# Outdoor faucet (hose bib) leaking: how to stop it

Updated: 2026-10-24 · https://pros411.com/en/guides/plumbers/outdoor-faucet-leaking

## Short answer

Find where it leaks. At the hose connection, replace the rubber washer inside the hose. Around the handle, snug the packing nut behind it a quarter turn clockwise. Drips from the spout when it is off mean a worn stem washer. Close the inside valve that feeds the faucet, unscrew the stem and replace the washer at its end. If water shows up inside the wall or the basement when it runs, call a plumber.

## How to fix a leaking outdoor faucet

![Cartoon outdoor faucet dripping on the house wall, with a garden hose and a puddle](https://pros411.com/img/guias/outdoor-faucet-leaking.webp)

1. **Drips at the hose, the spout and the handle.** Each spot has its own fix. Watch it for a minute with the water on, then off.
2. **Hose leak? Replace the hose washer.** Unscrew the hose. A flat or cracked rubber washer inside it is the usual culprit. The new one pushes in by hand.
3. **Handle leak? Snug the packing nut.** It is the nut right behind the handle. Turn it a quarter turn clockwise with a wrench, then test with the water on.
4. **Spout drips? Shut off the water inside.** Find the small valve on the pipe that feeds the faucet, in the basement, garage or crawl space. Close it and open the outdoor faucet to drain.
5. **Swap the washer on the end of the stem.** Loosen the packing nut and unscrew the stem with the handle. Replace the rubber washer and its screw, then put it back.
6. **Water back on: no more drips.** Open the inside valve slowly. Turn the faucet on and off and check every spot.

## Before winter

Disconnect the hose before the first freeze. On a frost-free faucet, a hose left on traps water inside: it freezes and splits the pipe in the wall. On an older faucet, close the inside valve and open the outdoor faucet so it drains.

## Frost-free faucets

A frost-free faucet (sillcock) closes deep inside the wall, so its stem is much longer. The washer swap is the same, but buy the stem or washer for your brand. If water drips inside the house or shows up in the basement while it runs, the pipe likely split in a freeze: call a plumber.

## When to call a plumber

- Water shows up inside the wall, ceiling or basement when the faucet runs.
- It still drips after a new washer (the seat inside is worn).
- There is no inside shut-off valve and the main valve is stuck.
- The faucet or the pipe behind it cracked in a freeze.

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## Frequently asked questions

### Why is my outdoor faucet leaking from the handle?

The packing nut behind the handle is loose or the packing under it is worn. Snug it a quarter turn clockwise; if it still leaks, replace the packing washer.

### Why does my outside faucet drip when it is off?

The washer at the end of the stem is worn, or the seat it presses on is damaged. Close the inside valve and replace the washer.

### Why does water leak where the hose connects?

The rubber washer inside the hose coupling is flat, cracked or missing. Replace it and screw the hose on hand-tight.

### Do I need to turn off the water to fix an outdoor faucet?

Not for the hose washer or the packing nut. For the stem washer, yes: close the inside valve that feeds the faucet, or the main water valve.

### Should I leave the hose connected in winter?

No. Disconnect it before the first freeze. A hose left on can freeze the water inside the faucet and split the pipe in the wall.