As you can see, the outdoor faucet in my backyard leaks when the water is turned on. It does not leak when the water is turned off. (For those who are wondering: Yes, there is some water going through the hose.)

So how do I fix this thing? I found this YouTube video that shows how to tighten the packing nut, but that didn't work for me. Also, I can push/pull on the handle and it feels like the whole valve stem will come in/out about 1/4". This doesn't affect the amount of water that leaks though.

Leaky Outdoor Faucet

asked Sep 25 '13 at 3:55

1

  • Does it leak when you turn it to "full blast"?

    Mar 29 '17 at 3:49

2 Answers 2

Woodford Faucet is probably the place to go for the parts breakdown if I can read the handle right. They produce a kit specifically for repair. You'll have to look for better identification, but here's the Model 17 kit (round handle) which probably addresses all the issues.

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American MFG that's been around like forever and has always been good about repair kits. You'll recognize their key'd faucets if you've used campsites.

EPDM Packing that's under the Nut

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answered Sep 25 '13 at 6:30

1

  • Thanks, I will get one of these repair kits and see what I can do. The videos at the website were very helpful. Hopefully it is as easy as it looks.

    Sep 25 '13 at 18:02

Sometimes the packing sleeve gets so worn and/or hardened it does no good to tighten the packing nut to stop a leak. In the worst case the sleeve itself may even crack.

A fix for that is to remove the faucet handle and then the packing nut. It should then be possible to pick out the old packing sleeve and replace with a new one. You can get small kits of generic rubber faucet repair kits from various big box stores and hardware stores. With luck you can find a new packing nut of the proper size to squeeze down in by the stem of the faucet and press into place via the packing nut.

answered Sep 25 '13 at 5:43

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