Outside tap stopped working

honeypop

I posted this in the 'water' board in Utilities but think it may be more at home here...

I moved into my first house in December, it has an outdoor tap on the other side of the wall where the kitchen sink is. I have used the tap since moving in and the last time I can remember using it was back in February time. Since my water butt is now empty due to lack of rain recently, I need to use the tap to fill up my watering can but for some reason no water is coming out of it now!!

I have no idea why this is, I know it worked before because I remember using it. The tap turns like normal but nothing comes out.

I am in no way DIY-minded nor are my family, who mostly say "it's obviously been switched off somewhere then", so I can't find out what's happened and get the water back on. Obviously I have water to the rest of the house, I would have noticed if that stopped!

I know for a fact that I have not touched anything that might have cut the water off to this tap. On the inside of the wall where the tap is, a pipe comes in (I can see it in the cupboard under the sink) then goes off to the right (through the cupboard wall) to behind the washing machine. The washing machine was installed the day I moved in and never been moved since so if theres something behind there to do with the tap going off, I couldn't have got to it without dragging the washing machine out which I have not done.

Does anyone have any ideas what's happened here and how I can get the tap to work again? I'd rather not call someone out to have a look at it as no doubt this will cost a fortune just for them to find it was something simple and most likely obvious to someone else.

Please help, I have to carry a heavy watering can through the house with a weak back which I cannot do very often, my plants and new grass may die if I can't water them from closer to the garden!

WestonDave

You'll probably find that the washer has stuck in the off position - it used to happen in our old house. When you turn the tap off you screw the washer down against the inlet - when you turn it on again you allow it to be pushed away but if it sticks sometimes the water pressure isn't enough to open the inlet.

It is fixable fairly easily but not that easy to describe!

Firstly turn off the water supply to that tap - if there isn't an accessible stop tap/valve just for that tap then you might have to turn it all off. Using a suitable wrench/spanner (preferably two - one either side of the joint) remove the top of the tap just under the turn handle. You should be able to pull out the washer etc. Check that it is OK and not perished etc (if so might be worth a trip to get a new one) clean off any gunk and put it back together. It should now work OK provided you use it reasonably regularly.

If you can't get the washer out you might have to remove the tap from the pipe connection and push it out the other way in which case you probably best replace the washer.

MickMack

Yeah i agree, thats what i thought it was when i read the description. (see your other post honeypop)

This link has a nice illustration of how a tap works (in most cases)

http://home.howstuffworks.com/how-to...-a-faucet1.htm