My outdoor spigot has a vent on it that is leaking like crazy, epsecially if the spigot is open but the hose is blocked, with a nozzle for example. Is changing the spigot as simple as screwing a new one in? It’s installed in brick.
Plan B will be filling the vent cap with gorilla glue…I really don’t need the vent, I always shut off the water inside in the winter. I’m not sure what the code is for these houses, but I’m assuming that since it’s on there, it’s required.
Not sure if the vent you refer to is part of a frost-proof design or an atmospheric vacuum breaker. If it’s the latter, you should be able to just replace that part.
But yeah, they are usually just screwed on. The pipe that you screw it to is probably a short nipple that itself screws into a special elbow inside the wall. This elbow has ears on it that allow it to be secured to a stud or blocking the resist the torque of the nipple being screwed into it. If you can access the nipple, keep it from twisting with a pipe wrench or pliers when you remove the spigot. If come out, no big deal it just screws back in, but I’d use some teflon tape or pipe dope on the threads.
If it’s a frost proof, like the one shown, the pipe it’s attached to is as much as 14" or so inside the building. If you’re lucky, it’s accessible from the basement.
It may be screwed into a union of some kind, or may be soldered in place. if it’s soldered in place, be sure to remove the stem before attempting to solder the new one in. Otherwise you’ll damage the washer with the heat from soldering.
Mine is not exactly like the one pictured, but it does have that same vent cap on the top. I unscrewed the cap and underneath is a plastic insert full of holes. I have a feeling it froze at some point this winter and cracked the plastic.
Keep going. That “plastic insert full of holes” also unscrews. Take that and the little poppet you’ll find underneath it to the plumbing supply house and get replacements.
You probably will not find these parts at a hardware store or a home center. They’d prefer you simply buy an entire new hose bibb (aka faucet)
I went into a Home Depot just to price a whole new unit, and as soon as I walked up to the display, an orange apron was there so I told him my situation. Without saying a word, he handed me a little bag with a repair kit.