8

I have looked up how to take apart a leaky outdoor faucet. Unfortunately it looks like my faucet does not match the videos/pics I have seen.

Most videos show removing the knob, removing the nut which is around the stem, then removing the assembly which screws into the faucet housing to get at the washer.

Side View

Does where the arrow point actually come apart, because I have not felt any give on this at all and I am worried about damaging the line leading to the faucet.

Is there another faucet type I am dealing with here?

Here's the topview just to help with the identify. top view

Improve this question
2
  • 4
    Try using 2 pipe wrenches. Put one on the tap itself, so you can prevent the tap from moving. Use the second to turn the nut. The basic idea here is to absorb the force being applied to the nut, so that it's not transferred to the plumbing (causing damage). You want to get it set so that each wrench is moving in opposite directions, so all the torque is focused on the nut. Think of it like opening a mayonnaise jar, one hand on the lid, one on the jar, both twisting in opposite directions.
    – Tester101
    Commented Aug 17, 2012 at 11:37
  • How is this faucet (hose bib) leaking? Is it leaking from the part where the hose connects, or is it leaking around the valve stem at the top?
    – dbracey
    Commented Aug 17, 2012 at 20:15

4 Answers 4

Reset to default
7

That nut should turn, but hit it with some penetrating oil (WD-40) first and let that soak in. Try to use a wrench or socket if you have one that fits snug, rather than pliers, since pliers can damage that nut. Finally, be careful when rethreading the nut back on since it's easy to cross thread or strip the threads.

If the plumber that installed this was nice, you may find the entire faucet is attached via a threaded pipe and can be spun off. My plumber was less kind and soldered the threads, so I'd have to open the wall and replace the pipe to change out the faucet. Keep in mind that when a faucet like this gets old, it may not be good enough to change the washers and repack the stem, so keep your option to replace the entire thing open.

Improve this answer
1

It appears that the "nut" the white arrow points at is part of the faucet body, molded into the body to give something to turn the packing nut down onto. Verify this as fact, and if so, be careful. Applying too much force to try and twist it off will just destroy the faucet or the pipe that serves it. Then you will need to do some more serious repair work.

If so, then you have already removed the packing nut. The valve stem will now come out (in theory) but there is the packing that remains, to impede that action. The packing can get tightly lodged in there. If my contention is true, then I'd take a dental pick to slowly dislodge the packing, teasing it out one piece at a time. This does not matter, since you will want to replace the packing anyway when you put it all together.

Turn the valve stem to back it out by putting the handle back on it, temporarily, without the packing nut in place.

Also, be careful about applying too much heat to the body, as that could cause problems too.

Improve this answer
1

I can confirm that the nut does in-fact come off. I have that same exact faucet on my house and searching for the same info and found this thread.

FYI that I used some penetrating oil; that helped a lot. For wrenches, I put a crescent wrench on the nut and some vise grips on the portion that goes into the house so I could hold onto the faucet without potentially bending/twisting the pipes in the house. You'll notice that there's a flat section on each side of that portion that's made to hold on to.

I'd like to also mention that I had a difficult time locating the rubber washer that I was replacing on the inside. Below is a photo of what I finally found and it works perfect. It's a Danco 35069B.

enter image description here

Improve this answer
0

Heat it up with a torch before trying to turn it.

Improve this answer
1
  • 2
    A torch could melt the washers and packing, making a mess that has to be cleaned before reassembling. It could also melt any soldered fittings upstream of the fixture, causing a leak when water is turned back on.
    – BMitch
    Commented Aug 23, 2012 at 3:03

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.