Outdoor Faucet Replacement in Okemos, MI. Stop the Leak Before It Gets Into the Wall.
A leaking outdoor faucet, spigot, or hose bib is not just a nuisance, it is water working its way toward your siding, your framing, and your foundation.
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Custom Built Plumbing sees this exact failure every spring across Ingham County, a faucet that worked fine in October and is now leaking, dripping, or weeping through the wall by April. Outdoor faucets, also called spigots, hose bibs, or sillcocks, take more abuse than almost any other fixture in a Michigan home. Every winter, water left in the line between the valve and the exterior expands as it freezes, cracking the faucet body, splitting the pipe behind the wall, or damaging the internal seal. By spring, what looked like a working faucet is now leaking at the handle, dripping from the spout, or weeping through the wall behind it.
The fix is not just replacing the visible faucet. It is replacing it with the right type of faucet, installed correctly, so the same failure does not happen again next winter.
Signs Your Outdoor Faucet Needs Replacing
Leaking at the Handle
Usually a packing nut that's loosened or a worn stem washer inside the valve, not the faucet body itself. It's repairable, but worth fixing before winter, since a drip at the handle can freeze and crack a fitting the same way a leak at the spout does.
Dripping from the Spout When Off
A worn seat washer, the part that seals the very end of the valve. Left alone through a Michigan winter, that steady drip is enough standing water to crack the faucet body by spring.
Water Weeping Through the Exterior Wall
Usually means the faucet body already cracked from a prior freeze and has been leaking behind the siding. This needs full replacement, including the pipe section inside the wall, not just a simple fix.
Low Pressure at the Outdoor Faucet
Often the interior shut-off valve, partially closed or starting to fail, rather than the faucet itself. Mineral buildup inside an older faucet body can cause the same symptom.
When the Interior Shut-Off Needs Attention Too
Every outdoor faucet has an interior shut-off valve controlling it, and on older homes, that valve seizes up right along with the faucet it feeds. We check it as part of every replacement, but sometimes the valve itself is the actual problem, stuck partially closed, not holding fully shut, or too corroded to trust. When that's what we find, a Shut Off Valve Replacement addresses that valve directly instead of leaving a failing one behind a brand-new faucet.
Frost-Free Faucets: The Right Standard for Michigan
A standard outdoor faucet has its valve seat right at the exterior of the house, which means any water left in the short section between the valve and the spout freezes every winter. A frost-free faucet moves the valve seat 6 to 12 inches inside the wall, into the heated space, so there is no standing water in the exterior section when the faucet is off. If your home has standard faucets and you have had repeated cracking or leaking issues, we replace them with frost-free models as the standard.
Our Outdoor Faucet Replacement Process
Shut Off & Remove
We shut off the supply at the interior shut-off valve and remove the old faucet.
Inspect the Connection
We inspect the pipe connection inside the wall for any damage or corrosion before installing anything new.
Install the New Faucet
We install the new frost-free faucet, secure it to the exterior wall, and reconnect the supply line inside.
Test Everything
We turn the supply back on, check for leaks at every connection point, and confirm the interior shut-off valve itself is working correctly, since those often seize on older homes and need replacement at the same time.
Outdoor Faucet Replacement Cost in Okemos, MI
A standard outdoor faucet replacement is a straightforward job in most homes. Complications arise when the pipe behind the wall has cracked and needs to be repaired before the new faucet goes in, or when the interior shut-off needs to be replaced at the same time. We assess the full situation and give you a price before any work begins. Call (517) 742-2848 to describe what your outdoor faucet is doing and we will walk you through what it likely needs.
Why Choose Plumbing by Custom Built
We replace outdoor faucets with frost-free models as our standard, not as an upsell, because standard faucets in Michigan are a problem waiting to repeat itself. We also check what is behind the wall before assuming the job is simple, because a cracked pipe inside the wall is a much bigger issue if it goes unaddressed.
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FAQs
Why does my outdoor faucet keep freezing and cracking in Okemos?
Most likely because it is a standard faucet, not a frost-free model. Standard outdoor faucets leave water in the section between the valve and the exterior, which freezes and expands every winter.
Is a spigot the same as an outdoor faucet?
Yes. Spigot, hose bib, outdoor faucet, and sillcock all refer to the same thing: the exterior water connection on the outside of your home.
My outdoor faucet is leaking from the handle, not the spout. Is it repairable?
Often yes. A leak at the handle usually points to a worn packing nut or stem washer, both of which can be replaced without swapping the full faucet. We assess the condition of the unit before recommending full replacement.
Should I disconnect my hose in the fall in Okemos?
Yes, always. Even frost-free faucets can freeze and crack if a hose is left connected through the winter, because the hose prevents the water from draining out of the pipe section behind the valve. Disconnect hoses before the first freeze every year.
Can outdoor faucet replacement wait until spring, or should I get it fixed now?
It depends on what's actually happening. A faucet that's just dripping from the spout while it's already shut off for winter can usually wait. Active leaking, water weeping through the exterior wall, or a problem that shows up while the faucet is in use means water is getting somewhere it shouldn't, and that's worth addressing before it causes more damage behind the wall.
A Leaking Spigot Gets Worse Every Time It Freezes
Call us today and we will replace it correctly so you are not dealing with the same problem again next spring.