Why It’s A Good Idea To Let A Plumber Fix Your Leaky Outdoor Faucet

A dripping outdoor faucet may not be as irritating and damaging as a leaky indoor faucet, but it wastes water just the same. Plus, there's always a risk the drip will keep getting worse until there's water spewing from the faucet. It's best to call in a plumber to fix problems with an outdoor faucet before the situation escalates into costly damage or a high water bill. Here's why calling a plumber is probably better than DIY repairs.

The Pipes Are Difficult To Access

If the faucet is against the wall, you don't have much room to work on it. If all the repairs entail is changing a gasket, then it could be an easy job. However, the plumber may need to get to pipes under the ground or behind the wall in order to fix the leak. It can be difficult to do DIY repairs on outdoor faucets for this reason. If you can't make tight connections due to the faucet being so close to the wall, a leak could develop behind the wall that causes expensive water damage.

There Might Be Hidden Leaks

If the faucet is leaking because it is old and corroded or because it was frozen during cold weather, the damage might go beyond the faucet itself. Part of the pipe behind the faucet might be corroded or leaking as well. If a pipe is leaking behind a wall or under the ground, you definitely want to know about it so you can avoid water damage and excessive water bills. Even if the only leak is in the faucet, trying to work on corroded pipes is tricky because you could break off part of the pipe and not be able to repair it yourself. You might even break off a fairly new pipe if you don't brace it properly before you try to twist off a stuck faucet.

A Plumber Can Update The Faucet

If your old faucet is annoying because it is so low or so close to the wall that it's difficult to twist on a hose, then talk to your plumber about updating the way the faucet is installed. You might want a cutting-edge water outlet that mounts inside the wall so it is protected from freezing and dripping from valve leaks. You might want to move the spigot so it is elevated, which would allow you to attach a hose without bending down to the ground. If you've had problems with the faucet freezing, be sure to ask the plumber about insulating the pipes and how to cover the faucet when winter approaches so you can avoid problems with cracks due to leaking.

An outdoor faucet is handy, but it can be a real problem when it develops a leak. You might be used to putting new faucets on your kitchen and bathroom sinks, but the outdoor variety is different. A DIY repair attempt could lead to problems you can't fix, so calling in a plumber is probably the best way to go about fixing the leak.


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