I turn on one of the outdoor faucets in the backyard, and no water comes out. I'm worried about getting this repaired before the pipes freeze. Is this a job I can do myself or hire someone? What could the problems be? It is a house I recently purchased, that is 16 years old.
outdoor faucet doesn't work
- Thread starter jkh1978
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faucet
I
From what you say, I would think that either the valve inside is not working ( maybe the washer screw is gone and the washer is jammed closed ) and or check the outside faucet for the same.
Are you sure there are no other valves upstream?
Talk to the seller, the line could have capped off somewhere.
I
From what you say, I would think that either the valve inside is not working ( maybe the washer screw is gone and the washer is jammed closed ) and or check the outside faucet for the same.
Are you sure there are no other valves upstream?
Talk to the seller, the line could have capped off somewhere.
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faucet
I would start with the outside faucet.Shut off the inside valve and go out side and look at the valve for something hex like with flat sides. Turn the valve handle towards a little open and then get in that hex with a crescent wrench or a good pair of Channel Locks and turn it in a counter clockwise direction.
Once its apart you should see what you need to do.
If you dont find the problen there, go inside and do the same to the shut off valve.
Butt!!
you will need to go to the master shut off, close it and relieve pressure at any inside faucet before you work on that shut off to the outside.
From the way I read you, it should be one of those two options...........
I would start with the outside faucet.Shut off the inside valve and go out side and look at the valve for something hex like with flat sides. Turn the valve handle towards a little open and then get in that hex with a crescent wrench or a good pair of Channel Locks and turn it in a counter clockwise direction.
Once its apart you should see what you need to do.
If you dont find the problen there, go inside and do the same to the shut off valve.
Butt!!
you will need to go to the master shut off, close it and relieve pressure at any inside faucet before you work on that shut off to the outside.
From the way I read you, it should be one of those two options...........
faucet
Look for some crud back inside the outside faucet.
Look for the washer to have come off the stem and jammed inside the opening.
If you have the outside faucet apart go inside and open and close the inside shut-off several times to clear the pipe.
Look for some crud back inside the outside faucet.
Look for the washer to have come off the stem and jammed inside the opening.
If you have the outside faucet apart go inside and open and close the inside shut-off several times to clear the pipe.
Jadnashua
Retired Defense Industry Engineer xxx
Depends....
If the faucet is screwed on, maybe the easiest thing would be to replace it. If it is soldered on, then, depending on how comfortable you are, you could solder a new one on. If you don't want to worry about it for awhile, shut off the internal valve and forget about it. Any water trapped in the short pipe may freeze and mess things up, but it shouldn't create a mess if the inside shut-off works.
Do you know if this is a frostfree sillcock? These have a long stem and the actual valve is inside the warm(er) house/wall rather than being outside. If you are going to replace it, it may be worthwhile using one of these instead of a straight valve.
Usually, by opening the valve slightly to relieve the pressure on the seat (the internal seal), you can then unscrew the nut holding the stem in place. Once that is out, you can see all of the guts. Typically, there is a washer on the end of the stem held in by a screw. If it is missing, then it is stuck inside of your faucet. The suggestion to then turn on the water momentarily was to dislodge that and expell it from the faucet. Once you have that out, take a look at the seat (the part where the washer hits). If it is smooth, then just replacing the washer and probably the screw that holds it in if it is corroded will probably solve your problem. If the seat is not smooth, if it is replaceable, you can remove it and replace it. This typically takes a special (inexpensive) tool. If all else fails, you can replace the faucet entirely. Note, I'm not a pro. My unprofessional experience.
If the faucet is screwed on, maybe the easiest thing would be to replace it. If it is soldered on, then, depending on how comfortable you are, you could solder a new one on. If you don't want to worry about it for awhile, shut off the internal valve and forget about it. Any water trapped in the short pipe may freeze and mess things up, but it shouldn't create a mess if the inside shut-off works.
Do you know if this is a frostfree sillcock? These have a long stem and the actual valve is inside the warm(er) house/wall rather than being outside. If you are going to replace it, it may be worthwhile using one of these instead of a straight valve.
Usually, by opening the valve slightly to relieve the pressure on the seat (the internal seal), you can then unscrew the nut holding the stem in place. Once that is out, you can see all of the guts. Typically, there is a washer on the end of the stem held in by a screw. If it is missing, then it is stuck inside of your faucet. The suggestion to then turn on the water momentarily was to dislodge that and expell it from the faucet. Once you have that out, take a look at the seat (the part where the washer hits). If it is smooth, then just replacing the washer and probably the screw that holds it in if it is corroded will probably solve your problem. If the seat is not smooth, if it is replaceable, you can remove it and replace it. This typically takes a special (inexpensive) tool. If all else fails, you can replace the faucet entirely. Note, I'm not a pro. My unprofessional experience.
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