How do I winterize my outdoor faucet?

How do I prepare my outdoor faucet for winter?

Do outdoor faucets need to be winterized?

To avoid damage inside and outside of your home from a water leak when all of that ice thaws, it's a good idea to winterize outdoor faucets, pipes and plumbing well before that first freeze.

How do you winterize an outside faucet without a shut off valve?

What is the best way to protect outside faucets from freezing?

Cover the exterior faucet with an insulated slip-on cover. This will prevent any remaining water from freezing. Exterior pipes should be wrapped with insulation tubing, which can be found at your local hardware store. Do not wrap your pipes with bath towels or newspaper!

How to Winterize Your Outdoor Faucet

Should I drip my outdoor faucets?

When the weather is very cold outside, let the cold water drip from the faucet served by exposed pipes. Running water through the pipe - even at a trickle - helps prevent pipes from freezing.

What is the cap on top of an outdoor faucet?

The vacuum cap is circular and about an inch in diameter, and it either slips or screws onto the top of the faucet. The device underneath it is known as a vacuum breaker or an anti-siphon valve.

Is there a separate shut-off valve for outside faucet?

Exterior faucets should have a separate shutoff valve inside the house, but not all of them do. In older homes, these valves are typically located at the ceiling somewhere close to the outside faucet. In newer homes, the valves are typically located right next to the main water valve, and they're also usually labeled.

How do I find the shut-off valve for outdoor faucet?

Your home's outdoor water shut-off valve is usually located near the ceiling, on the inside of the wall where the outdoor faucet is located. If the outdoor shut-off valve is tap- or knob-style, turn it clockwise, or to the right, to shut it off (remember: righty-tighty, lefty-loosey).

Where is my outdoor water shut off?

What can I use instead of a faucet cover?

For every faucet you'll need an old shirt or towel from the rag pile, large ziplock bag or plastic shopping bag and wide tape such as duct tape or packing tape. I have used painters tape in a pinch or tied it with string. That's it.

Should you let outside faucets drip in freezing weather?

When the weather is very cold outside, let the cold water drip from the faucet served by exposed pipes. Running water through the pipe - even at a trickle - helps prevent pipes from freezing.

How do you cover an outdoor water faucet?

Unscrew any hoses or connections from your outdoor faucet. Wrap the faucet with several layers of rags or t-shirts, making it as snug as possible. Cover the fabric insulation with one or two plastic bags. Secure the bags with the tape by wrapping them several times around.

At what temperature do outdoor faucets freeze?

When temperatures dip to 28 degrees or below, and the outside faucets freeze, ice can form in the water supply pipes that lead to those exposed outdoor faucets. If your outdoor faucets aren't properly prepared for winter, water damage from frozen pipes may occur.

What happens if outdoor faucet freezes?

Water expands when it freezes, frozen faucets cause burst pipes. Ice takes up nearly 10% more space than the same amount of liquid water does. If the pipe is full of water in the liquid state, there is no room for expansion if the temp drops low enough for the water to freeze over!

What are the different parts of an outdoor faucet?

How does a frost-free outdoor faucet work?

When you shut down the water on a frost-free faucet, the water stops behind the valve, which is set further back inside the home. This indicates the water won't freeze since it remains where the interior air temperature level is warmer.

What is an anti-siphon outdoor faucet?

An anti-siphon faucet or valve is installed to prevent the backflow of dirty water into the clean water source. People use anti-siphon taps for outdoor plumbing, utility sinks, and mainly where a hose is attached to supply water outside of a home.

Is it better to drip outdoor faucets or cover them?

Install Outdoor Faucet Covers

In most situations, however, the faucet cover will provide enough insulation. Frost-free spigots should still be covered as well—although they are resistant to freezing, they are not completely frost-proof in the coldest weather.

How much should I drip my faucet to prevent freezing?

A dripping faucet wastes some water, so only pipes vulnerable to freezing (ones that run through an unheated or unprotected space) should be left with the water flowing. The drip can be very slight. A flow of one gallon per hour is enough to prevent freezing.

When should you cover your outside faucets?

We all know that frost and freezing temperatures can damage outdoor faucets and pipes, so we should really cover them up in winter.

How many faucets should I let drip?

How many faucets should I let drip? You only need to let one faucet drip, but it's best for that faucet to be the one farthest away from where the water enters your home. The city of Portland and Consumer Reports both have some quick-and-easy tips on what to do if a pipe does burst or the water freezes.

How do you wrap outside faucets to freeze?

Wrap exposed pipes with insulation tubes.

Open this slit and place insulation tubes around all of your outside pipes. For extra protection, use duct tape to keep the slit tightly shut and to better protect the pipes from damage.