Plumbing – How to get the stem out of a hose bib to replace the washer

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I have no idea why this isn't simple, perhaps because every repair project has to have some hitch in it to piss me off.

I have a leaky hose bib in my back yard, so I wanted to take the sucker apart and replace the washer in the valve stem, right?

Well, I took the screw out, the one in the middle of the handle. Then I unscrewed the hex around the stem, but the sucker just won't come loose. It shakes around and wobbles like it should come off, but it just doesn't.

I thought maybe I needed to unscrew the handle out of there once I got the screw and nut off, but wound up just breaking off part of the handle.

So now I am buying a new hose bib anyway to replace the one I broke, but I am still curious, how the heck do I get that sucker off?

For reference, the hose bib is the style pictured here.

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Best Answer

There are about 5 steps to this and it's easier if you have a breakdown diagram.

The pictured hose bib is a Prier, probably a C-138

Two for the price of one, first section is how to replace the seat washer, second to repair stem leakage.

Note: The Handle, Stem, Stuffing Box, Packing Nut, Packing Nut Seal and Seat Washer all come out as one complete assembly on this faucet.

Replacing the Seat Washer, Faucet leaks when fully closed.

  1. Find the water shutoff for the zone this faucet is in (mains for whole house if that's the only one) and shut the water supply off.

  2. Turn the hose bib handle 1/4 turn open.

  3. Loosen the Packing Nut (see illus below). As you turn it, the Stem will probably turn with it, if not, turn both Stem and Packing Nut in the same direction till the Stem/Packing Nut assembly comes out of the faucet body.

  4. Remove the Seat Sealing Washer screw, and replace the washer.

  5. Reverse operation for assembly.

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If the faucet is leaking around the handle, gently tighten the Stuffing Box Nut 1/16-1/8 turn to compress the packing (what the stem seal is called). If it feels like you're tightening metal to metal, the packing has worn out and needs to be replaced.

Replacing the Packing, Faucet leaks around the stem when open.

  1. Remove Handle Screw and Handle.

  2. Remove Stuffing Box Nut (also called a Gland Nut).

  3. Remove Packing and replace with new packing washer or graphited packing cord.

  4. Replace Stuffing Box Nut (finger tight)

  5. Replace Handle and Handle Screw.

  6. Make sure you have a hose and closed nozzle attached to the hose bib.

  7. Open faucet to pressurize hose and tighten Stuffing Box Nut down gently until the stem stops leaking.

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