Many people use the spigot knob a little firmer than they need to, and this can cause it the bokashi bucket spigot to leak. These simple but durable spigots are made with rubber washers inside, and just two threaded plastic nuts at each end. Over tightening or over opening the spigot can either cause the plastic nuts to come loose, or the inner washers to roll off.
How to stop a bokashi bucket spigot leaking
A leaking spigot can occur in one of 4 ways. Item 1 is the most common culprit:
- Check that the nut on the OUTSIDE of the bin, just in behind the spigot knob, is tight. If it is loose, the spigot can’t close fully and will drip. This is a tricky knob to see and get to, but it’s the most common culprit. You’ll have easier access to this nut if you open the spigot knob fully. Use your fingers or long nose pliers to tighten. You can very easily test to see if its worked to stop the leak by pressing DOWN on the lid of the bin. If you hear air escaping through the spigot, then it is still not sealing properly.
- The spigot knob itself is threaded into the spigot body. If you over-open the spigot, sometimes this spigot know can unthread from the body. If this has happened then the spigot knob will turn endlessly and never feel tight. To correct this, simply PUSH IN on the spigot knob while tightening, and the thread should re-engage itself properly. As above, you can press on the lid of the bin and listen for air to see if this corrects your problem.
- It’s rare, but over-tightening the spigot can cause the spigot washers to roll out of position. By disassembling the spigot and removing it from the bin, you can fairly easily reposition the washers if this has happened. Of course, you will need to have the bin empty in order to be able to do this. To disassemble the spigot, first remove the nut on the inside of the bin. The spigot will then easily pull out, and from there you can take it apart and see if things look right (see images below).
- Finally, there may be something blocking the spigot from sealing properly. A piece of food waste or bokashi bran could be stuck inside so that the washers cannot make proper contact, causing the spigot to leak. Following step 3 above, you can clean the spigot washers and the inside of the spigot, when you dissemble it from the bin.
By following the above, nearly every spigot can be made as new again.
Disassembled Spigot
How to use the bokashi bucket spigot correctly
For ongoing use, it’s best to use the spigot this way:
Closing the spigot: A simple and light finger tighten is all that is needed to seal the bin.
Opening the spigot: A half to three quarters of a turn is all that is needed to open the spigot. Opening it more than this is not necessary.
Order now! Find all your bokashi composting supplies in our online shop.
Other posts you might like to read:
Troubleshooting: What to do if your bokashi bin goes bad
What does a successful bokashi bin look like?
How many bokashi buckets do I need?
Fantastic instructions, I am not mechanically inclined, but fixed one of mine bins. I have three bins and make at least 400 litres of compost a year. Thank you
So glad it was helpful. Keep up the great composting 🙂
I am curious about what specific microbes are likely to be in the EM and therefore the Bokashi compost. What kinds of roles do the particular microbes play in the soil ecosystem. Are some of the microbes in EM pathogenic on plant disease agents and on insects that are harmful to garden plants? Thank you for ongoing work to support bokashi culture through education and products.
In a nutshell, both the bokashi bran and the EM contain 14 major probiotic garden microbial species, including enhanced levels of the amazing purple non sulfur phototropic bacteria (PNSB) and 65 trace minerals.
All these combine to effectively regenerate soil and develop robust plant roots. The result is plants that are healthy and more resistant to pests and disease. The combined effort of this diverse group of bacterias results in an amazing bacteria group that can metabolize toxins, effectively removing them from the garden.