Exterior Frost Free faucet leaks

[cjc]

I have an exterior, frost-free faucet that has a slow drip coming from the handle. The drip is present even when the faucet is turned off. My question is, is this something that can be fixed or do I need to replace the faucet?

And if replacement is needed, is soldiering required? It appears there are threads on the end where it connects to the copper in the basement, but I'm not sure if this is where a new faucet would be connected, or do I need to cut the copper before the threads.

Thanks,

[Redwood]

You may be able to repair it using a repair kit for that brand and model of sillcock. In most cases replacement is the answer. Whether or not pipe sweating is required depends on how it was installed.

[jadnashua]

Frost free silcocks come in various depths...it is likely that that threaded connection is the end of the faucet. Replacing it with an exact match in length should not require any soldering. You need to hold the pipe end with a wrench and then use a second one to unscrew the faucet or you may twist and kink the supply line creating much bigger problems. The actual working guts of the faucet are near the inside end so it stays away from the cold.