Outside Tap Not Working? Fix Common Problems

Last updated on April 12th, 2024

Your outside tap not working can be annoying, especially in the summer when you need your garden hose the most.

I have been a full-time plumber for over a decade and fixing and fitting outside taps is one of the main things I do in the summer.

No Water Coming Out of Tap

If you have an outdoor tap with no water coming out, you can:

• Check the water supply is turned on at the stopcock
• Make sure the isolating valve on the water supply pipe to the tap is open (in line with the pipe)
• Turn the water off at the stopcock, remove the bib tap from the wall plate and turn the water back on to see if it comes out of the wall plate
  • If water comes out of the wall plate then replace the washer in the tap, or replace the tap
  • If water does not come out of the wall plate then it must be a water supply problem
• Turn the water off at the stopcock and clean any debris out of the double check valve if you have a separate one on the pipe, or you can replace the valve

Tap Not Working After Freezing

A garden tap not working after a freezing winter will be caused by the check valve becoming stuck or damaged.

This means you’ll need to clean or replace the valve, or the garden tap if it has one built in.

This is quite a simple process and is the most common cause of a garden tap not working after freezing in the winter.

Fitting an outside tap cover for the winter will reduce the chances of your outdoor tap freezing.

New Build Outside Tap Not Working

A newly built house outdoor tap not working could be from freezing weather causing a check valve problem but could also be a blockage.

There might be debris or jointing compound paste inside the tap, or maybe in another pipe fitting that was left on by the plumber who fitted it.

It could also not be piped up correctly, if it has been working before then you can rule this out.

Check Valve Problems

A check valve, similar to a non-return valve (NRV), is a valve to prevent backflow and water regulations say must be fitted on a garden tap installation. Water can only travel one way through it.

They can become blocked with debris or stuck, preventing the water from flowing through.

There are two places for a double check valve on a garden tap:

• On the pipe inside the house
• Built into the garden tap

If you have a separate check valve on the water supply pipe, it should look like the brass valve on the left in the image above.

The best outdoor taps have a double check valve built in and have a little nut on the bottom as shown by the green arrow in the image above.

If there is no little nut on the bottom then you do not have one in your tap.

You can turn the water off and remove these brass nuts where the green arrows are with some water pump pliers and clean out any debris that might be causing problems.

Water Only Trickling Out

If you have a garden tap with the water only trickling out, it could be a damaged washer problem.

An outside tap washer replacement is quite simple most of the time, but it can be frustrating.

This should be the first thing to check when water is only trickling out.

No Pressure

A garden tap with no pressure is usually caused by a blockage or a kink in a flexible pipe and is typically a sign that the tap wasn’t fitted by a plumber.

This tends to happen on self-cutting outdoor tap kits that are used with small bore or flexible pipes.

Tap Won’t Turn Off

If your garden tap won’t turn off then it’s probably a washer or damaged tap problem.

Unless you have the correct spare washers, you could buy a new outside bib tap and replace it, it’s a very simple job.

To shut the water off, use the isolating valve (if you have one), usually inside the house on the other side of the wall where the tap is.

If you don’t have an isolating valve, you’ll need to turn off the water at the main stopcock for the house. This will turn all the water in the house off so you best get it fixed quickly.

Tap is Not Straight

A garden tap that’s not straight can be easily fixed by straightening it with an adjustable spanner.

If you have turned the tap as far as it will turn and it's not straight then you should remove the tap and add more PTFE tape.

Here’s how:

1. Isolate the water supply to the tap
2. Open the tap to release the pressure and water from the pipe
3. Remove the tap by unscrewing it anticlockwise
4. Wraps lots of PTFE tape around the threads on the tap (15 wraps or more if needed to get the tap straight)
5. Screw the tap back into the wall plate until straight and stiff to turn
6. Turn the water supply back on

Conclusion

A garden tap not working can be caused by many problems. A decent adjustable spanner is all that is needed to fix most problems.

A cold winter causes boiler condensate pipes to freeze as well as garden taps and will keep plumbers very busy.

If your tap is not working after freezing, then it's most likely a check valve problem which will need to be fixed or a new tap fitted.

If you have a self-cutting valve supplying the tap, it’s almost always because this is blocked, kinked or damaged.

Feel free to ask me any questions in the comment section below and I’ll try my best to help.

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