What Do You Do if Icicles Are Coming From the Faucet?

Problem and Diagnosis

• The first step when you notice icicles coming out of a faucet is to diagnose the source of the leak. A leaking faucet likely drips water during warm and cold weather alike, increasing your water bill and softening the soil around your home. If left unchecked, it can lead to a conservation problem as well as water in your basement. Carefully break or melt away icicles and check to see whether they come from inside the spout or from the faucet's handle. If you can't tell, examine the faucet to see whether water forms around the base of the handle or if drops of water fall from the spout once it's free of ice.

Repair Options

• Once you know where your faucet's icicles are coming from, you can take steps to repair the problem. A leaking handle might simply require tightening. Water leaking from the spout could indicate a cracked or faulty washer inside the faucet assembly. Disassembling the faucet might reveal an obviously broken component, which you can replace as needed. In other cases, simply opening, cleaning and reassembling the faucet will make the handle and valve tight enough to hold back the flow of water.

Frost-free Models

• Some outdoor faucets come with the label frost-free. However, these faucets can still develop icicles if they experience a specific type of failure. Frost-free faucets have valves that are located several inches away from the spout. This ensures that when a frost-free faucet is installed, the water it holds back is inside your home and not exposed to freezing outdoor temperatures. If the valve fails, water can flow freely out of the faucet and create icicles near the spout. Replacing the valve or the entire faucet assembly is the only solution.

Indoor Faucets

• You might see icicles forming on an indoor faucet. This can only occur when the air in the room falls below freezing. For example, if you have a bathroom without its own heat vent that you close off from the rest of your home, or if your heating system fails and you can't heat your home, you could experience indoor faucet icicles. The process for stopping leaks is the same as with outdoor faucets. However, indoor freezing also creates the risk of burst pipes and damage to other fixtures. Keep your home warm enough to prevent ice formation and run water occasionally during heat failures to prevent ice from building up in the pipes.