Any idea how this faucet an be repaired?

[Wade Lippman]

My son upgraded from a 130 year old house to a 70 year old house. Now only half as much is old and decrepit.
Anyhow... how can this faucet be fixed? Replacing it is probably not an option.

Someday he will let me look at the house before he buys it.

[Paul F Franklin]

Danco make a universal outdoor faucet handle that has adapters that may be long enough to reach the recessed stem: https://www.danco.com/product/universal-outdoor-faucet-handle/

Removing the big nut should let you pull the stem and inspect the seat and washer. I would be leery of doing that if there isn't a shutoff for the faucet inside so if something breaks you aren't stuck with having all the water shut off while you do a bigger repair.

[Tom M King]

That big nut screws off, and it might even have a replaceable seat in it for the washer. Lowes has a bunch of such replacement parts.

What Paul said too.

The trouble with fixing old plumbing is that you never know how far back up the line you're going to go by the time you get something fixed.

[John K Jordan]

My son upgraded from a 130 year old house to a 70 year old house. Now only half as much is old and decrepit.
Anyhow... how can this faucet be fixed? Replacing it is probably not an option.

Someday he will let me look at the house before he buys it.

It might be worth while to check to see if replacing it with a new one would be reasonable. The only thing I hate more than doing plumbing is a sharp stick in the eye. I've gotten where get the plumber to come do things. They guy I used charged $60 to drive 1/2 hour and put in a new outdoor "freeze proof" faucet, two guys, one doing the connections in a tight crawl space with the only access all the way on the other end of the house.

JKJ

[Tom M King]

Here, the $60 would have been burned up by the time the first phone call was finished.

[Jim Koepke]

My son upgraded from a 130 year old house to a 70 year old house. Now only half as much is old and decrepit.
Anyhow... how can this faucet be fixed? Replacing it is probably not an option.

Someday he will let me look at the house before he buys it.

This looks like it needs a valve stem and some packing material replaced. This will likely need the water to the house turned off to allow the old valve stem to be taken in to compare to what is available. The valve seat may also need replacing. If it looks scratched up when the faucet is taken apart, it should come out for comparison and also be replaced.

It isn't complicated and anyone trying to do their own repairs on an old house needs to know how to do this kind of work. It will be a good learning experience.

It may be better to get under the house to see if a freeze proof faucet or a shut off valve can be installed if this is in an area with freezing weather.

jtk

[lowell holmes]

Replace it, there is nothing there. Is the pipe behind it good, or do you need to do more? Check with a plumber for advice.

[Stan Calow]

From experience, it helps to find a really old plumber.

[roger wiegand]

If you have access to the inside end of it replace it with a frost-proof faucet (one from a plumbing supply, not the Borg, despite the face they cost 3x as much). If not, call a plumber.

[Tom M King]

If it does get replaced with a freeze proof one, I'm not brand loyal to many things, but one of them is Woodford brand Freezeless hydrants, and faucets.

[Bill Dufour]

What is wrong, other then the hose coupling stuck on? That stem type is common in schools you need a special key to turn it on. looks much like a gas valve or clock winding key. I would unscrew the bonnet and take out the stem, maybe ream the seat, install a new washer.
Bill D

[Patrick McCarthy]

From experience, it helps to find a really old plumber.

LMAO, but oh so true . . .

[Roger Feeley]

What is wrong, other then the hose coupling stuck on? That stem type is common in schools you need a special key to turn it on. looks much like a gas valve or clock winding key. I would unscrew the bonnet and take out the stem, maybe ream the seat, install a new washer.
Bill D

Bill, that thing that looks like the hose coupling could be a cap.

[Lee Schierer]

What is wrong, other then the hose coupling stuck on? That stem type is common in schools you need a special key to turn it on. looks much like a gas valve or clock winding key. I would unscrew the bonnet and take out the stem, maybe ream the seat, install a new washer.
Bill D

I think Bill has hit the nail on the head. The spigot was leaking so they put a cap on the outlet and now it needs to be removed and the rubber washer inside the faucet replaced by removing the hex cap. Pretty simple operation with a couple of Channellocks. The hard part may be getting the water supply turned off while the work is being done.

[Andrew Seemann]

My son upgraded from a 130 year old house to a 70 year old house. Now only half as much is old and decrepit.
Anyhow... how can this faucet be fixed? Replacing it is probably not an option.

Someday he will let me look at the house before he buys it.

My question is what does the joint between the brass spigot and the (assumed galvanized) pipe look like? The joint that has apparently been encased in concrete with all its leachable electrolytes waiting to further enable electron transfers between the brass and iron(?). I'm surprised there isn't more visible corrosion. I wonder where all those electrons are going?

Myself, I would be looking to replace both the spigot and the pipe supplying it. And I would be sealing it back up with butyl or Vulkum, or better yet, not coming out through a stone wall.