How to Repair a Woodford Model 17 Outdoor Faucet 

As soon as I saw your comment that’s what I ended up doing.

Excellent and nice job!

That's exactly why I made this video! I'm happy to hear it helped you out! Thanks for watching and commenting!

You are welcome and thank you for watching and the nice comment!

Glad you were able to get your faucet fixed! Thanks for watching :)

Glad I could help! 👍

Excellent! I'm glad I was able to help you out and you were able to get your faucet fixed.

You are welcome Jessica!

Excellent!

Excellent and congratulations!

You're welcome! Glad it helped you out Kathy.

No problem 👍 I wish you the best with your project.

You are welcome and thank you for watching!

Glad to hear that!

I'm glad it helped you out John

Awesome! I'm glad it helped you out!

You're welcome! Good luck with your project!

You're welcome Eric! Thanks for watching!

You are welcome!

Glad it helped

It's nice to hear the video helped you out Lilly Pod. Thanks for watching! 👍

No problem 👍

Glad it helped!

You're welcome!

You're welcome Jason, I wish you the best with your project.

You're very welcome! Hope it helps you out with your project!

I am happy to hear the video has helped you out. This is exactly the reason I posted the video. It's a simple and affordable repair if you can do it yourself. Nice Job!

Thanks for the visit!

I appreciate you watching :)

You're welcome and thanks for watching!

By installing the parts how you did the handle moves freely and others can turn the handle without being an avenger. Good stuff 👏

Excellent job Christopher! 👍

Thank you

Thanks for visiting

You're welcome!

Thank you B Hewlett! I'm pretty sure you can pop the tan plastic cap off by putting a screwdriver under it's edge in the back and lifting up. Then take a set of channel locks or pliers to grip the clear top of the plastic and unscrew it from the top of the faucet. I've never done this but I would make sure you have replacement parts ready because removing them may destroy the old parts. (I'm not sure about that though) I think breaker float kits are fairly cheap. amzn.to/3epfuey

Thanks Jon! You may have some bug nests in the spout portion of the faucet. Take a small screw driver or piece of wire and make sure it's not partially plugged with bug nests or something. (possibly mud dauber nest)

You are welcome

The brand and model is printed on the top of the frost free vent cap on the top of the faucet. (at least it is on mine)

That's neat, I am born and raised in Colorado and I didn't know there was a Woodford in CS. I guess it's the type of product very few know the brand and where it comes from. Unless you're a builder or in the industry I suppose.

@@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10 Well I'm from Texas. Never heard of Woodford til I lived in the springs. Apparently they are a very old well established company. Wasn't a bad place to work.it was fast paced all about production. You had to be fast to keep up. The cool thing was for 2 hours you do assembly. Then take a 15 minute break, then they switch you to testing for a couple hours. Then it was catching the copper pipes as they came out of the wash and shoving the rods in. Not in any particular order. The work was monotonous so they would switch it up so it wasn't so boring. Days went by fast

Sounds like an interesting place to work. Thanks for all the good work you did!

Good. Why is the water pressure so horrible on a brand new unit?

I have no idea

Good to hear you got the rod out ok. Sometimes it just needs a good strong pull once it's all the way unscrewed

Thank you and thanks for watching. I would guess that maybe the rod is not screwed into the back of the faucet or it's coming out when you turn the knob on? I believe the front retainer ring should prevent this but I'm really not sure.

You're welcome! I'm glad you were able to get your faucet fixed.

I'm thinking if your handle broke you might be able to dig out the broken piece and replace with a new handle.

I've seen that too but I don't know why

Yes, a bad check valve. You can get a rebild kit for the anit-siphon here. amzn.to/35BsjwU

The stem screws into the back of the faucet and that should pull the threads in enough to get them to thread. Other than that I don't know why that is happening.

I wish you the best with your project! 👍

I was all excited and felt pretty confident. Got it down to where I was going to pull the rod out, and it broke off inside where I can’t reach it. Do you think I could try to tackle it from the inside of my house? I have pictures but not sure how to share them.

I don't think you can access anything from inside. If I remember right I think the back of the faucet is sealed but to be honest, I can't remember for certain.

Thanks Benjamin, sometimes there are mineral deposits that prevent the check valve from coming out. You may have to really tug on it to get it to come out. I wish you the best with your repair!

Hey, so after using my foot to push off the wall and yanking, I was able to get the rod to come out but it didn’t come out with that end part.

Darn, I've never seen that happen before.

@@benjamindavis7434 I’m having the same problem and now you’re making me nervous to yank too hard

Boy I don't know, I've never done anything like that. Are you planning on running a pipe up the outside of the wall and then installing the faucet to that? If you did it that way, I'm not sure the frost free feature would work. That would be something to consider if you live in an area that has freeze potential. Interesting idea you have there.

@@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10 I'm here in Fountain, CO, so yes, there is a freeze potential. But I found some images on Pinterest that seemed good, so yes, I would remove that faucet and insert and extension up to make it higher, maybe 3 feet up from current location. I'm 5'10" with knees and back issues so I need it higher so I don't have to bend. I would insulate it and then probably build a box around the pipe and insulation to seal it in and maintain the freeze protection and keep it looking pretty. Might have to call a plumber. Not sure how the pipes are in there. Good thing is that they are in the crawl space area and it's spacious enough if someone has to get down to the base.

Oh yes, Fountain, you definitely have a freeze potential there. It sounds like you have it figured out though. Good luck with your project and when you're done, your knees and back will thank you. 👍

Sorry I have never experienced that. I really don't know how to fix that.

No worries thanks for the helpful video

Adam, did you find a way to fix this situation? I have the same issue. The rod has broken off the valve and only the rod comes out leaving the valve down in the pipe.

Thanks for the tips!

I honestly don't know the thread size

I believe this is the item you are looking for. I wish you the best. Woodford RK101VB Vacuum Breaker Float Kit amzn.to/3kqjFfZ

@@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10 Thank you very much. I will research this a bit more and make sure this is what I’m looking for.

I'm not sure, I've never had that happen. It does sound like something is causing the faucet to not shut off properly. I believe the rubber washer that is screwed on the inside tip of the rod is the seal that shuts the water off. I'm wondering if there is a split or problem with that seal.

@@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10 yeah I’ll recheck that. I’m thinking I might need a new assembly rod. There is a little give or slide with the retainer that holds the washer and screw you’re referring to at the end of the rod. Seems to me that retainer shouldn’t have any give

That sounds reasonable to me. Sorry but I can't remember if mine had any movement there or not. Hope you can get it sorted out.

Thank you! Sometimes you can find some of the parts at a local hardware store. Availability varies depending on the store and the area where you live.

5:18 also, dang! I’m ordering from those guys next time. At true value local hardware store, my valve stem assembly cost $20!

I wonder if the shaft has come unscrewed in the back of the valve housing or has broken somewhere in the middle. If you turn the shaft several revolutions in each direction, does it ever stop spinning?

Yes, it could be a problem similar to this problem I had. If so you can either do a DIY fix like I did or replace the faucet housing. Or potentially it is leaking at the connection of the faucet to the house plumbing. Woodford Model 17 Outdoor Faucet - Frost Free Faucet Repair - FREEZE DAMAGE ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-GgrvwC11D8g.html

@@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10 My bad - I left out some info: the previous house owner did provide an access panel where the model 17 faucet housing connects to the copper water supply line. In learning about this model 17, am I correct in thinking the check valve (when the rod is turned on ) floods the faucet housing & then the water exits the bib? I will have someone turn on the water and with the access panel removed, observe where it could be leaking- maybe where the housing connects to the water supply line(?)

Glad you got it figured out.

@@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10 Appreciate you taking the time to make the vid!

You are quite welcome! People like yourself are the reason I make these videos.

I haven't encountered that but it sounds like the faucet its self isn't tight or has a break on the outside wall of the tube. If it were mine I would probably remove the faucet and have a close look at it. If the outside of the faucet is split, I made a video on that problem too with my DIY fix for that if you are interested. Here is a link to that video - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-GgrvwC11D8g.html

I'm glad you got it Robert! You are quite welcome. I wish you the best with finishing your project!

There are some links to the parts from Amazon in the description of this video. I couldn't find it in a store either. I had to order mine.

@@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10 thanks 🙏

Sounds like the washer at the back of the rod is worn out.

That's a good question David. I understand where you are with your situation but unfortunately I don't have an answer to your question. I have two of them on my house and they both say model 17 on the siphon cap. What I would do if I were in your shoes is this. I believe the model 17 is the most common faucet on residential homes. I would order the replacement seals from Amazon for the model 17. When the parts arrive I would shut off the water and disassemble your faucet and compare the parts. I would try to leave the new parts in the package until you determine if they will work or not. If they are the same, you're good to install the new parts and all is good. If they don't match, you can send them back (unopened) and get a refund. Amazon returns are pretty easy especially with small parts like these. If they don't fit at least you'll know you don't have a model 17 faucet but I don't know what you will do after that. Maybe you can find some new seals at your local hardware store if you have the old ones in hand so you can compare. Good luck to you with your situation.

@@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10 - Thanks! My guess is that this is a vintage Model 17, before they started embossing the model number on the cap. The entire mechanism sure looks the same otherwise. I had another idea that might work. Woodford has an email address listed on their website. I sent a similar message directly to them. Hopefully, their customer service folks will know which faucet I have from the photo and installation year. I’ll try to remember to update this comment thread if I get an answer. Since I cannot shut off the water to this faucet individually, I’m really concerned about getting into this job without all the parts on hand. I can’t leave all the water in the house shut down for days waiting for parts to arrive. And yeah, I’m being overly paranoid about this. I don’t do plumbing; I don’t like plumbing. Electrical is fine. I can always back out of an electrical process and come back later to finish. Electrical stuff doesn’t leak and get water all over the place. To me, plumbing is scary. If you screw up, you’re gonna have a mess to deal with. That being said, I am still willing to try and fix this myself. Your excellent video makes it appear to be straightforward. Cheers!

From what I understand the model 17 has been around for many years maybe even decades. It's probably gone through multiple little changes here and there over the years. My guess is the seals and insides are probably all the same. (Just a guess)

@@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10 - A quick update: I emailed Woodford over the weekend for help in determining which of their products I have. They responded first thing Monday morning. That, to me, is the sign of an excellent company! I really appreciate an organization that takes care of their customers and answers questions so promptly. And yes, as suspected, my faucet is a Model 17. The next step is to order a couple sets of washer. Our house has two outdoor faucets, so I might as well order parts for both. I’m sure the other one will also need to be reconditioned soon.

Excellent David, thanks for the update. Did you send them a pic of your faucet and that's how they identified it? It sounds like you will have both faucets fixed up in no time! 👍

Once you take off the front cap that holds in the packing, make sure unscrew the rod from the back of the faucet by turning the handle counterclockwise 6 or 7 turns like you are turning on the faucet. Then pull hard on the rod. It may have some mineral deposits built up inside and preventing the rubber check valve from sliding out easily.

@@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10 Thanks . I'll let it soak over night and try it tomorrow

I wish you the best!

You could cut the handle off with a hack saw right about where the head of the screw is. Once you do that you may be able to get a set of vice grips or pliers on the screw head to get it out. You may also be able to loosen the valve retainer as I did to pull out the rod in the video. I haven't tried it but you may be able to just remove the rod and handle together then try to remove the stripped screw once you get the rod out. I hope one of these works for you. I'd be interested to know if it does.

I'd use a drill bit thats about the size of the screw head and start drilling it till the head is gone. Then pull the handle off and grab the remaining threads with a vise grip to remove it. You'll obviously have to replace the screw to fasten the handle back on. I realize this is probably late for Grace c but maybe it'll help someone else with the same problem.

I've never removed the antifreeze plug. I don't know what it takes to remove it. Sorry :(

I have not encountered that issue.

Yes Rob a new faucet is very expensive and that is the reason I made this video. Most of the time the faucet can be fixed for a fraction of the price of a new one. Sounds like all yours needs is a new rubber washer or two. Probably the small washer at the end of the brass shaft or rod. The rod needs to be removed like I did in the video and the washer is held onto the end with a flat head bolt. Replace the washer and reinstall the rod and you should be good. I would suggest you replace all the rubber washers and packing while you are in there and it should be good for quite some time. Probably less than $20 for the parts. Good luck with your project!

Mine have the brand and model printed on the top of the vent cap.

@@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10 thanks

@DIY Homestead Projects my style doesn't have a vent cap

My guess is it's probably not a Woodford brand faucet but I really don't know for sure.

Sorry to hear that. I agree with you, nothing these days is made like it used to be in "the good ole days".

@@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10 I can't figure out why the inside end of the rod with the teeth won't seat inside so I can at least try to twist the check valve piece loose. Maybe the broken screw is blocking the end from grabbing? I can't see in there with a flashlight at all. And I don't remember what the inner piece looks like.

I'm not sure I understand what you are saying. Can you see what the other end looks like by looking up the part on google and looking at a picture of a new part?

@@DIYHomesteadProjectsDIYHP10 I tried. I'll try to explain it more clearly. The rod has a threaded hole for a screw on each end - one end to the check valve and the other end to the handle. The rod wasn't opening the valve because the screw snapped off on the inside. So therefor I have the assembly with the check valve and rubber gasket stuck inside the faucet/spigot. If you remove the screw from inside the check valve and pull the rod out, you'll notice it has teeth/splines. In an attempt to remove the check valve assembly, I'm blindly sticking the rod inside the spigot to see if I can get the splines to line up inside the check valve and turn it to break it loose. However, I can't find a close up image of how the splines on the rod line up with the inside of the check valve assembly. I can't "feel" anything in there where the rod should catch and turn the inner valve. This is the 14" spigot so it is impossible to see inside.

I think I understand now. Boy that's a tough one and I'm not sure how to go about fixing that one. You may have to install a whole new fixture if you can't get that broken piece out some how.

Your's might not be a Woodford faucet

It's $30.79 at my local Home Depot

It's $30.79 at my local Home Depot

No, I do not have a business email.