are straightforward DIY jobs, but call a professional if:

  • The spigot body is cracked — water has likely already entered the wall cavity
  • The pipe behind the spigot is copper and soldered — reattaching requires soldering or specialty push-fit fittings
  • There is evidence of water damage inside the wall (soft drywall, mold smell, staining on interior walls near the spigot location)
  • The shutoff valve for the spigot is stuck or broken and you cannot turn off the water to make the repair safely
⏰ PT4H 💰 $10–$30 🔧 SharkBite push-to-connect fittings, PEX or copper pipe, Pipe cutter, Teflon tape, Channel-lock pliers
  1. Diagnosing Where the Leak Comes From

    Before reaching for tools, watch the spigot for 30 seconds with water running and then again with it shut off. The location of the drip tells you exactly what needs fixing.

  2. How to Fix a Spout Drip (Worn Seat Washer)

    This is the most common outdoor faucet repair. The stem washer presses against the valve seat when you close the faucet. When the rubber wears flat or hardens, water seeps past it.

  3. How to Fix a Handle Leak (Packing Nut and Packing)

    A leak at the stem or handle means water is escaping around the stem shaft. Try the quick fix first.

  4. How to Repair a Frost-Free Hose Bib

    A frost-free (anti-siphon) spigot has a stem that's 8–12 inches long — the actual shutoff valve is deep inside the wall so it doesn't freeze.

  5. Replacing the Entire Hose Bib

    If the body is cracked, the threads are stripped, or you want to upgrade a standard spigot to a frost-free model, replacement is the right call.

  6. Winterizing Your Outdoor Faucet After Repair

    Once the repair is complete — or at minimum every fall — winterize your hose bib to prevent freeze damage.

Free: 10-Point Home Maintenance Checklist

Prevent costly repairs with this seasonal checklist. Save hundreds every year by catching problems early.

Free instant download + weekly home tips. Unsubscribe anytime.
← Back to all guides

Save this for next time.

One repair, cost, or how-to tip every Sunday. The Fixup Digest — no spam, no fluff.

Free weekly tips. Unsubscribe anytime.