Why Does My Outside Faucet Turn On By Itself? Let’s Find The Answer and Solution

Keep wondering why does my outside faucet turn on by itself?. You may be shocked to know that it’s quite a common occurrence due to loose nuts or malfunctioning!

Don’t be scared! It’s not the ghosts! There are some very logical and practical reasons behind this seemingly haunted phenomenon.

While a branded faucet can serve you for some extra period, sooner or later, you’re bound to face a few faucet issues.

These issues may leave your outside faucet spraying or dripping water on its own. Read the full article to find out how and why. Along with the ways to get rid of these problems.

Why Does My Outside Faucet Turn on By Itself: Possible Reasons and Their Solutions

When discussing the reasons, there’s more than one you can find. Let’s check out the possible reasons for the outside faucet turning on itself.

Possible Reasons	Solutions
Loose packing nut	Fix it by tightening the packing nut.
Worn out rubber washer	Replace the rubber washer with a new one.
Too tight packing	Loosen up the packing sufficiently.
Sensor trouble	Check the sensor and make sure it’s triggered properly.
Function failure	Examine the function settings and fix/replace accordingly.
Worn out hose	Check the hose for damage and repair it.

Loose packing nut might be the reason your faucet turns on by itself

The packing nut holds the water in when the faucet is on. With passing time, often, the packing nut gets loose.

It becomes easier for the water force to come through a loose packing nut and turn the faucet on without any outside help.

You can solve this with a bit of fixing. Tightening the packing nut will be sufficient for most of the cases. But you might need to replace the nut or the faucet depending on the damage.

Worn out rubber washer in water faucet outdoor

The rubber washer’s job is to seal the water when the faucet is turned off. When we turn on the faucet, the washer presses tightly against the valve seat and locks the water.

When the washer gets tattered, it becomes unable to hold the water. Hence, the water keeps running from a turned off faucet.

If you observe any water coming out of the outdoor faucet when it’s supposed to be turned off, checking the washer is a good idea. If you see a worn-out rubber washer, replace it with a new one, and your problem will be solved in a jiffy!

Too tight packing can causetaps turning on by themselves

Packing is wrapped around the handle stem to prevent water from leaking out of the faucet.

If the packing is too tight, it may do the opposite of what it’s meant to do. The handle will turn to the opposite direction on its own and leave the faucet open.

When your faucet needs less effort in turning it on than turning off, you should be alert about the tight packing in your faucet.

Unwind the packing just as much as it needs and fix it to avoid an unnoticed faucet flood!

Sensor trouble on the outside faucet

Technical problems in sensors may often cause the outdoor faucet to turn on by itself.

If the sensor gets damaged or disrupted somehow, it will result in the faucet running continuously.

Check the sensor for probable damage or disruption. Fix the sensor range so that it triggers properly. Make sure there is no problem with the sensor and try to keep it clean. A dirty sensor alone can create chaos with the faucet outdoor.

Outside tap turned on by itself because of function failure

Examine your faucet for any kind of function failure.

An accidental function enabling or failing may cause the faucet to run unintentionally. You can inspect the timer for damages if the faucet turns on outside your set time.

In the case of a sensor based faucet, keep an eye on the power supply to prevent troubles. Check out the settings and reset them manually if you find any option turned on accidentally.

Worn out hose turned on by itself

The hose connects the water supply with the faucet.With a worn out hose, the water will keep running even after it’s turned off.

The valve in the hose is meant to prevent the water from flooding. But when the hose or the valve is worn out, it fails to do so—resulting in the faucet running continuously.

In the case of a worn out hose, fixing will do a little help. You’ll need to get a new one to get things better.

One might face any of the above-mentioned problems with their faucet. Most of them can be handled at home if you’re familiar with basic plumbing knowledge. But if you don’t even know the ‘Pluh-‘ of plumbing, then it will be best that you leave things to the experts!

A Helpful Tutorial You May Need!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Summing Up

Although it’s pretty normal to get scared and wonder why my outside faucet turns on by itself, it will be better if you try to find the reasons behind the issues before freaking out.

It’s not the ghosts trying to irritate you! It’s just some functional problems that can be fixed with some tinkers.

You can easily fix faucet turns on by itself once you know the reason! Most of the time you’ll be able to fix them in no time and some issues will require a replacement for a better result.

You Can Also Read:

• 9 Facts About The Single Handle Faucet No Cold Water
• Know Everything About How to Turn Off Water to Bathtub
• How to End Delta Kitchen Faucet No Hot Water Problem

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