Common problem · TN LLP #5045

Dripping Outdoor Faucet

An outdoor spigot dripping or leaking at the wall.

Quick answer

Not urgent in summer. It matters a great deal going into winter, because a leaking outdoor spigot is one of the most reliable ways to burst a pipe inside the wall during a freeze.

An outdoor faucet that drips is easy to ignore for most of the year. The reason to deal with it is seasonal: water sitting in a spigot or the pipe behind it is what splits a supply line when the temperature drops.

How you know this is it

A steady drip from the spout when it is fully closed
Water seeping from around the handle when it is on
Damp on the wall or foundation below the spigot
A spigot that has to be forced hard to stop it dripping

What usually causes it

A worn washer or packing in the valve, which is normal wear
A frost-free spigot that has split internally from an earlier freeze
A hose left connected over winter, holding water in the valve
Corrosion at the connection where it enters the wall
Sediment or scale on the seat, preventing a proper seal

Before and after

Outdoor spigot repair — the same job, both ends.

Common questions

Dripping Outdoor Faucet: your questions answered

Why does this matter before winter?

Because the pipe behind that spigot runs through an exterior wall. Water sitting in it freezes, expands, and splits the line — and you often do not find out until spring when you turn it on and it pours inside the wall.

Is a frost-free spigot immune?

No. A frost-free is designed to drain back, but it cannot if a hose is left connected. That single detail causes a lot of the winter calls we get.

Can this wait?

Through summer, generally. Going into a cold snap, it is worth sorting, and it is small work we can fold into another visit.

Will I know the price before you start?

Yes. You get one number to approve before any work begins, and it holds once the job starts. This market has a documented habit of quotes climbing mid-job; we built the opposite habit deliberately.

Are you licensed?

Yes. Tennessee Limited Licensed Plumber #5045, issued by the state Board for Licensing Contractors and verifiable at verify.tn.gov. Across eighteen local competitors, not one publishes their number.

Book Drain Pros TN for fixture repair & replacement.

Call for the fastest response, request service online, or send the form and we’ll reach out. Woman-owned and family-run, licensed, with straight pricing you approve before we start and 24/7 emergency service.

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TN Limited Licensed Plumber · #5045 · verify at verify.tn.gov

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