How to winterize outdoor faucets

Why outdoor faucets burst

Water expands as it freezes, and the Red Cross notes that the pressure can break metal or plastic pipe no matter how strong it is. Outdoor hose bibs are on its list of the pipes that freeze most often. The trouble usually isn't the faucet you can see, but the short length of pipe just inside the wall. When it splits, you may not know until spring, when you turn the faucet on and water runs into the basement or the wall.

When to do it

Do it before the first hard freeze. In northern Illinois, the Illinois State Climatologist puts the median first fall freeze in mid- to late October in the northwest and late October or early November in the northeast, and notes that the median at Chicago Midway comes 10 to 15 days later than in some of the collar counties. A median means half of years freeze earlier, so in the Chicago area, doing it in early to mid October gives you a margin. It fits naturally with the rest of the fall house checklist.

How to winterize an outdoor faucet

1. 1. Take off the hoseDisconnect every hose, drain it, and store it. Remove any splitter or timer from the faucet too.
2. 2. Find the inside shutoffLook on the pipe just inside the wall behind the outdoor faucet, often in the basement ceiling or a utility room.
3. 3. Close the inside valveTurn it clockwise until it stops. Some valves have a small drain cap on the side. If yours does, open it over a bucket to empty the pipe.
4. 4. Open the outdoor faucetLet the water in the line run out. The Red Cross says to leave the outside valve open, so any water left in the pipe can expand without breaking it.
5. 5. Add a cover if you likeFit an insulated cover over the faucet for extra protection in hard cold snaps.
6. 6. Repeat for every outdoor faucetMany houses have two or more, plus lines to sprinklers. Drain sprinkler lines the way their maker or installer directs.

Frost-free faucets still need the hose off

Many newer houses have frost-free (also called freezeless) faucets. They have a long body that runs through the wall, with the actual shutoff valve at the inside end, in the heated part of the house. Prier describes its P-154 hydrant this way: it connects to the supply piping in the heated portion of the house, and the water inside the hydrant drains out after you shut it off. It may drip for up to 60 seconds while it does.

That draining only works if nothing blocks it. Prier names leaving the garden hose attached during freezing weather as the most common cause of a burst inside the faucet: the hose holds water in the body, and it freezes. The faucet also has to be installed with a slight downward pitch toward the outside so the water can run out. So even with a frost-free faucet, take the hose off for the winter. Some models are made to drain with a hose attached; your faucet's manual says which kind you have.

Whether frost-free faucets also need the inside valve closed depends on the house. If yours has a separate shutoff for that line, closing it adds a layer of protection.

Faucet covers

Insulated foam covers that fit over the faucet are cheap and easy, and they help in a cold snap. But a cover only slows the cold. It isn't a substitute for draining the line, and it does nothing for a faucet with a hose still attached. The Red Cross also suggests insulating exposed water pipes in unheated spaces like garages, basements and crawl spaces, with pipe sleeves or UL-listed heat tape.

If a pipe freezes

If you turn on a faucet and get only a trickle, suspect a frozen pipe. The Red Cross says to keep the faucet open and warm the frozen section with an electric heating pad, a hair dryer, a space heater kept away from anything that can burn, or towels soaked in hot water. Never use a blowtorch, a kerosene or propane heater, or any other open flame. If you can't find or reach the frozen spot, or can't thaw it, call a licensed plumber. Check your other faucets too: if one pipe froze, others may have.

If a pipe bursts

Shut off the water at the main valve right away. The University of Illinois Extension says stopping the flow of water can minimize the damage, and that everyone in the house should know where the shutoff is before anything goes wrong. Then call a plumber and your insurance agent. Be careful of electric shock around standing water. Finding the main shutoff now, while nothing is leaking, takes a few minutes and is worth doing now.

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