Tips to Winterize Outdoor Faucets

Winterizing your outdoor faucets is one of the must do tasks before the winter season hits hard. Doing this chore in a timely manner protects the pipes from freezing and prevents their rupture. Burst pipes can be a cause of trouble for you as water infiltrates the walls, ceilings and floors making your house damp and musty. You may have to spend thousands of dollars to fix this problem. Therefore, it’s better to take the right steps proactively to save yourself from unnecessary hassle.

Steps to Winterize a Conventional Outdoor Faucet

  1. Turn off the water supply to the faucet. Also, turn off the shut-off valve closest to your outdoor valve in your basement or garage.
  2. Remove the spray nozzle if the hose is attached to the faucet. Drain the hose thoroughly, repair any pin holes and coil it neatly. Keep the hose horizontally on a flat surface away from snow and direct sunlight.
  3. If your faucet is of an older variety, it might have an indoor drainage port. For such faucets, open the drainage port with the bucket beneath it to prevent the water from spilling.
  4. If your faucet does not have an indoor drainage port, drain the remaining water by turning on the tap. After draining the water, turn off the faucet.
  5. Install an outdoor faucet cover to add an extra layer of protection. Make sure the cover seals tightly to the wall around the faucet.

 

Steps to Winterize a Frost-Free Outdoor Faucet

  1. Turn off the shut-off valve that supplies water to your outdoor tap. Frost free faucets safely drain off the remaining water when you turn off the shut off valve.
  2. If a hose is connected to the faucet, make sure you remove it after turning off the shut-off valve.

Drain the remaining water thoroughly. This is an essential step as the remaining water in the hose will freeze ad cause cracks and leakage in the faucet.

 

Bottom Line:

It only takes a few minutes to winterize outdoor faucets. Keep an eye on the weather forecast and plan your winterization before the temperature falls below 35 degrees Fahrenheit (1.7 degrees Celsius).