Why is my outdoor faucet leaking?

An outdoor faucet (a spigot) is a simple valve on the end of a water pipe. When you turn the handle off, a rubber washer presses against a metal ring inside and stops the water. It's like pressing your thumb over the end of a straw. Where the water gets out tells you which part is worn.

1. The water valve for the spigot (shutoff valve). Water comes from a pipe inside the house. Many homes have a small valve on that pipe, so you can turn off just the spigot. A leak at this valve is a plumber's job.
2. The rubber washer (seat washer). When you turn the handle off, it presses on a metal seat and stops the water. On a frost-free spigot it sits at the far end of a long rod, inside the warm house. When it wears out, the spout drips.
3. The nut behind the handle (the packing nut). It squeezes a soft seal around the rod. If it's loose, or the seal is worn, water leaks around the handle while it's on.
4. The cap on top (vacuum breaker). Many spigots have one. It lets air in, so dirty hose water can't flow back into your pipes. A quick spurt when you shut it off is normal.
5. The hose washer. A flat rubber ring sits inside your hose's metal end. A flat, cracked or missing one leaks where the hose screws on.

Why frost-free spigots split. A frost-free spigot drains itself after you shut it off. That's the few seconds of dribble you see. But a hose left on in a freeze keeps the water in. It freezes and splits the long body inside the wall (Woodford). Then it leaks inside the house, but only when the spigot is on.

Getting ready for winter. Before the first hard freeze, take the hose off. That goes for frost-free spigots too (Arrowhead). For a standard spigot, also close the valve inside. Then open the spigot outside so the pipe drains, and leave it open all winter (Red Cross). If the valve inside has a little cap, put a bucket under it. Open the cap to let the last water out, then close it (Boshart). A foam cover helps too (Mr. Rooter).

Water pressure that's too high can also make a spigot leak (This Old House). Our guide to low water pressure shows how to test it with a gauge at a spigot. No water at all in freezing weather? See frozen pipes. Dripping faucet in the kitchen or bath? See faucet dripping.

A dry spigot shows you exactly where fresh water comes out. It also tells you if a fix worked.

1. Dry it. Wipe the spigot and the hose end dry with a towel.
2. Run it. Turn the water on for about a minute, with the hose on if that's when it leaks.
3. Shut it. Turn it off, snug but not hard. Watch it for 2 minutes.
4. Check inside. Look at the wall behind it from inside. Do this every spring, the first time you use it (Woodford).

• A few seconds of dribble, then nothing: normal for a frost-free spigot (Family Handyman).
• Drips from the spout after that: the rubber washer, or the seat under it.
• Water around the handle: the nut behind the handle, or the seal under it.
• Water from the cap on top the whole time: the anti-siphon cap.
• Water where the hose screws on: the hose washer.
• Water inside the house: turn the spigot off and call a plumber.

• Water shows up inside a wall, ceiling or basement. Turn the spigot off.
• Water keeps leaking inside with the spigot off. Shut off the main water valve and call a plumber today.
• Water sprays from a crack in the spigot or the pipe. Turn off its valve inside, or the main valve.
• The handle just spins, and the water won't stop. Turn off the valve inside.
• The spigot twists on the wall when you turn the nut or the handle. Stop. The pipe inside can break.
• Water is near outlets, cords or the breaker box. Stay out of the water.

Can't find a valve, or it won't turn? Shut off the main water valve for the house, and call a plumber.

Most outdoor faucet leaks need a cheap part, not a new spigot. Snugging the nut or swapping a hose washer costs little or nothing. A new spigot, put in, runs about $150–$450 (HomeServe), $200–$600 (HomeAdvisor) or $100–$300 (Angi). Ask yourself three things:

• Does a new washer still leave a drip? Then the seat inside is worn, and it's time for a new spigot (Woodford, This Old House).
• Is it frost-free, and split from a freeze? That means a new spigot (Woodford). Fixing the wall is extra.
• Do you get hard freezes, and it's a standard spigot? If it's being replaced anyway, ask about a frost-free one (Bob Vila, Boshart).

Example: $250 to put in a new spigot is in the normal range. Being told one dripping spigot means new pipes all through the house is worth a second opinion.