Thanks so much for posting! @Christopher Campbell, 
I've purchased a Y-splitter for now so I can use the bibb, but I'll have to be careful in the winter. For a bathtub, you may not have access to the water supply valves. Our Comment Box is provided by Countable Web Productions countable.ca, Click to Show or Hide Citations & References, How to fix dripping faucets, taps, hose spigots, outdoor wall faucet spewing water around the stem, HOME INSPECTION EDUCATION COURSES (Canada), HOME INSPECTION EDUCATION: HOME STUDY COURSES, [3] Carson Dunlop provides home inspection education including the ASHI-adopted a. Turn on the water supply and test your handiwork. This rubber stem washer was removed from a spigot installed on a New York home in the 1960s. When I do, leaks occur at the faucet valve stem. The faucet is located on the front of the house where the water pressure is at its highest. STOP and inspect the faucet valve seat closely - look for damage like nicks or grooves. GENIUS!!! Gil Johnson, who was blinded at a young age from glaucoma, is a master carpenter and VisionAwares resident home repair guru. Watch out: Modern faucet washers are color coded: the purple washer in my photos is a nominal 1/2" washer. Reserved. If you live in an apartment, you may need to consult with the manager or building engineer to shut off the water. If that groove is shallow you can often smooth the faucet seat to a sealable condition by purchasing and using a faucet valve seat repair tool at any hardware store or building supplier. Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the. The owner/occupant had forgotten to turn off water to the outside hose hook-up, leaving that line full of water. Pressing on and turning the valve stem repair resurfacing tool may suffice to "grind" the valve seat back to a smooth condition. The nut holding the handle to the stem is quite rusted in place. In our photo below, the red arrow points to the stem washer's location inside of a typical stop valve. Consider calling a plumber to install your new faucets so that everything is up to code. I'll tell you how I did it. It will be warm or hot to the touch. If the water heater is not readily accessible or if you need to replace a washer on the cold water faucet, you will need to locate the shutoff where the line comes in from the outside. Select a grinder face that fits inside the diameter of your valve and covers the valve seat. What to Tell Your Employer When Youre Losing Your Sight, Working with People New to Visual Impairment, Getting Started 2020: A Guide for People New to Vision Loss, Parenting or Grandparenting with Vision Loss, Measuring Tips and Techniques for People with Reduced Vision, Tips and Techniques for Driving Nails with a Hammer Safely and Effectively, Download the Getting Started Guide in English (accessible pdf), Descargue la Gua de inicio en espaol (pdf accesible), Register your agency for the Directory of Services, Find other handy tools to have on hand in, Flat and cone-shaped faucet washers in various sizes, Brass screws in assorted packs of various sizes. On 2021-04-26 2. a loose or wobbly stop washer assembly on the bottom of the valve stem; It was a fraction too small and squashed and became concave when I tightened the screw - a disappointment that meant I had to take care not to over-tighten the screw. I have had similar success by drilling and then using a tiny extraction tool to either get a bite on the corroded screw or sometimes I've used a tapping tool to basically grind out the old brass and renew the threads for the same or one size larger faucet washer screw.
You may want to call a plumber. Find one that fits into the recess at the bottom of the stem and replace the screw holding it in place. Consider the pros and cons of each, and read the reviews for each type of faucet. Why Is My Garbage Disposal Backing Up Into The Sink? For many faucets, the locking nut is readily accessible, but in tubs and showers, there may be a decorative chrome covering, sometimes called a flange, that keeps water from getting into the wall where the faucet is connected to the water lines. Before you tackle the faucet, turn off the water supply. You were able to salvage the valve with that perserverence. If not, but if the seat is almost perfect, the valve may still shut off without dripping when you install a new stem washer. All it takes is a small chip or bit of damage to the stem washer to have a drippy leak. The green circle marks the outer edge of the depression left in the washer by the round valve seat against which this washer was intended to seal. @Jackstirjohn, Usually the hot water supply line is on the left. 2. a clip-over washer/retainer combined that clips into the the recessed exterior of the end of the valve stem base.
Next, since the screw turned out to be brass, I used a teeny, tiny drill bit to drill a hole through it diagonally, being careful not to hit the threads on the other side. Put the faucet stem assembly back into the faucet body: Now we're ready to return the faucet stem assembly to the faucet body and screw it back in. - outdoor wall faucet spewing water around the stem. Run the faucet until no water flows out. by Richard Greenburg. And I turned, and lo and behold the screw came out. I also show a can of anti-seize compound - enough for a lifetime: I've been using this can since 1978 and it's still half-full. The nominal 1/2 is just a little too big and won't fit in the recessed pan. This is an easier repair that you'd think, but I'll also warn you of when to stop so we don't make matters worse. The majority of new faucets today are so-called washerless faucets. It looks like a long six-sided tube that will slide over the locking nut but extend far enough so that it can be turned with a wrench or a handle that comes with the socket set. This will help stop drips as you work on the selected faucet. Are the drips and chatter in your home driving you crazy? InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. 1. loose or worn packing washer around the valve stem - found in the dome of the hose bibb The faucet components include: First, you must locate the shutoff valve that controls that particular faucet: Sometimes the washers in the shutoff valves have deteriorated and do not completely shut off the water. You can distinguish the hot from the cold easily by turning on the hot water faucet and touching the pipe near the shutoff valve. On 2020-06-03 by CVB - compression valve hose bibb stem assembly parts. Were speaking here, of course, about sink, shower, tub, and sill faucets that drip or chatter when turned onnot annoying neighbors or in-laws! Watch out: look closely at our two photos below: when using an adjustable wrench to loosen or tighten any nut it is important to adjust the wrench to fit snugly against the facets of the nut. Our first photo above is a typical frost-free anti-siphon faucet, or "Woodford" valve. If there are scratches or grooves, the newly installed washer will wear down and need to be replaced sooner than if the seat is smooth. So now that youve identified your faucet as a compression faucet, its time to see if changing the washer will fix your leaky faucet. How to Fix a Faucet That Turns Too Many Times, Lowes: Bathroom Faucet Buying Guide--Faucet Construction, Beautiful houseplants that also repel mosquitoes, cockroaches and other pests, How to Replace Washers in a Bathroom Sink. On the stem, you will see a screw, and underneath that is the black washer, and underneath that is the white O-ring. Otherwise you will strip off the facets of the nut you are turning and ultimately your wrench will slip and you'll bang your knuckles to a bleeding pulp. Or should I use pipe tape on the threads of the spigot where the dome nut attaches? First let's double check that we've made the correct diagnosis of the cause of this drippy faucet. I tightened the packing nut slowly until there is a very small slow drip around the packing nut. The opening for the screw may be covered by a plastic insert, which can be removed by lifting one edge with a fingernail or knife point. The shut-off valve is oval-shaped and usually found under the sink. These faucets work by using a compression stem which is sort of like a screw with a washer at the end of it that presses down on the valve seat. But given that the faucet is part of the original hardware installed when your home was built eons ago, it's not uncommon for those parts to wear out and cause problems. You can't see it because it's hiding inside the faucet assembly. I'm having trouble finding a washer that fits my 1987 hose bibb. An example for a complete replacement stem assembly for an outdoor, frost-proof hose bibb is below. Learn more about ways to make home repairs and adapt your home environment, using the principles in Gils Guides: These instructions apply only to a stem and washer-style faucet, not a style of faucet which uses a replaceable plastic cartridge. I suspect I have the wrong faucet washer. Remove the faucet cap. Screw the stem back into the body of the faucet, but do not close the faucet completely. Hence, the drip. I was able to dig the washer out but unfortunately the screw was so badly corroded it just crumbled when I went at it with vice grips. by (mod) Instead adjust the wrench as shown in the second photo. Our photo at page top shows water gushing out of the building wall just above the foundation.
Thanks for the feedback - that may help and encourage some other readers. If that does not work the faucet can be disassembled and new packing installed.
You might find another cap that needs removing before you can access the stem. The water line just inside the foundation froze and burst. Use the correct screw driver to loosen the washer. Do your homework before deciding on what type of faucet to buy. I'm not sure if it affected it or not. There are valve-seat damage repair tools that might still salvage the repair. Watch out: be sure you're attacking the right part - when you need to remove a faucet stem assembly to replace the stem washer, it's the stem assembly nut, the larger one closer to the faucet body, that you want to un-screw, NOT the packing nut. Next we'll go back inside and turn the water supply back on. You will need an adjustable wrench, a flat blade and possibly Phillips-blade screwdriver, and you would be smart to have a bit of plumbing grease or anti-seize compound. I did not have another screw the proper length, but I took a longer brass screw, cut it with a hacksaw and presto, I was able to install the new washer. The details will be a help to others. Most hose bibbs or faucets have a cap nut that surrounds the faucet handle stem. Other types of water shutoff valves such as gate valves and ball valves do not have a replaceable stop washer or valve washer like the one pointed to by the red arrow in our photo. Made in China. First I applied some "Oops" brand remover. A career in television writing, as a magazine editor and celebrity interviewer, Jann adapts to her environment, having traveled the world, living overseas and packing and unpacking her treasures for a new location over 30 times. Continue readingat FAUCETS, OUTDOOR HOSE BIBBS - topic home, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX. Stay updated with our news. Disc faucets are a fairly new product and are basically maintenance-free. Just because your faucet has two handles doesnt mean its a compression faucet. I am not a plumber. You can use our contact form to schedule plumbing repair or installation of a water softener system for your home or business. Take the old assembly to your hardware store or plumbing supplier (wearing a mask) for an exact match. Moen and other similar faucets may cost more, but they are better made and will last longer. I like your idea of buying a whole faucet if necessary to get the complete washer handle, dome nut or bonnet, packing, o-ring, shaft, and faucet washer assembly all together. OK so where is the valve stem washer? Mine is a compression valve but does not have a rod. by danjoefriedman (mod) Close the faucet by turning the handle in but before doing so check that you've snuggled down both the stem retaining nut (first) and the stem packing nut (second). Shown below is Lasco's No-Lead Aqua-Seal valve seat repair kit for American Standard Brand faucets. If your outdoor spigot or "hose bibb"is leaking around the valve stem shaft just under the handle, you probably need to replace the valve stem packing, but first try gently tightening the bonnet nut - the outermost large nut around the valve stem and found under the faucet handle.
Unfortunately there are probably 500 parts variations in faucet stop assemblies, but if you remove the existing one you might find that you can match it at your local hardware store;On occasion when I couldn't get a replacement stem assembly, and provided that the stem seat inside the faucet body is ok, I've even bought an entirely new faucet of same model and brand (after checking that the internal stem parts still match), then taken out the stem assembly from the new faucet and inserted it into the old one.
I've purchased a Y-splitter for now so I can use the bibb, but I'll have to be careful in the winter. For a bathtub, you may not have access to the water supply valves. Our Comment Box is provided by Countable Web Productions countable.ca, Click to Show or Hide Citations & References, How to fix dripping faucets, taps, hose spigots, outdoor wall faucet spewing water around the stem, HOME INSPECTION EDUCATION COURSES (Canada), HOME INSPECTION EDUCATION: HOME STUDY COURSES, [3] Carson Dunlop provides home inspection education including the ASHI-adopted a. Turn on the water supply and test your handiwork. This rubber stem washer was removed from a spigot installed on a New York home in the 1960s. When I do, leaks occur at the faucet valve stem. The faucet is located on the front of the house where the water pressure is at its highest. STOP and inspect the faucet valve seat closely - look for damage like nicks or grooves. GENIUS!!! Gil Johnson, who was blinded at a young age from glaucoma, is a master carpenter and VisionAwares resident home repair guru. Watch out: Modern faucet washers are color coded: the purple washer in my photos is a nominal 1/2" washer. Reserved. If you live in an apartment, you may need to consult with the manager or building engineer to shut off the water. If that groove is shallow you can often smooth the faucet seat to a sealable condition by purchasing and using a faucet valve seat repair tool at any hardware store or building supplier. Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the. The owner/occupant had forgotten to turn off water to the outside hose hook-up, leaving that line full of water. Pressing on and turning the valve stem repair resurfacing tool may suffice to "grind" the valve seat back to a smooth condition. The nut holding the handle to the stem is quite rusted in place. In our photo below, the red arrow points to the stem washer's location inside of a typical stop valve. Consider calling a plumber to install your new faucets so that everything is up to code. I'll tell you how I did it. It will be warm or hot to the touch. If the water heater is not readily accessible or if you need to replace a washer on the cold water faucet, you will need to locate the shutoff where the line comes in from the outside. Select a grinder face that fits inside the diameter of your valve and covers the valve seat. What to Tell Your Employer When Youre Losing Your Sight, Working with People New to Visual Impairment, Getting Started 2020: A Guide for People New to Vision Loss, Parenting or Grandparenting with Vision Loss, Measuring Tips and Techniques for People with Reduced Vision, Tips and Techniques for Driving Nails with a Hammer Safely and Effectively, Download the Getting Started Guide in English (accessible pdf), Descargue la Gua de inicio en espaol (pdf accesible), Register your agency for the Directory of Services, Find other handy tools to have on hand in, Flat and cone-shaped faucet washers in various sizes, Brass screws in assorted packs of various sizes. On 2021-04-26 2. a loose or wobbly stop washer assembly on the bottom of the valve stem; It was a fraction too small and squashed and became concave when I tightened the screw - a disappointment that meant I had to take care not to over-tighten the screw. I have had similar success by drilling and then using a tiny extraction tool to either get a bite on the corroded screw or sometimes I've used a tapping tool to basically grind out the old brass and renew the threads for the same or one size larger faucet washer screw. You may want to call a plumber. Find one that fits into the recess at the bottom of the stem and replace the screw holding it in place. Consider the pros and cons of each, and read the reviews for each type of faucet. Why Is My Garbage Disposal Backing Up Into The Sink? For many faucets, the locking nut is readily accessible, but in tubs and showers, there may be a decorative chrome covering, sometimes called a flange, that keeps water from getting into the wall where the faucet is connected to the water lines. Before you tackle the faucet, turn off the water supply. You were able to salvage the valve with that perserverence. If not, but if the seat is almost perfect, the valve may still shut off without dripping when you install a new stem washer. All it takes is a small chip or bit of damage to the stem washer to have a drippy leak. The green circle marks the outer edge of the depression left in the washer by the round valve seat against which this washer was intended to seal. @Jackstirjohn, Usually the hot water supply line is on the left. 2. a clip-over washer/retainer combined that clips into the the recessed exterior of the end of the valve stem base.
Next, since the screw turned out to be brass, I used a teeny, tiny drill bit to drill a hole through it diagonally, being careful not to hit the threads on the other side. Put the faucet stem assembly back into the faucet body: Now we're ready to return the faucet stem assembly to the faucet body and screw it back in. - outdoor wall faucet spewing water around the stem. Run the faucet until no water flows out. by Richard Greenburg. And I turned, and lo and behold the screw came out. I also show a can of anti-seize compound - enough for a lifetime: I've been using this can since 1978 and it's still half-full. The nominal 1/2 is just a little too big and won't fit in the recessed pan. This is an easier repair that you'd think, but I'll also warn you of when to stop so we don't make matters worse. The majority of new faucets today are so-called washerless faucets. It looks like a long six-sided tube that will slide over the locking nut but extend far enough so that it can be turned with a wrench or a handle that comes with the socket set. This will help stop drips as you work on the selected faucet. Are the drips and chatter in your home driving you crazy? InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. 1. loose or worn packing washer around the valve stem - found in the dome of the hose bibb The faucet components include: First, you must locate the shutoff valve that controls that particular faucet: Sometimes the washers in the shutoff valves have deteriorated and do not completely shut off the water. You can distinguish the hot from the cold easily by turning on the hot water faucet and touching the pipe near the shutoff valve. On 2020-06-03 by CVB - compression valve hose bibb stem assembly parts. Were speaking here, of course, about sink, shower, tub, and sill faucets that drip or chatter when turned onnot annoying neighbors or in-laws! Watch out: look closely at our two photos below: when using an adjustable wrench to loosen or tighten any nut it is important to adjust the wrench to fit snugly against the facets of the nut. Our first photo above is a typical frost-free anti-siphon faucet, or "Woodford" valve. If there are scratches or grooves, the newly installed washer will wear down and need to be replaced sooner than if the seat is smooth. So now that youve identified your faucet as a compression faucet, its time to see if changing the washer will fix your leaky faucet. How to Fix a Faucet That Turns Too Many Times, Lowes: Bathroom Faucet Buying Guide--Faucet Construction, Beautiful houseplants that also repel mosquitoes, cockroaches and other pests, How to Replace Washers in a Bathroom Sink. On the stem, you will see a screw, and underneath that is the black washer, and underneath that is the white O-ring. Otherwise you will strip off the facets of the nut you are turning and ultimately your wrench will slip and you'll bang your knuckles to a bleeding pulp. Or should I use pipe tape on the threads of the spigot where the dome nut attaches? First let's double check that we've made the correct diagnosis of the cause of this drippy faucet. I tightened the packing nut slowly until there is a very small slow drip around the packing nut. The opening for the screw may be covered by a plastic insert, which can be removed by lifting one edge with a fingernail or knife point. The shut-off valve is oval-shaped and usually found under the sink. These faucets work by using a compression stem which is sort of like a screw with a washer at the end of it that presses down on the valve seat. But given that the faucet is part of the original hardware installed when your home was built eons ago, it's not uncommon for those parts to wear out and cause problems. You can't see it because it's hiding inside the faucet assembly. I'm having trouble finding a washer that fits my 1987 hose bibb. An example for a complete replacement stem assembly for an outdoor, frost-proof hose bibb is below. Learn more about ways to make home repairs and adapt your home environment, using the principles in Gils Guides: These instructions apply only to a stem and washer-style faucet, not a style of faucet which uses a replaceable plastic cartridge. I suspect I have the wrong faucet washer. Remove the faucet cap. Screw the stem back into the body of the faucet, but do not close the faucet completely. Hence, the drip. I was able to dig the washer out but unfortunately the screw was so badly corroded it just crumbled when I went at it with vice grips. by (mod) Instead adjust the wrench as shown in the second photo. Our photo at page top shows water gushing out of the building wall just above the foundation.
Thanks for the feedback - that may help and encourage some other readers. If that does not work the faucet can be disassembled and new packing installed.
You might find another cap that needs removing before you can access the stem. The water line just inside the foundation froze and burst. Use the correct screw driver to loosen the washer. Do your homework before deciding on what type of faucet to buy. I'm not sure if it affected it or not. There are valve-seat damage repair tools that might still salvage the repair. Watch out: be sure you're attacking the right part - when you need to remove a faucet stem assembly to replace the stem washer, it's the stem assembly nut, the larger one closer to the faucet body, that you want to un-screw, NOT the packing nut. Next we'll go back inside and turn the water supply back on. You will need an adjustable wrench, a flat blade and possibly Phillips-blade screwdriver, and you would be smart to have a bit of plumbing grease or anti-seize compound. I did not have another screw the proper length, but I took a longer brass screw, cut it with a hacksaw and presto, I was able to install the new washer. The details will be a help to others. Most hose bibbs or faucets have a cap nut that surrounds the faucet handle stem. Other types of water shutoff valves such as gate valves and ball valves do not have a replaceable stop washer or valve washer like the one pointed to by the red arrow in our photo. Made in China. First I applied some "Oops" brand remover. A career in television writing, as a magazine editor and celebrity interviewer, Jann adapts to her environment, having traveled the world, living overseas and packing and unpacking her treasures for a new location over 30 times. Continue readingat FAUCETS, OUTDOOR HOSE BIBBS - topic home, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX. Stay updated with our news. Disc faucets are a fairly new product and are basically maintenance-free. Just because your faucet has two handles doesnt mean its a compression faucet. I am not a plumber. You can use our contact form to schedule plumbing repair or installation of a water softener system for your home or business. Take the old assembly to your hardware store or plumbing supplier (wearing a mask) for an exact match. Moen and other similar faucets may cost more, but they are better made and will last longer. I like your idea of buying a whole faucet if necessary to get the complete washer handle, dome nut or bonnet, packing, o-ring, shaft, and faucet washer assembly all together. OK so where is the valve stem washer? Mine is a compression valve but does not have a rod. by danjoefriedman (mod) Close the faucet by turning the handle in but before doing so check that you've snuggled down both the stem retaining nut (first) and the stem packing nut (second). Shown below is Lasco's No-Lead Aqua-Seal valve seat repair kit for American Standard Brand faucets. If your outdoor spigot or "hose bibb"is leaking around the valve stem shaft just under the handle, you probably need to replace the valve stem packing, but first try gently tightening the bonnet nut - the outermost large nut around the valve stem and found under the faucet handle.
Unfortunately there are probably 500 parts variations in faucet stop assemblies, but if you remove the existing one you might find that you can match it at your local hardware store;On occasion when I couldn't get a replacement stem assembly, and provided that the stem seat inside the faucet body is ok, I've even bought an entirely new faucet of same model and brand (after checking that the internal stem parts still match), then taken out the stem assembly from the new faucet and inserted it into the old one.