How to Winterize an Outside Faucet

Most people see late fall as a time to clean up the yard one last time, pull up plants and rake the last of the leaves before winter. However, a commonly overlooked fall maintenance staple is winterizing outdoor faucets. Failure to perform this quick and easy step before the cold weather sets in can result in frozen or burst pipes, a lot of hassle and a large bill.

Instructions

1. Disconnect and store hoses hooked up to outdoor faucets to allow the hardware to drain. If you have frost-free faucets, no further action is needed.

2. Locate the shut off valve for any faucets that are not frost-free (most older homes do not have frost-free faucets). The valve is generally located in the crawl space or basement near where the water pipe feeds to the outdoor faucet. Shut the valve off tightly.

3. Open the outside faucet to allow any remaining water to drain and to ensure that the valve has completely shut off the flow of water.

4. Leave the outside faucet in the open position for the winter to allow any remaining water to drain.

Tips & Warnings

• If you live in a particularly frigid area or want extra protection for your outdoor faucet, purchase an inexpensive faucet cover from a hardware store.

References

• HandyCanadian.com: Preparing Outdoor Water Faucets for Winter
• extension.org: Even Frost-Free Outdoor Faucets Can Freeze, Break

Resources

• improvementscatalog.com: Faucet Socks