How to Fix a Leaky Outdoor Faucet 

Our outdoor faucet was leaking behind the handle. We had a plumber at our house fixing another problem. I showed him the leaking outdoor faucet. He examined it and determined it needed to be replaced at a cost of over $300. I declined to have him replace it. I’m not that gullible! I got on RU-vid and found your video. Then I grabbed a wrench and tightened down the packing nut. Problem solved! No more leaky faucet. Thanks so much for your video!

I literally just fixed my spigot that's been spraying water from the handle for YEARS. The whole time all I needed to do was tighten the packing nut! This is insane. Wow.

Thank you for keeping the video short! So many 15-minute videos out there while we sit and watch some yahoo fumble through the same easy steps you show here.

2:35, clear instructions and video. no unnecessary talk and introduction and back story that drags the video out for 10 mins. great.

Thank you! I've been watching my faucet drip half the summer. Your video does a good job showing the parts of the faucet very quickly. I was able to tighten it within a few seconds and have it leak free immediately. I also feel confident I could fix it if it ever leaks again.

Well explained and brief and to the point. My only difference was a long rod at the end where the washer was located. Had previously been to hardware store and purchased 3 of the most popular sized washers at a whopping $ .45 each. This was a time saver.

As a single mom and first time homeowner, this was a lifesaver (and money saver). Thank you!

I just watched so many videos to find out how to fix the leak behind the handle. I can’t believe it was as easy as tightening the packing nut. Thank you for posting!!

Excellent and easy to follow guide! As a single mom, your video was a life saver after my water use from the past month went from around 6,000 gallons to 22,000 ... all from a leaking outdoor faucet!

I've seen so many videos addressing this issue and this video by far is the best of the bunch if not the best ever. I tightened the packing nut and Voila! DUH! I can't believe I allowed this thing to leak for years when all I had to do was turn a wrench a quarter turn. Thank you A4WE! Now I turn on my faucets with pride. LOL. ;) Now, before you go crying about how this video doesn't address a frost free faucet, they have a specific video for that too! ;)

This saved a lot of time and frustration. My faucet was leaking due to a loose packing nut. I had no idea how to fix this until I saw this video. Thank you very much!

Excellent video, saved me from replacing the entire tap or valve stem. Instead, spent $2 on a pack of washers and that did the trick.

My only suggestion would be to go ahead and change both washers while the assembly is apart. For the extra 50 cents and 3 minutes cost now it will save having to take it apart again in the near future.

Oh thank you so much!!! New home owner and I am quickly realizing I have no clue how to do anything. Speaking for myself, my husband is really showing his Mr. Fix-It colors.

Well presented with the exact same outdoor faucet as mine, except for the guts. Mine had only the circular washer at the base of the mechanism. Replaced and no more drips, well the house now is the culprit and needs replacing. Thank you.

This video was the best for explaining the steps. The speech was clear and photography close. It was a great hep. THANKS!!!!

Thanks for posting this, there were several other outdoor spigot videos and I'm sure they're all using similar valves but to be safe I searched for this one that matched mine. Thanks again.

Thank you for your clear instructions and quality video. .That 2-1/2 minutes probably saved me at least an hour plus a big purchase!

Thank you for this video. What I thought was going to be a difficult thing to approach seems so simple, now.

Thanks. The first 1.5 minutes was all I needed to fix two leaky taps

Saved me a trip to the store. A very small turn to packing nut and the dripping stopped. I knew there was a quick fix. I remembered my father replacing the washers, when I was a kid. I was ready to do that. Now I don't need too.

I am going to attempt to do these steps this week to fix my mom's outside faucet. Thanks so much for sharing!

Excellent, right to the point instructional video. My problem was fixed using the first 30 seconds of the video -- the packing nut just needed to be tightened, and the leak stopped. Didn't need to buy any replacement parts or anything!

Thank you so much. This video just saved me a lot of time and money replacing my outdoor faucet. All I needed to do was tighten that nut mentioned in the 1st 30 seconds of the video and my leak went away. I was afraid I would have to replace the faucet myself or hire someone to do it for me.

When you tighten the nut behind the handle, make sure to turn the handle a couple of times first so the water is on. That creates some space inside, so that when you go to turn the nut you aren't forcing the innards together and damage something.

Thanks for the quick and easy video to follow. I know what I’m doing this weekend.

Excellent narration and camera work. Very clear what and how to do it.

Thank you. It took about 5 minutes total, saved me tons of money.

WOW... thank you so much, worked in a minute, wish I would have looked you up when it happened 3 months ago.

Yay! I can't wait to do this! Thank you for making it seemingly simple!!

Fantastic. Just saved me a bunch of time and (potentially) money! Thank you very much.

Thanks for having a lady do this. Puts even more pressure on me to fix it

Nice video. Straight and to the point.

Well thanks for saving me a lot of headache! Took a wrench out and tightened the faucet nut you showed in the video and voila - stopped dripping! I didn’t even know that was a nut before...

This makes it look so easy even I, the world's worst "plumbing handyman" has some confidence....thank you

Hey! This totally worked! Thank you!!

You gotta love youtube, it saves us a lot of money, the ripoffs r all over the place, not only when it comes to plumbing!

Dumb question, but does my leaky frost free faucet need a special washer, or will any that fits work?

OMG!!! This is SOOO awesome. We have just discovered this same problem!!! THanks

Fantastic! Very clear to understand.

Worked great on my indoor two handle (i.e. separate hot and cold) faucet as well. They all work on the same principle. Once I replaced the two washers the leak stopped.

Good video, but you need a backer wrench on the base, to keep it from turning on the pipe inside the wall.

Great thank you! This is the first time I have had to do this. This video helped so much.

Quick, concise, to the point and IT WORKS! Thanks

Exceptionally well explained. Big thanks!

This worked to fix my faucet. Thank you!

This is really a great instructional piece. Thank You

This worked great!!!! I was able to fix my Outdoor Faucet in the Front and Backyard within minutes! Thanks Again.

My faucet used an 1/2 inch OD by 3/16 inch ID by 3/16 thick flat neoprene washer. Got box of them at Lowes (Danco Brand) for $2.98. Worked great. Stopped leak from the spout.

What if it's leaking right above the screw for the pipe? (The joint between that piece with white plastic ring and the bottom piece to the screw)

Thank you, simple tightening fixed my problem

I'm so happy this worked, I was floored it was that easy I thought i had to replace the faucet because it froze or something nope.

Thanks for this video I've never messed with plumbing & this is bout to help me extremely so thanks again 💯🙏👊🔥

You make look so easy. But when i try to do it everything is a big mess.

Short and to the point, thanks

Thanks so much for this video, I got the job done thanks to this video

Thank you!!! I fixed the leak in the hose, replace the vacuum breaker and was just about to call the plumber for this 3rd leak, when I found this video. Now I can use that money for something else. (sorry plumbers!).

I am off to repair a faucet today. Thanks for the help!

Thank you. Very easy to follow

Great video, clear and concise

Thank you for this video. It was precise and clear. I'll have this job done by the end of today! Again, thank you! ~willie

Right to the point ! Thank you

EXCELLENT! Better that Ask This Old House...Thank you!

Very informative and brief.

Thank you this video helped my fix my leaky faucet.

Great video! Although McLendon's doesn't seem to carry many rubber washers like the video leads one to believe.

This video is Awesome! It takes 2 minutes to teach how to stop a leaky faucet outside!

Thank you, step one worked great

Thank you! Just fixed my own spigot and prevented a plumber from having to come

I am so thankful that you had a woman demonstrate and narrate this!!!

This video is very useful for a newer type faucet but it does not show the older type which has a much longer section ( thin brass rod) which has a different kind of washer attached. This washer is one that slips over a protruding "tip" at the end of the brass rod and does not have a screw to hold it in place.

Great video. I hope its as easy as it looks

Thanks, you’ve just saved me money.

Thank you for the tips !! All fixed !!

Flip the wrench around when you're tightening. You don't tighten against the small adjustable jaw; you tighten against the side of the spanner that is the wrench body.

Thanks...very helpful video!!!

Makes it look real easy but my hose bibs (nothing like yours by the way) have all been painted (Home Owner's Association rule) and everything is locked tight. Can't even apply penetrating oil because of the paint. Tried wire-brushing the paint off - wire brush has no effect. Also to turn the water off, I need a special T-shaped key tool which only plumbers seem to have.

Great info. Worked for me. Thank you.

Very easy. I watched for like 1 minute and then went to the hardware store and it took the guy like 20 minutes to find the right washer and screw. Then took about another 5 minutes actually putting the washer and screw in and putting it back. Total time less than an hour and 20 minutes was in the hardware store.

You make it look so easy. I hope it is! - -

Will be doing this job monday.

It is so wonderful that my wife still needs her husband to do these things .

My question is once this thing is installed is it supposed to make a whole bunch of noise knocking around inside of the wall? And if it does what do you think the issues is? Is the nose Bib too tight is it hitting up against the brick?

thanks. background music had my toes tappin!

After watching this video, I was able to tighten the packing nut, fix it. Thank you.

Where do you buy a new packing nut? I went to HD and Lowes and they said they do not sell it. The screw head is messed up in mine and hard to take out.

Nice editing of the video. This is the exact faucet I have. Problem is, when you loosen your packing nut assembly, you edit out the real part. It’s a long stem about 8 inches long. And at the end of the stem is a washer with a Philip head screw holding it on. It does not look like the part you have in this video. You are using a completely different part than the one that goes with this faucet. This can be seen again at the end when you re-install the packing nut assembly. The video is quickly edited to cut out the actual installation of the actual assembly. I have yet to find a video that shows how to repair this type of faucet.

How will this work when I haven’t had a drip and I closed off the inside knob years ago . Few drops.

Helpful! Thanks 😊.

Do you have a video of the same green spigot but with the long tube instead?

Very Good information !

Slid out the valve assembly, which is nearly a foot long. Replaced the washer at the end of the long rod, months later its leaking again. The new washer has been mashed into ruin already. I replaced it, still leaking, put 2 washers on with a longer screw, and its leaking worse. What can I do?

Very easy,thanks.

Great Video~ I am on it.

My faucet isn't leaking - it won't shut off. There is no separate shut off inside the house for this spigot, so I've had to shut the water off to my whole house. Does this require plumber or is there a way to repair myself?

How do you stop a leak when you shut off the inside valve and open the outside valve in the winter???

Wow..problem solved..thanks!

Yay... it was the nut behind the handle.. Ty!

Great video except by the time the washer have worn out the initial screw that has to come out is rusted. Now what?

Good job madam.