An outdoor faucet/spigot is an essential installation in your home because it allows you to access water while outside. In most cases, the faucet gets utilizes for watering your landscape or washing your vehicle. Unfortunately, just like a kitchen or bathroom faucet, an outdoor faucet is bound to encounter various problems as it gets old due to the wear and tear of some components.
As a result, you will require repair services to fix it at some point in time. However, spigot repairs often need you to buy various outdoor faucet parts to reinstate its functionality. As a result, it is essential to learn how to troubleshoot the malfunctioning features in order to replace them.
With that said, here are various issues you might encounter with your spigot and the respective outdoor faucet parts you need to buy.
Water Splashing Out of the Top
When you turn on your outdoor faucet, water should not splash upwards from the top part of the tap. Thus, if you notice water coming out of the top, there is an issue with the packing washer. The packing washer is located just below the handle and on the spindle.
The purpose of the packing washer is to prevent water from thrusting upwards towards the handle when the faucet is turned on. However, it is common for the packing washer to get rusted and thus allowing water to travel upwards towards the handle.
Thus, if your outdoor faucet leaks water below the handle, you need to get the packing washer replaced.
Faucet Won't Shut Completely
As your faucet gets older, you may realize that when you fully turn the handle to shut the tap, some water still trickles down from the opening. The small amount of water trickling down may seem negligible at first. However, the amount of water that will have trickled down by the end of the month will significantly reflect on your water bill.
When your outdoor faucet doesn't stop trickling water when it is shut, it means that your stem washer has deteriorated. The steam washer is a circular rubber cork that blocks water from passing through the valve seat. Thus, when the stem washer becomes worn out, it cannot completely cover the valve, and therefore, some water is allowed to trickle out of the faucet.
It is essential to note that in most cases, the amount of water trickling down will continue to increase if you neglect the issue. Thus, it is vital to ensure you get the problem fixed as soon as possible to avoid paying high water bills.
Loose Handle
Sometimes you may realize that your handle is starting to become loose in the sense that when you turn the handle, there is a delay in opening or closing the faucet. In such a scenario, the issue lies in the packing nut.
The packing nut is responsible for attaching the handle firmly to the spindle. The spindle, on the other hand, connects the handle to the stem washer. Thus, the spindle pushes the stem washer up or down to open or close the faucet when you turn the handle.
However, if the packing nut deteriorates, it loosens its grip on the spindle, and thus, when you turn the handle, it just spins in place. This issue can be a problem because you may not be able to close the faucet, which means you will waste a lot of water that will eventually reflect on your water bill.
Thus, don't wait until the handle becomes completely loose. Instead, when you notice the handle start to loosen, you should make a point of replacing it immediately. Contact a supplier of outside faucet parts to learn more.
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