How to Inspect an Outdoor Faucet
Spring is typically the time we head outside and begin making our gardens beautiful again. This means that it is also the time that we will re-connect the hose to our outdoor faucet (also known as a spigot, or hose bibb) after disconnecting it for the cold winter months. How do you inspect an outdoor faucet? How do you make sure the freezing temperatures didn’t cause any damage to your hose bibb?
(Image at right courtesy of Milbur Plumbing)
It seems simple enough. If water froze behind your outdoor faucet and caused damage to a pipe, you would have noticed it last winter, right? Well, not exactly. Often damage can result in a slow leak, which means the damage wouldn’t be noticeable right away. Additionally, if you have closed a valve inside your home to keep water from flowing to your outdoor faucet, the amount of water in the damaged section of pipe might not be enough to make you aware of the leak. Many people first notice the damage that has occurred when they turn on their outdoor faucet in the spring. It is then that the damaged section of pipe is pressurized for the first time in several months.
Here are a few tips on inspecting an outdoor faucet this spring to protect your home from water damage.
How to Inspect Outdoor Faucet:
Step 1
If you closed the indoor valve to your outdoor faucet last fall, turn the valve back to the “on” position. Look for signs of a leak around the pipe, along your basement ceiling, and along the interior walls of your basement. The greatest amount of damage from a frozen hose bibb can be to the interior of your home. Pay extra attention to signs of drywall damage if your basement is finished.
Step 2
Go to your outdoor faucet and turn on the water. Look for leaks along the wall beneath the hose bibb, such as water leaking from weep holes in brick homes. Water coming from your wall means that the hose bibb is damaged behind the wall and and should be replaced.
Step 3
If, after turning the water off, you notice water leaking from the handle or spigot of your outdoor faucet, it is possible that you could need a simple washer replaced inside of the hose bibb. It is also possible that the entire hose bibb may need to be replaced instead. Homes with a frost-proof bibb may give the appearance of a leak for a few seconds. This is simply the water draining from the pipe behind the faucet. This is normal for these types of hose bibbs.
If you find that you have damage from a frozen outdoor faucet, we invite you to visit ProMaster Home Repair here at mastermylist.com, or call 513-322-2914 for hose bibb replacement and repair in Cincinnati, OH. Our Home Repair Heroes are on-time and family-friendly. ProMaster gives you the peace of mind you need about your home’s repair.
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