If you live in the northern half of the United States, it's safe to say that winter temps are around the corner (if you haven't experienced them already). While it's a wonderful thing to experience the different seasons year round, it also puts a lot of responsibility on property owners. With the transition of seasons comes the task of closing outdoor plumbing for the winter months and preparing them for use again in the spring and summer.
If you haven't already winterized your outdoor faucets, now is as good a time as any to get them taken care of to prevent major damage and headaches later on this season.
If you haven't already winterized your outdoor faucets, now is as good a time as any to get them taken care of to prevent major damage and headaches later on this season.
STEP ONE
First, disconnect hoses from your outside hosebib. Even if you've invested in the popular freeze-proof hose it needs to be disconnected. Also, make sure that you have no splitters or connectors attached to the faucet. By leaving the hose or other connectors on the faucet you risk water getting trapped in the line and expanding as it freezes. This will cause a break in the pipes or outside faucets.
STEP TWO
The next step is to inspect your outside faucets. It's easy to forget about them as the fall months begin, but ignoring any leaks or drips will no doubt cause a big problem this winter as the temperatures plummet. If you notice any water dripping or leaking from the hosebib it's best to minimize the potential damage now and get it repaired before winterizing your faucet.
STEP THREE
Next, you will actually turn off your faucet in the following steps:
1. Locate your shutoff valve for the outdoor faucet or faucets. This is often times in the basement, crawl space or garage depending on where you live. Gently but firmly turn the water off. In a newer home you will see a lever style valve which you will want to turn one quarter turn to the "off" position. In other homes you may have a knob which you will rotate clockwise until it stops. If you have a much older home you may see a square post at a pipe junction. For these valves without a knob or a handle, a pliers can be used to turn it clockwise until it stops.
1. Locate your shutoff valve for the outdoor faucet or faucets. This is often times in the basement, crawl space or garage depending on where you live. Gently but firmly turn the water off. In a newer home you will see a lever style valve which you will want to turn one quarter turn to the "off" position. In other homes you may have a knob which you will rotate clockwise until it stops. If you have a much older home you may see a square post at a pipe junction. For these valves without a knob or a handle, a pliers can be used to turn it clockwise until it stops.
2. Go back to your outside faucet and turn on the water. Once the water has stopped flowing you can be certain that you have released any water trapped in the pipe. This will reduce the chance of any freezing during the winter months. Leave the hosebib open all winter for extra protection.
STEP FOUR
Finally, you may want to protect your outside faucet with insulation. The easiest way to do this is install a hosebib cover on each outdoor fixture (yes, even those frost free hosebibs!) The options below are highly rated to protect your plumbing outdoors from winter mishaps and disasters.
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Amanda Klecker, Zell Plumbing & Heating
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