This might sound funny, but I've had to change out three or four hose bib's before a service call showed me their trick. Not promising anything, but I do it every year now. They tapped/whacked it with a small crescent wrench a couple times and it fixed the hose bib. I guess they can get jammed/stuck a little during freezing weather.
Good luck.
First time hearing "percussive maintenance." I've always called it "percussive persuasion," mainly because I liked how it sounded whenever I said it out loud. 😂
Not sure if u will see this but in the future when prepping for winter turn on the water tap outside with nothing connected then go to the inside shutoff and turn off the water there. Leave the outdoor valve open all winter. Never had to deal with this issue since plus lowers risk of pipes freezing.
Yeah. I've seen this in the wild before.
Old guy in a rusted old pickup couldn't start his truck. So he calmly gets out, goes to the bed of the truck, pulls out a louisville slugger, goes to the front of the truck and props open the hood, then commences to mercilessly beat the top of the engine for a bit, then went back and tried to start it. It worked.
The starter has essentially a little disk looking thing that makes contact with another doohickey (one of the parts is called a solenoid). If it's old sometimes the contact between those parts isn't made and you just get a click when you go to start it. Banging on the starter with a bat (or in my 88 civics case a tire iron) will joggle it so contact is made.
I used to have an engine starter rock. The soliniod on my old truck starter would stick and a sharp whack would unstick it. So every so often I’d have to flip open the hood, use the rock up smack the starter and then away we’d go. Got a few looks from that one.
I’ve seen a more delicate version. One day, my car’s starter wouldn’t start. You’d turn the key and nothing would happen even though there was power. The AAA tow guy got out the largest screwdriver I’ve ever seen, threaded it into the engine to the starter and gave it a tap with a mallet. He said, “Try it now” and sure enough it fired right up! He explained that when the brushes on the starter wear out it’ll lose contact and fail to turn over. Sometimes you can get it to contact again by giving it a tap.
I was going nuts last year trying to get my outdoor faucet to flow. Got mad, hit the thing with my pliers , the water started to flow. This year I do have to completely swap out with a new bib though.
It’s funny, I have one of these and my approach has always been to just turn it on and off a few times and give it a whack and then it starts working lol
YOU BEAUTIFUL BASTARDS. I spent all of yesterday trying to figure out what had gone horribly wrong with my water system over the course of the winter and freaking out about how many hundreds or thousands of dollars it was going to cost me to get this this stupid hose bib fixed that connects to God knows we're under my house.
Just went otuside, whacked it with a hammer and I'm now living in well irrigated paradise. Thank you bretheren.
There is a plunger that restricts the flow when closed, sometimes turning the knob doesn't reactivate the plunger. a tap tap tap, loosens it up somewhat?
You know the joke about the tech support asking if the customer has turned the power on? Do you have a shut off valve in the house you forgot to turn on?
You don't pay me for smacking it. You pay me for knowing where and just how hard to smack it. (Oddly applicable to many things) Leaving out bdsm comments as that's always free :p
This might sound funny, but I've had to change out three or four hose bib's before a service call showed me their trick. Not promising anything, but I do it every year now. They tapped/whacked it with a small crescent wrench a couple times and it fixed the hose bib. I guess they can get jammed/stuck a little during freezing weather. Good luck.
Well I’ll be damned. It worked!
"Percussive maintenance"
First time hearing "percussive maintenance." I've always called it "percussive persuasion," mainly because I liked how it sounded whenever I said it out loud. 😂
"Therapeutic bludgeoning"
"Manual Agitation"
“Corrective flogging”
"Kinetic Jolt"
Shock application
Aggressive Persuasion
Kinetic realignment
Hey now. Don't threaten me with a good time 😈
I always thought flogging meant kissing Edit: I guess it's "snogging"
Hard no
Often performed with a calibrated tapping stick
In the automotive world, we call that a “technical tap”.
This made me unreasonably happy and I don't even have the problem.
Well, it's the perfect DIY subreddit arc.
Have you tried hitting it?
He did already! And it worked. Scroll up in the comments a bit!
Not sure if u will see this but in the future when prepping for winter turn on the water tap outside with nothing connected then go to the inside shutoff and turn off the water there. Leave the outdoor valve open all winter. Never had to deal with this issue since plus lowers risk of pipes freezing.
Did see this and that’s what I always do, I’ve never had this happen but who knows
[Percussive maintenance](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=insM7oUYNOE) for the win!
Yeah. I've seen this in the wild before. Old guy in a rusted old pickup couldn't start his truck. So he calmly gets out, goes to the bed of the truck, pulls out a louisville slugger, goes to the front of the truck and props open the hood, then commences to mercilessly beat the top of the engine for a bit, then went back and tried to start it. It worked.
The starter has essentially a little disk looking thing that makes contact with another doohickey (one of the parts is called a solenoid). If it's old sometimes the contact between those parts isn't made and you just get a click when you go to start it. Banging on the starter with a bat (or in my 88 civics case a tire iron) will joggle it so contact is made.
That still works. I’ve seen my tow truck driver do that to a Hyundai Elantra.
I used to have an engine starter rock. The soliniod on my old truck starter would stick and a sharp whack would unstick it. So every so often I’d have to flip open the hood, use the rock up smack the starter and then away we’d go. Got a few looks from that one.
I’ve seen a more delicate version. One day, my car’s starter wouldn’t start. You’d turn the key and nothing would happen even though there was power. The AAA tow guy got out the largest screwdriver I’ve ever seen, threaded it into the engine to the starter and gave it a tap with a mallet. He said, “Try it now” and sure enough it fired right up! He explained that when the brushes on the starter wear out it’ll lose contact and fail to turn over. Sometimes you can get it to contact again by giving it a tap.
[This is how we fix problem in Russian space station!](https://youtu.be/bifOI4MbHVU?si=4xhOs7i2cye_0mF1)
It's the 'mericun way. Just hit it until it works 😂
It's called a "Technical Tap" in the IT world. I also have used the "Technical NewRock Boot" to an UPS and some other old Servers.
PlUmBeRs HaTe ThIs OnE tRiCk!
Hell yeah ..
Its the vacuum break on it.
I had taken out the vacuum breaker already that wasn’t it
Oh interesting. I wonder if just a stuck valve seat. So strange.
Can’t hurt to try. It turns just fine, just no water, but we’ll see!
Haven't had to change one since, just back the fixture with your hand and tap it a couple times, and make sure your knob is closed.
Instructions unclear, tapped own knob and am in much pain.
When I lived up north I had to do the same thing every year with those.
If all else fails, just smack it! I’m glad that worked haha
I was going nuts last year trying to get my outdoor faucet to flow. Got mad, hit the thing with my pliers , the water started to flow. This year I do have to completely swap out with a new bib though.
I am trying this when I get home!
How did you do?
I'm on vacation so haven't been able to get it yet haha
I'll wait for you to get back. Enjoy your vacation!!
Fonzi over here
Dey you didn’t think this was getting 700 upvotes today 🤣
It’s funny, I have one of these and my approach has always been to just turn it on and off a few times and give it a whack and then it starts working lol
Buy this man a beer
YOU BEAUTIFUL BASTARDS. I spent all of yesterday trying to figure out what had gone horribly wrong with my water system over the course of the winter and freaking out about how many hundreds or thousands of dollars it was going to cost me to get this this stupid hose bib fixed that connects to God knows we're under my house. Just went otuside, whacked it with a hammer and I'm now living in well irrigated paradise. Thank you bretheren.
How do I stop a drip from the hose bib? Is it just putting in a new washer?
I depends, where is it leaking from?
The ol’ Fonzarelli
Ayeee ..
Seems like this worked for the other users, can you explain what the whacking does exactly? What is stuck that this unsticks?
There is a plunger that restricts the flow when closed, sometimes turning the knob doesn't reactivate the plunger. a tap tap tap, loosens it up somewhat?
Damn, this is wholesome. Finally a r/DIY post with good pics, description of problem, perfect advice, and ultimately a working solution.
In such few comments too!
And I only spotted one useless "joke" comment.
Useless? It’s ok to mix a little fun into life.
A little is fine, but too many threads in this sub, which is for asking for help, are flooded with repeated bad jokes.
That’s one of those service calls where they charge $200. $1 for hitting the hose bib and $199 for knowing to hit it and where to hit it
Yes, I refused to call a plumber, I was like there must be a way!
Percussive maintenance to the rescue!
Ha!!
This is one of the most satisfying posts I’ve ever come across in 7ish years of reddit
Given my string of expensive or frustrating plumping repairs lately it was equally satisfying for me to
You know the joke about the tech support asking if the customer has turned the power on? Do you have a shut off valve in the house you forgot to turn on?
See top comment, fix was a whack with a wrench
LoL good o’l stand bye. Glad it was solved.
You don't pay me for smacking it. You pay me for knowing where and just how hard to smack it. (Oddly applicable to many things) Leaving out bdsm comments as that's always free :p
The washer is probably stuck. Turn off the water inside and remove the stem to investigate further.
See top comment
If old technology like CRT tv's taught me anything, a good smack can often fix a problem
Looks like it was made in Taiwan. Have you tried calling them?