Properly Winterizing Outdoor Faucets

Expert Contributor

by Expert Contributor Rick Bondurant of R.F. Bondurant Plumbing

As we move into a new season, the leaves start to fall and the temps start to drop. One thing that is often overlooked is preparing outdoor faucets for the winter. When water freezes, it expands and can split right through pipes. A busted water pipe can cause thousands of dollars of damage from water-soaked walls, ceilings and floors. So it just makes sense to take some time to prevent this from happening.

While there are specialty outdoor faucets mar- keted as “freeze-proof,” there is no guarantee that these faucets will not freeze in the coldest weather. Even though they are the best and most popular outdoor faucets to have, it’s still wise to prepare them for winter.

No matter the outdoor spigot type, freeze-proof or not, it is very important to remove any hoses, splitters, or other fitting screwed onto the faucet before winter sets in. Not doing so will make it much more likely that the faucet will freeze. This is always a difficult task because most people will want to use the outdoor water until the very point that the freezing weather begins. It’s best to preempt cold weather by disconnecting hoses early because even one night of freezing weather can cause a break in the pipes.

The next step would be to shut off the valve inside the house and open up the faucet on the outside. Some residual water will drain out. It’s important to open the faucet to allow the water to escape. Eventually the water should stop. If it does not stop and continues to drip, then that means the inside shut-off valve is faulty and needs to be replaced.

These are a few simple steps that can save you some trouble when the temperatures drop below freezing during the winter. It can also make things a lot easier in the spring when you go to turn the outdoor faucets back on.

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