Outdoor Faucet Repair in Pickering

The outside tap is the plumbing fixture most exposed to Pickering weather, and its failures often show up indoors, months after the damage was done.

On the truck: basin wrench, cartridge puller, PEX crimp tool and PTFE tape

First look: the shut-offs under the fixture and the supply lines

No permit usually needed for a like-for-like repair

Booked within the week, often sooner

A price range on the phone, a firm quote before work

Call now(365) 334-6645

A plumber answers.
No forms, no waiting list.

How we handle the job

A frost-free hose bib uses a long stem to close the valve within the heated basement, so the outside part drains when it is off. If a hose was left attached over winter, water stays trapped and splits the pipe inside the wall cavity, where you cannot see it. We check the stem, the seat and the length of pipe behind it, then repair or swap the bib for a frost-free one sized to the wall, sloped so it drains outward.

Shut the dedicated valve or the main
Remove and inspect the old bib
Replace with a frost-free bib and a backflow preventer
Seal the wall penetration
Test with and without a hose attached

Bench note: a split frost-free bib often looks fine from outdoors and only leaks while the tap is open. Run it for a minute in spring while someone watches the basement.

Signs you need outdoor faucet repair

The first spring use sends water into the basement or out of the wall
A drip from the spout that will not stop
Water around the foundation by the tap
The handle spins without opening or closing
Low flow at the hose but normal pressure indoors

Many older Pickering houses still have a basic compression hose bib with an indoor shut-off that owners forget to close.

Pickering homes and this problem

Many older Pickering houses still have a basic compression hose bib with an indoor shut-off that owners forget to close. Newer builds have frost-free models, but hoses left connected through the first cold snap defeat them. Homes along the lake also get windblown cold against the front wall. For the full autumn routine see winterizing outdoor taps and lines, and for a split inside the wall see frozen pipe repair.

What affects the cost

Simple washer or stem repair versus full replacement
Access behind finished basement ceilings
Masonry or siding around the tap
Adding a new indoor shut-off

What you can do first

Take the hose off before the first frost, every year. If there is an indoor valve, close it and open the outside faucet to drain the line. In spring, turn the tap on slowly and look inside for drips before walking away.

Questions callers ask

Can I install a frost-free tap myself?

It involves soldering or crimping a connection inside the wall and sealing the exterior. Confident DIYers do it; otherwise call us.

Does an outdoor tap need a backflow preventer?

Ontario code expects hose connections to have backflow protection, so garden chemicals cannot be pulled back into drinking water.