Winter is coming, and that means it’s time to start thinking about how to protect your outdoor faucets from freezing weather. If you don’t take steps to winterize them, they could freeze and burst, causing a lot of damage. In this blog post, we will discuss some tips for preventing your outdoor faucets from freezing during the winter months.
When the cold season arrives, it can wreak havoc on your household plumbing. To minimize possible damages from freezing water in pipes and to protect them against any ruptures caused by expanding liquids, winterizing before its onset is highly recommended. Taking preventive measures before a disaster occurs will be much more cost-effective than dealing with thousands of dollars worth of destruction due to soaked walls, ceilings, and floors that come as a consequence of burst pipelines.
Winterizing your outdoor faucets (hose spigots) is the best place to begin when protecting them from freezing temperatures. Luckily, it’s simple thanks to the insulated covers you can buy for each one. Installing these and executing some other simple procedures will guard those exterior outlets against breaking due to cold weather!
What You’ll Need
Equipment / Tools
- Bucket (for draining excess water)
- Wrench (for any necessary removals or repairs))
Materials
- Insulated outdoor faucet covers (one for each outdoor spigot)
- Faucet repair materials (as needed)
Instructions
Installing outdoor faucet covers is an important step in winterizing your home and ensuring that no trapped water remains which can freeze inside the spigot. To complete this task successfully, it’s best to take additional steps such as draining any remaining water from outside pipes and hoses before installing the cover.
Disconnect Any Hoses
- Before the winter season arrives, be sure to detach any hoses, splitters, or other fixtures connected to your outdoor faucets – regardless if they are freeze-proof or not. Not doing so can leave water trapped inside and increase the chances of a freezing faucet.
- Taking precaution is key here, as most folks will wait until the temperature has already dropped to disconnect their hoses. To avoid any potential disasters brought on by an early frost, it’s best practice to unhook your hose well in advance – even one night of freezing temperatures can bring irreparable damage.
Inspect the Spigots
To winterize outdoor faucets, the next step is identifying and repairing any existing leaks. Carefully inspect all spigots, yard hydrants, and other fixtures for any issues. If you do come across a leak or drip in one of these areas before temperatures dip below freezing levels, then be sure to repair or replace it right away!
Dripping water typically reflects an underlying issue with a faulty washer or cartridge component that can restrict flow inside the spigot itself – as well as within its associated pipe system – leading them both to potentially freeze over during cold weather conditions.
Tip
Even the most reliable “freeze-proof” outdoor spigots are not fully protected from freezing temperatures, so covering your faucets with a weather-resistant insulator is essential. To ensure long-term success in protecting your outdoor fixtures, consider investing in specialized freeze-proof spigots that will offer more reliable protection and help you avoid any potential problems posed by harsh winter weather conditions.
Drain the Spigot and Pipes
To ensure your pipes don’t freeze, the next step is to get as much water out as possible. If you’re not using a freeze-proof outdoor faucet, simply shut off the line if it’s an option and drain any remaining water from it before temperatures drop below freezing.
To do this efficiently, begin by closing the interior valve that connects to that spigot then open up the spigot for several hours until all of its contents are drained out. Once there’s no more water left in sight – close down the spigot once again!
Tip
If there is not an indoor shut-off valve, it’s essential to heavily insulate the spigot from external elements. Though frost-free spigots and yard hydrants are designed in a manner that blocks water away from the end of their stem, hoses and accessories should still be detached during winter months as they may fail to empty correctly otherwise.
Install Outdoor Faucet Covers
To ensure your outdoor faucets remain in top condition throughout the winter, you need to take certain protective measures. Installing an outdoor faucet cover on each fixture – including those that are not frost-free – is a simple and effective way of doing so.
Furthermore, as an extra precautionary measure with regular spigots, you can stuff them with additional insulation before covering them up. Nonetheless, these covers usually provide more than enough protection from cold temperatures!
Even though frost-free spigots are designed to repel freezing, they should still be covered in the coldest of climates. Inside these faucets are rubber gaskets and washers that will benefit from being shielded against extreme temperatures.
5 BEST OUTDOOR FAUCET COVERS FOR WINTER
1. Frost King Outdoor Foam Faucet Cover
2. ArtiGifts Pro Outdoor Faucet Cover Socks For Winter
3. Demedo XXL Outdoor Faucet Cover
4. Teal Turtle Reusable Outdoor Faucet Cover
5. Tipkits Outdoor Faucet Cover
How Frost-Proof Wall Hydrants or Hose Bibs Work?
Frost-proof wall hydrants and hose bibs are specialized tools intended to seal off the water supply within your foundation walls. With a mechanism longer than its corresponding washer seat, these frost-resistant devices come in various lengths that depend on the width of your structure’s arrangement or connection point inside. Once turned off, any remaining water is promptly drained away safely.
As long as the pipes are installed correctly, no further insulation is necessary. Nevertheless, before winter sets in make sure to unplug any garden hoses that may be connected. In harsher climates or during especially cold winters, if the room where your piping connects inside is not kept warm it can lead to frozen and burst pipes when they start thawing again.
How Outdoor Faucet Covers Work
Faucet covers come in two distinct styles: square or dome-shaped rigid thermal foam shells with flexible gaskets that snugly fit over outdoor faucets, and thick fabric bags stuffed with insulation. These protective devices provide excellent protection against ruptured spigots due to freezing temperatures when they are properly sealed around the base of the faucet.
To protect outdoor spigots from freezing and bursting, faucet covers are the perfect solution. These covers trap heat that radiates through interior pipes to your exterior faucets which prevent ice buildup – regardless of what name it goes by (e.g., “Garden Faucet Insulation Cover” or “Insulated Faucet Socks”). For optimal thermal protection, make sure these covers fit snugly against the spout so they can properly do their job!
