Outside Spigot Leaking: Dripping, Handle Leaks and Leaks Inside the Wall

Outdoor spigots, also called hose bibs or sillcocks, are one of the most common sources of leaks in Indiana homes, and one of the easiest to overlook. Some leaks are just an annoying drip outside. Others happen inside the wall, where they soak framing, insulation and the basement ceiling every time the hose runs. Here’s how to tell which one you have.

What kind of leak is it?

Where the water is	Likely cause	Fix
Drips from the spout when off	Worn washer or cartridge	Replace the washer or cartridge
Around the handle when on	Loose packing nut or worn packing	Tighten the nut a quarter turn; repack
From the vacuum breaker on top	Worn vacuum breaker, or normal brief drain	Replace the vacuum breaker if it keeps leaking
Inside the house or down the foundation when on	Cracked valve body or pipe behind the wall	Replace the spigot; check the wall
At the hose connection	Worn hose washer	New hose washer

The leak you can’t see: frost-free spigots

A frost-free spigot has a long valve body that reaches through the wall, so the actual shutoff sits inside the heated house. When you turn it off, the water in the outside section drains out, so there’s nothing left to freeze.

That only works if the water can drain. Leave a hose connected, and water stays trapped in the long valve body. In a hard freeze it cracks, inside the wall. You won’t know until spring, when you turn the spigot on and water runs into the wall cavity, the rim joist or the basement instead of out the spout.

Signs of a cracked frost-free spigot:

• Weak flow from the spout when it’s fully open
• Water in the basement or crawl space under the spigot, or on the basement ceiling
• Stains or damp drywall on the inside wall behind the spigot
• Water running down the foundation below the spigot outside

How to test it

1. Turn the spigot fully on for a minute or two with no hose attached.
2. Check inside: the basement ceiling, the rim joist, the wall behind the spigot, the crawl space.
3. If water appears inside, close the spigot and the shutoff valve for that line, if it has one.

If the spigot doesn’t have its own inside shutoff, you may need to shut off the main until it’s fixed. See how to shut off the water to your house.

Fixing it

• Dripping or handle leaks: replace the washer, cartridge or packing. These are simple repairs.
• Cracked frost-free spigot: the whole spigot is replaced, from outside or inside depending on how it was installed. Check that the new one slopes slightly downward toward the outside so it drains.
• Cracked pipe behind the spigot: the damaged section is cut out and replaced along with the spigot.

Check for hidden water damage

A cracked spigot often runs into the wall every time the hose is used, for weeks. Once it’s fixed:

• Check the rim joist, sill plate and insulation from the basement or crawl space.
• Look for mold on framing or the back of drywall.
• Check the interior wall for soft or stained drywall.

If you can’t see into the wall, hidden water leak detection with a thermal camera and moisture meter shows how far the water went without opening the whole wall. See also how to find a water leak inside a wall.

Winterize every fall

In central Indiana, do this before the first hard freeze:

1. Disconnect every hose, including hose splitters and quick-connects.
2. Drain the hoses and store them.
3. If a spigot isn’t frost-free, close its inside shutoff and open the spigot outside to drain.
4. Consider insulated spigot covers, especially on the north and west sides.

More on cold-weather leaks in frozen pipe leaks.

Get it checked

If water shows up in your basement or wall when the spigot runs, we can find the leak and map the wet area. We serve Bargersville and Johnson County, including Greenwood, Center Grove and Franklin.