Are you concerned about your outdoor faucets potentially freezing this winter? Outdoor plumbing is extremely prone to freezing if you don’t make sure it is fully winterized. The main concern if an outdoor faucet freezes is that it can lead to water leaking inside your house and causing extensive damage. In this article, we’ll explain the various steps involved in properly winterizing outdoor faucets and give you some tips to help prevent your indoor plumbing from freezing.
Disconnect the Hose
Once summer is over and you no longer need to water your lawn or garden, it’s important to disconnect any hoses, roll them up and then store them somewhere inside like a garage or shed. One reason for this is that your hoses won’t last as long and will be more likely to leak if you leave them outside all winter. Nonetheless, the main reason you should disconnect the hose from the outdoor faucet or bib is that leaving it connected often makes it impossible to fully winterize the faucet. That means the hose will greatly increase the chances of the faucet freezing.
Close the Shut-Off Valve
The next step is to go into your basement or crawl space and locate the water line that feeds the faucet outdoors. You should see a wheel or a straight handle on the pipe near where it exits outside through the exterior wall. This is the valve that allows you to shut off the water to the outdoor faucet, and you need to make sure that you fully close it. If you have more than one outdoor faucet, each of them should have a shut-off valve that you need to close.
Drain All the Water Out of the Faucet
After shutting the water to each outdoor faucet off, you need to go back outside and turn each faucet on so that it can fully drain. It shouldn’t take that long for the faucet to drain since you’re just draining the water out of the piece of pipe that extends past the shut-off valve. That means the pipe inside that supplies the faucet will remain full of water.
This usually isn’t a concern if you drain the pipe that sticks outside. However, it can be an issue if you don’t remember to turn the faucet off after you’ve fully drained it. The reason is that cold air can then travel through the pipe outside and reach the full water line inside, which increases the chances of it freezing.
Use an Insulating Cover to Further Reduce the Risk of Freezing
While this last step isn’t always necessary, it’s still a good idea. Putting an insulated cover over the outdoor faucet reduces the chances of it freezing should any water remain inside it after you drained it. Most covers have a drawstring that allows you to tighten the end of the cover and create a mostly airtight seal around the pipe where it sticks through the wall. If not, you can also use tape or a zip-tie to seal the cover. Sealing the cover is important for ensuring it is fully secured to the pipe and can’t get blown off. That said, the bigger reason you need to do this is that it blocks air from getting inside and reaching the pipe.
What Happens If an Outdoor Faucet Freezes?
If an outdoor faucet freezes, it will usually result in the pipe cracking. That’s because water expands quite a bit as it freezes, and this outward expansion can put more pressure on the inside of the pipe than it can handle. If you’re lucky, only the section of pipe that extends to the outside of your house will freeze and crack. That means you shouldn’t immediately have water leaking inside your house. However, you usually will end up with water leaking inside as soon as you open the shut-off valve next year.
A much more serious issue when the pipe outside freezes is that it can increase the chances of the pipe inside freezing and cracking as well. This is extremely likely to happen if you don’t shut off and winterize the outdoor faucet. That’s because the ice will quickly travel through the outdoor pipe and eventually result in the water in the indoor pipe freezing, cracking and starting to leak as well.
The other time you need to be much more concerned about the pipe inside your house freezing is if you have an old outdoor faucet. Any newer outdoor faucet in a cold climate is almost certainly frost proof. The difference between standard and frost-proof outdoor faucets is the length of their stem. The stem is the part of the faucet that sticks inside through the wall and connects to the pipe inside.
Frost-proof faucets have a long stem, which means they extend further into the house. The stem on a standard outdoor faucet is usually only a few inches long. That means you still have water next to the exterior wall even after closing the shut-off valve and draining the faucet. This increases the risk of the indoor pipe freezing since it’s in an area where the air temperature can still get extremely cold. That’s why it’s important to replace any standard faucets before winter since upgrading to frost-proof ones can make a huge difference in how prone the pipes inside your house are to freezing.
Other Tips for Protecting Your Plumbing During Winter
While outdoor faucets are most prone to freezing, an extreme cold snap can lead to your indoor pipes freezing as well. This is especially true if you have any uninsulated pipes in your crawl space or attic. Exposed pipes along a concrete wall in the basement also have a much higher chance of freezing and should be insulated. Even if your pipes are insulated, you should make sure to check them before winter to make sure the insulation is still intact and there are no gaps between the pieces of insulation. If the insulation has started crumbling, it will no longer work effectively and should be replaced before winter.
The other thing you should always do during extremely cold weather is open all your faucets indoors and leave them running. You don’t need them fully open as just a trickle of water continually flowing should ensure your pipes don’t freeze. That’s because you will have some water constantly moving through your pipes instead of just standing still. Standing water can freeze quite easily, but it must be far colder before running water starts freezing.
Twin Peaks Plumbing, Heating & Gas is a highly experienced plumbing and HVAC company offering exceptional services to residents of Nanaimo, BC, and the surrounding areas. If you’re concerned about the potential for frozen pipes this winter, we have what it takes to ensure your plumbing is fully protected. Whether it’s winterizing or upgrading your outdoor faucets, insulating your pipes or anything else, we’ll make sure the job is done correctly. We also specialize in heating repairs and maintenance and can ensure your home stays sufficiently warm all winter long. If you’re looking for the best home services, including emergency plumbing, in the area, contact Twin Peaks Plumbing, Heating & Gas today.
