How to repair a tap on the outside of the house

 

If you look forward to gardening every spring, you need to know how to care for your old outdoor water taps to keep them working well. Salty sea breezes and cold temperatures can wear down valve seals and corrode metal parts. The results can be dripping, rusty outdoor faucet handles that won't turn, or splashing from the handle when the faucet is turned on. Another possibility is that the outside tap turns constantly or cannot be turned off.

Outside taps or spigots use pressure valves and are among the easiest taps to repair. All you need are a few tools, a little muscle power and some inexpensive replacement parts.

Evaluate the old parts of the outdoor tap

Analyse the problem before you embark on an outdoor tap repair. If the tap is dripping, you will probably need to disassemble it. If the tap is leaking where it connects to the water pipe, you may be able to fix the leak by tightening the tap. Also, you can often stop water spraying out of the handle by tightening the bush that attaches the handle to the tap. If the handle is stuck, a squirt of spray lubricant may be enough to get it going again.

First disconnect the water supply

Turn off the water supply to the tap before disassembling it to avoid a leak. Loosen the nut securing the handle to the tap body with locking pliers. If the nut cannot be turned, do not use force. Lubricate it with lubricating spray, wait a few minutes and then try again.

Check for a worn washer

Pull the valve stem out of the tap, turn the stem over and examine the washer. If it is worn, it is probably the cause of the leak. Remove the washer by unscrewing the Phillips screw that secures it and replace it with a new one.

Replace the anti-siphon valve

Unscrew the anti-siphon valve from the tap outlet and replace it with a new one if water sprays out of the valve when the tap is turned on. The anti-siphon valve protects your drinking water by preventing water from the garden hose from flowing back into your water pipes.

Tighten the tap-pipe connection

Use a pipe wrench to tighten the tap to the water pipe if the connection is leaking. This is only possible if the tap is screwed to the pipe. If it is soldered, you must remove the tap and reattach it. This is not as difficult as it sounds.

Removing and repairing a stuck tap

Open the tap and heat the joint with a propane torch while holding the tap with pliers. When the joint is hot enough, the solder will melt and the tap will come off easily.

Inspect the pipe for holes and then spread flux on the pipe and on the inside of the tap opening. Join them together and heat the joint until the flux smokes and spits. Remove the heat, touch the end of a coil of lead-free solder to the joint and move it around the pipe.

Call the Emergency Plumber in Southampton. We are your right contact partner. Besides that, we are 24 hours available. Call us now, 02382280083.