Maintenance & Cleaning
Since hose bibbs are exposed to the outdoor elements, they have some basic maintenance requirements. You should never leave a hose attached when its not in use as you don’t want sitting water in the pipe and sitting water around the connection can lead to calcium buildup or even rusting. Its always a good practice to put away the hose after you are done using it. This is especially important during winter when water freezes during which time hose bibs can sustain damages from ice build up. To prevent ice build up in the hose bib, you must shut the interior valve and turn the hose bib on. The video below shows the process. Its always a good idea to have a back flow preventer/vacuum breaker on your hose bib. This can help during winter and it prevents anything going back up into your water supply.
winterize hose bibbs
Repair
Quick Fixes
- To fix a handle leak, tighten the packing nut or replace the washer directly behind it.
- To fix a faucet leak, replace the bib washer.
- To fix a vacuum breaker leak, replace any damaged vacuum breaker parts.
- To fix a leak from the stem behind the wall, you’ll need to replace the entire hose bib.
- If the hose bib runs even when the handle is shut off, either the gasket needs to be replaced or the valve seat (the brass opening against the gasket) has gone bad—in which case the whole hose bib needs to be replaced.
- If you notice low water pressure or little to no flow, there may be a blockage in the faucet opening or the strainer at the back end of the aerator (located inside the faucet spout). Disassemble the handle, stem, and/or aerator to clear out any debris.