How to Fix a Dripping Outdoor Tap

A dripping outdoor tap wastes water and leaves a green stripe on the brickwork. Most UK garden taps are simple bib taps with a rubber washer; a few modern ones use a ceramic cartridge. Fixing a dripping outdoor tap is the same idea as an indoor spout drip, with frost and green corrosion thrown in.

If the tap only weeps when a hose is attached, check the hose connector washer first. That is a two-minute job and not a tap rebuild.

Outdoor vs indoor: what changes

For indoor jobs, see how to change a tap washer or how to fix a dripping mixer tap.

Isolate the garden supply

Close the indoor isolating valve that feeds the outdoor tap (often under the kitchen sink or in a utility). If there is none, close the main stopcock and expect to drain more of the house. Open the outdoor tap until it stops running. A short burst of residual water is normal; a continuous trickle means isolation failed.

What you will need

Step-by-step

1. Strip the handle and shroud

Undo the handle screw or prise off the cap. Lift the handle. Undo the shroud or cover. Green corrosion often holds the shroud; a light tap with a soft mallet on a wooden block helps more than brute force.

2. Remove the headgear

Undo the gland or headgear nut. Lift the spindle out. On washer taps you will see a flat rubber washer on the end, often held by a small nut.

3. Replace the washer (or cartridge)

Swap the washer for the same diameter and thickness. Seat it flat. If you find a ceramic cartridge instead, photograph the orientation, pull it straight up after the retaining nut, and fit the matching part. See how to replace a ceramic disc tap cartridge for a fuller cartridge walkthrough.

4. Check the seat and rebuild

Look into the body. Grit and scale on the brass seat will recreate the drip. Clean carefully. Rebuild, open the isolator slowly, and watch the spout for a full minute. Wipe the joint at the wall plate; a weep there is packing or PTFE, not the washer.

5. Winter-ready finish

If frost is due, close the indoor isolator and leave the outdoor tap open so the spur drains. A cracked outdoor body from ice is a bigger job than a washer.

Mistakes that leave a green stain

• Forcing a corroded shroud and rounding the flats.
• Fitting an indoor-sized washer that is slightly too small.
• Ignoring a hose-tail washer and stripping the whole tap for nothing.
• Leaving the spur full of water before a hard frost.

When to call a plumber

Stop if the pipe twists in the wall when you turn the headgear, if the body is cracked, or if there is no isolator and you cannot drain the spur cleanly. Shared supplies and lead pipe are plumber territory. Replacing the whole outdoor tap with a proper isolating valve indoors is often wiser than fighting a seized bib tap.

If the body rocks on the wall plate after the fix, how to tighten a loose tap covers the clamp. For the indoor spur that feeds the garden tap, use how to isolate a water supply at the stopcock UK or how to replace an isolation valve if the local valve is dead. Ceramic kitchen mixers are a different job: how to fix a dripping mixer tap.

FAQ

How do I fix a dripping outdoor tap?

Isolate the indoor feed, strip the headgear, and replace the washer (or cartridge). Most garden bib taps are washer taps. Match the old part and clean the seat before you rebuild.

Why does my outdoor tap drip only in winter?

Frost can crack the body or leave the washer misshapen. Isolate and drain the spur in cold snaps. A cracked body needs a new tap, not another washer.

Can I replace just the hose connector washer?

Yes. If the drip is at the hose join when a hose is fitted, swap that small washer first. Leave the tap alone if the spout is dry with no hose attached.