The house bib is going to be the exterior faucet of the home that will connect a garden hose to the water. There are a few problems that can show up when this is having troubles, but the biggest issue is that the hose bib will start to leak. Many homeowners will choose to ignore this kind of leaking unless it is pretty dramatic, because it can just seem like a minor annoyance that they do not want to deal with. 

However, when you notice the hose bib is leaking, it is something that you need to get fixed as soon as possible. It can use a lot of water and energy, which will make your utility bill go up, and it may be enough to cause some water damage to the foundation of the home. To avoid some of the major problems that can eventually happen with the hose bib, it is better to find the problem as soon as possible and get it fixed.

There are a few steps that you can take to help deal with a leaking hose bib. Some of these will include:

Try the Simple Fix First 

It is always best if you are able to find the simple fix first and work from there. You can start this by inspecting the hose bib to learn a bit more about how it works and what the main problem is. In most cases, you will be able to fix the leak here by finding the packing nut under the spigot and then tightening it up. That may be enough to make the whole leak stop.  

This is a simple process that is only going to require that you get a wrench. Try that first and it works, then you are all done. However, if this does not seem to fix the problem, then it may be time to replace the entire thing and you should move on to the next steps. 

Purchase the Right Spigot

You will find that there are a few choices when you wish to purchase a new spigot. In order to figure out which type is going to be the right one for you, you need to take a look at the piping that is already there. It is important to match up the materials as much as possible when you can. It is more important however, that the different kinds of piping are going to need different fittings for the hose bib fitting, which is why you should pay extra attention here. For example, the copper, steel, and gray plastic pipes will need you to go with compression fittings.  

If you are looking at the pipes and you can’t figure out what they are made out, you can look at the year of your home and then figure out which piping material was the most common during that time. For example, most of the homes built in the 70s had copper piping, and pipes that are more than 50 years old will often have galvanized, threaded pipes in them. This can help you narrow down the choices.  

Replace

Threaded pipes will often prove to be the easiest to work with when it is time to add in a new hose bib. To keep it simple, all you will need to do here is unscrew the faulty fixture, wrap some Teflon tape around the threaded pipe, and then screw the new hose bib onto it and you will be done. 

However, the type of piping that you will use has a lot to do with the method you will use as well. There are many ways that the hose bib could potentially be connected to the pipes, many of them with more steps to the process and can be more difficult to just screwing them in place. It will depend on the exact material that is there so you may need to look into it a bit to figure out the best course of action. The soldered pipes, for example, will require a lot more experience, knowledge, and equipment to get it done, and you may need to bring in the professionals to help. 

Call in the Professionals 

With some types of piping, you will be able to use a screw and get the hose bib all fixed up and ready to go. But other types of piping are going to require a lot more work in order for you to get great results. If you find that it requires too much work or you just can’t figure out the right steps to use to get the hose piping fixed, then it is time to call in a professional plumber to do some of the work for you. 

If you are not certain what type of hose bib is the best one to purchase or how you will replace it once it is bought, then calling in a professional will make a difference. They will be able to get the fixture fixed for about $50 plus the cost of the new hose bib, and they can usually get it done in a fraction of the time it takes you to get things replaced.  

Hiring a professional is often the best course of action. The cost is affordable and they often know what they are doing. They can get the work done in a few minutes, which could take you all day, and you will have the peace of mind knowing that someone else was able to do the work for you and did it the right way the first time.  

When you have a major plumbing issue that comes up in your home, it is important to call in the right professionals who can take over the issue and make sure that you are able to keep your home protected. You can choose from many great professionals in the area, but our team at John Padilla Plumbing is here to help. Our professionals are happy to come to your home or commercial property to take a look at your plumbing issue, giving you the peace of mind knowing that the work will be done right the first time. Trust our team to step in and provide you with the professional plumbing services that you deserve.