Q. We have two water spigots, one on the outside of the house and another in the garage. From the very first, both spigots leak when turned on. I know others who have the same problem. Do you know of a fix?
We had the outdoor spigot replaced by [a plumbing contractor] a couple years after moving in but that one even leaks, so I hesitate to call in a plumber again. We have never been able to use the one in the garage because of this problem.
A. If a spigot, or more correctly sillcock, leaks when the water is on, you are in luck, as the fix is relatively easy. This leak is caused by a loose packing nut. To tighten it, remove the handle by removing the screw. It is usually a Phillips head screw. Behind the handle you will see the packing nut, which is usually white plastic. To tighten it, use a 3/4-inch open end wrench or an adjustable wrench. This nut has a left-handed thread, which means you turn it counterclockwise to tighten it. Do not over-tighten it, as it is plastic and can be damaged with too much force.
If the sillcock drips when the water is turned off, you have a more complicated problem. The fix is internal and will require that the water main is turned off so you can disassemble the sillcock. Most of the houses in Sun City do not have a ball valve on the water line to the sillcock, so you must turn off the water to the house.
When you turn the knob on the sillcock to turn off the water, you are actually closing a valve twelve inches inside the house. It is designed this way so that in the winter the water is in the warm zone and not exposed to the cold outside air, where it might freeze. The sillcocks on most Sun City houses have a 12-inch extension. There are kits containing the replacement parts to fix a leaky sillcock available at hardware stores and home centers.
To install the replacement parts, turn off the main water shut off to the house. Remove the handle to the sillcock.
Under the handle you will see a white plastic packing nut. With a 3/4-inch open end wrench, turn this nut clockwise to remove it (left-handed thread).
Sticking out of the sillcock where you removed the packing nut, you will see a square 1/4-inch copper piece where the handle attaches.
Using a 1/4-inch wrench, unscrew this piece by turning it counterclockwise. Pull this piece out and you will have a 16-inch long copper rod.
All of your replacement parts consisting of rubber washers and o-rings will be installed on this rod. Follow the instructions that come with the replacement parts kit.
Reverse the disassembly steps to reassemble your sillcock. You should now have a leak-free sillcock.
Q. I see birds going into and coming out of the louvers on the side of my house. Several neighbors have the same problem. Is there any way to keep them out?
A. Those louvers cover one of the vents from your house. It is either a bathroom vent, an oven vent, or a dryer vent. The birds have found these vents very convenient and safe places to build nests and raise families.
The best solution is called a pest barricade and is available at most big box home stores. It is a plastic cage-like structure that will fit over most 3- and 4-inch vent caps and will not allow birds to enter.
It is held on with two screws which can be removed to clean the barricade. Before installing the barricade, check inside the vent and remove any nests or birds. They could be located as much as 10 feet inside the duct. If you find that a nest is that far in, you will have to go up into the attic and disconnect the duct to remove the nest.
If you are covering a dryer vent, you must remove it and clean the lint build up once a year. If you have more than one vent, you should install pest barricades on each one. You will then be free of unwanted bird families.
• If you have suggestions for future tips or have questions about maintenance around your home, submit them to ask.the.woodchucks@gmail.com
