How to Winterize an Outdoor Faucet

How to Winterize Outdoor Faucets

It’s best to disconnect hoses early to stay ahead of the cold weather. Even one night of freezing weather can cause pipes to break.

1. Disconnect Hoses

   Remove hoses, splitters, or other fittings screwed onto the faucet before winter sets in. Not removing hoses can trap water and make it much more likely a faucet will freeze.
   

2. Check Faucets for Leaks

   Check all spigots, yard hydrants, and other fixtures for leaks and drips. If you do find any problems, repair or replace the fixture before the temperature drops to freezing. Dripping water indicates a spigot with a leaky washer or cartridge, which can block up and freeze in the spigot or the pipe feeding it.

3. Drain the Spigot and Pipes

   Shut off the line and drain the water into a bucket while temperatures remain above freezing.

   Do this by shutting off an interior shut-off valve to the water line leading to the spigot. Open the spigot and leave it open for a few hours until the water inside the pipe drains. After the water drains out, close the spigot again.

4. Install Outdoor Faucet Covers

   The last step to winterizing outdoor faucets is to protect them with insulation. Fit the faucet cover tightly over the faucet. There should be no gaps between the house and the cover. For cloth covers, cinch the drawstring tightly around the faucet, as close to the house as possible.

   Frost-free spigots should also be covered. Although they resist some freezing, they are not entirely frost-proof. The extra protection from the cold will benefit the gaskets and washers inside the frost-free spigots.

Tips for Winterizing Outdoor Faucets

Learn tips for using outdoor faucet covers and other ways to winterize your faucets.

• Try a freeze-proof faucet: Installing freeze-proof spigots is a good step toward avoiding long-term potential problems. They come in different lengths, depending on the width of your foundation wall or point of connection inside. When off, the water drains out.
• Pick the right faucet cover: Faucet covers are either square or dome-shaped shells made of rigid thermal foam with flexible gaskets that fit right over outdoor faucets, or they are flexible bags made of thick fabric stuffed with insulation.
• Add insulation: Extra loose insulation can be packed inside the faucet cover to keep it warm and dry throughout the winter. However, in most situations, the faucet cover will provide enough insulation.
• Keep the house heated: Faucet covers work by trapping heat that naturally radiates through the house and interior pipes to the outdoor faucet. The insulated cover prevents this radiated heat from escaping. If the house is left unheated, or if you stop using the plumbing, the faucet cover will not work properly.
• Seal against the house: Press the faucet cover tightly against the house to provide the most thermal protection. Leave no gaps between the cover and the house siding.
• Find the main water shut-off: Water that runs through the faucet first comes from pipes within the house. These pipes have a main water shut-off valve. Find the shut-off valve so you can turn it off quickly in case of a leak. The shut-off is usually located on the street side of the house and inside the house perimeter, in a basement or near the foundation. If there's no indoor shut-off valve, insulating with a faucet cover is even more important.

When to Call a Professional

If you have a frost-free faucet or a yard hydrant, you'll have less need for faucet covers. For example, a frost-free faucet may survive unharmed if you forget to add the covers before a long, freezing night. Call a plumber to install a frost-free faucet or yard hydrant for you.