An outdoor tap leaking is usually a cheap, quick fix. A drip from the spout means a worn washer, a weep around the handle is gland packing, and a leak at a joint needs fresh PTFE tape or a new seal. Always isolate the water at the indoor valve first. A wet patch on the wall with no clear source can mean a hidden supply-pipe leak worth a professional look.
A leaking garden tap is one of those jobs that feels worse than it is. The good news is that most outdoor taps leak from one of a few predictable spots, and each has a simple fix you can do with basic tools and a few pennies' worth of parts. This guide shows you how to tell where the leak is coming from, the fixes to try in order, how to stop the tap freezing next winter, and the one sign that the trouble is not the tap at all but a pipe hidden in the wall.
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Where outdoor taps leak
Before you reach for a spanner, find out where the water is actually escaping. The leak point tells you the cause, and the cause tells you the fix. Most garden taps (also called bib taps) leak from one of these five places.
| Leak point | Likely cause and what you see |
|---|---|
| The spout, when the tap is off | A worn washer or jumper inside the tap. A steady drip from the nozzle with the handle fully closed is the classic sign, and the most common fault of all. |
| Around the spindle or handle | Failed gland packing. Water weeps out from under the handle when the tap is turned on, because the seal around the spindle has worn. |
| The hose connector or union | A perished O-ring or washer inside the screw-on connector. Water dribbles from the point where your hose fitting joins the tap. |
| Where the tap meets the wall | A poor seal on the threaded joint, or after a cold snap, a pipe split by frost. Water appears at the back of the tap or runs down the brickwork. |
| A frost split in the pipe | Water that bursts or weeps after freezing weather, often at the elbow where the pipe leaves the wall. The metal cracks as ice expands, then leaks when it thaws. |
One local note on limescale. In some parts of the country, hard water furs up tap fittings and shortens the life of washers and seals. Here in Cornwall and Devon we have some of the softest water in England, so that particular problem is much rarer for us than it is up country. It does not mean your washers never wear out, just that they tend to last longer.
The quick fixes, in order
Work through these in sequence. Before you touch anything, isolate the water. Most outdoor taps are fed by a small isolation valve (a service valve) on the indoor pipe that supplies them, usually just inside the wall where the pipe passes through. Turn that off with a flat screwdriver, then open the outside tap to drain the last of the water. If you cannot find a dedicated valve, turn off the main stopcock instead. Knowing where your water shut-off valve is is worth sorting out before you start.
1. Replace the washer for a dripping spout
If the drip comes from the spout while the tap is closed, the washer has worn. With the water off and the tap open, undo the headgear nut on the body of the tap with a spanner, holding the body steady so you do not twist the pipe. Lift out the spindle and you will find a small rubber washer at the bottom, on a part called the jumper. If it looks flattened, cracked or perished, fit a matching new one, add a little silicone grease, and reassemble. This clears a constant spout drip in most cases.
2. Sort a weeping spindle with the gland
If water seeps from around the handle when the tap is running, the gland packing has failed. First, try tightening the gland nut (the nut just below the handle) by a small amount with a spanner. Often that alone reseals it. If the weep returns, isolate the water, undo the gland nut, pick out the old packing, and wind a few firm turns of PTFE tape around the spindle. Push it down into the gland, refit the nut and tighten gently. Do not overdo the packing, or the handle will turn stiffly.
3. Re-seal a leaking joint or hose connector
For a drip at the hose connector, unscrew it and check the small O-ring or washer inside. Replace it if it is worn and the leak usually stops. For a weep at the threaded joint where the tap screws to the wall fitting, unscrew the tap, peel off the old thread tape, clean the threads, and wrap two or three firm clockwise turns of fresh PTFE tape before screwing it back hand-tight plus a small nudge with a spanner. Do not overtighten, as too much force can crack the fitting.
Once you have made a repair, turn the water back on slowly and watch the tap both open and closed for a few minutes. If it stays dry, you are done. If water still appears, especially low down or at the wall, read on.
Stopping it freezing in winter
The single biggest cause of a sudden outdoor tap leak is frost. When water sitting in the tap or the pipe freezes, it expands, and that expansion can split the metal. You often do not see the damage until the thaw, when the crack starts to leak or burst. A short run of exposed pipe just inside the wall, and the elbow where it turns to meet the tap, are the most vulnerable spots.
Protecting against it is straightforward. Before the cold sets in, turn off the indoor isolation valve that feeds the outside tap, then open the tap and let the pipe drain. Leave the tap open over winter, so that if any trapped water does freeze, the ice has somewhere to expand to rather than splitting the body. Lag any exposed pipework with foam pipe insulation from a DIY shop, and fit an insulated cover over the tap itself for extra protection.
One last habit worth keeping: never leave a hose connected to the tap over winter. A hose full of water freezes first, and the ice can travel back up into the tap and the pipe behind the wall, which is exactly where a split does the most damage.
When a wet wall means a hidden leak
Most outdoor tap leaks are settled by the steps above. Occasionally, though, the water you can see is not coming from the tap at all, but from the pipe that feeds it, hidden inside or behind the wall. That is worth taking seriously, because a slow leak in a supply pipe can soak brickwork and timber for a long time before it shows.
Be alert if you notice any of these: a damp patch on the wall that spreads or will not dry out; water pooling at the base of the wall with the tap bone dry; a musty smell indoors on the other side of that wall; or a water bill that has crept up with no obvious cause. Water can track along a pipe and surface well away from the actual split, so the wet patch is not always where the leak is. If you have replaced the washer, re-sealed the joints and the wall is still wet, the supply pipe behind it is the prime suspect.
This is the point to find the exact source rather than start knocking holes in the wall on a guess. We locate hidden leaks across Cornwall and Devon using non-invasive methods such as thermal imaging and acoustic detection, so the problem is pinpointed before anything is opened up. Our plumbing leak detection service can trace a leaking supply pipe to within centimetres, which means a small, targeted repair instead of a long, messy dig.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my outdoor tap leaking from the spout when it is turned off?
A drip from the spout with the tap fully off almost always means the washer inside has worn. Turn the water off at the indoor service valve, unscrew the headgear and replace the small rubber washer on the jumper. It is a cheap part and one of the most common causes of a dripping garden tap.
Why is my outside tap leaking from the spindle or handle?
Water weeping from around the spindle when the tap is open points to worn gland packing. Try tightening the gland nut a small amount first. If that does not hold, isolate the water, undo the nut and repack the gland with a few firm turns of PTFE tape wound around the spindle, then refit.
How do I stop my outdoor tap freezing in winter?
Turn off the indoor isolation valve that feeds the tap, then open the outside tap and let the pipe drain, leaving it open over winter. Lag any exposed pipework and fit an insulated tap cover. Never leave a hose connected, as a hose full of water freezes first and pushes ice back into the pipe.
Why is my outside tap leaking where it comes out of the wall?
A leak at the wall is often just a poor seal on the threaded fitting, which fresh PTFE tape can cure. If it appears after a cold snap, suspect a pipe split by frost, often at the elbow where the pipe leaves the brickwork. A wet wall with no obvious source can mean the supply pipe is leaking inside the wall.
When should I call a professional about a leaking outdoor tap?
Call someone if the leak carries on after you have replaced the washer and re-sealed the joints, or if you see a damp patch spreading on the wall, water pooling at the base, or a water bill rising with no clear reason. These can point to a hidden leak in the supply pipe that needs locating before it causes damage.
Wet wall and a dry tap? Let's find the real source
If a garden tap leak does not add up, or damp is spreading where it shouldn't, we trace the source across Cornwall and Devon with non-invasive equipment. Fast response, minimal damage, no guesswork.
Call Dickie on 07822 025 911 No Find, No Fee on residential leak detection (subject to terms)