To winterize an outdoor faucet, disconnect every hose, shut off the interior valve that feeds the faucet, open the outdoor tap and drain the water left in the line. Do it before the first hard freeze, because water that freezes inside a pipe can crack it and cause damage you may not discover until spring.
The timing matters. Water expands as it freezes, and Buttonwood, a Canadian plumbing company, says that expansion can create pressure of roughly 3,000 pounds per square inch, enough to burst a pipe. Even when a pipe does not split, a frozen line can block the flow of water into the home. The company recommends winterizing about two weeks before the first average cold temperatures, which in many Canadian regions means the end of October or the start of November. With the first week of October behind us, now is a sensible time to put this on the weekend list.
The job is short. You will need a bucket or a rag and, depending on your set-up, a screwdriver or wrench to remove a small cap. If you cannot find the interior shut-off valve, or the valve is stuck, leaking or corroded, stop and call a licensed plumber rather than forcing it.
Here is the process, based on guidance from two Canadian plumbing companies.
- Disconnect and store your hoses. Unscrew every garden hose from every outdoor faucet and bring the hoses indoors for the winter. Also remove splitters, nozzles and any other fittings, since they can trap water against the tap.
- Find the interior shut-off valve. The valve that supplies the outdoor faucet is typically in the basement, a mechanical room or a utility room, on the pipe that runs toward the outside wall. Follow the pipe back from the faucet if you are unsure. If you cannot find it, ask a licensed plumber.
- Shut the valve. Turn the valve to the closed position. On a ball valve, the handle sits perpendicular to the pipe when it is closed. On a round-handled valve, turn it clockwise until it is tightly shut.
- Open the outdoor faucet. Go outside and turn the tap on, so that the water trapped between the shut-off valve and the faucet has somewhere to go.
- Open the drain (bleeder) cap. Many interior shut-off valves have a small drain port or bleed cap downstream of the valve handle. Hold a cup, bucket or rag under it, remove the cap and let the remaining water run out. Expect some dripping.
- Replace the cap. Once the water has stopped, put the drain cap back on.
- Leave the outdoor tap open. Buttonwood advises keeping the faucet open through winter so that no pressure builds up in the line. Check that nothing is dripping from the interior valve in the days afterward.
Some outdoor faucets are frost-free models. John the Plumber, a Canadian plumbing company, notes that some outdoor faucets have these built-in features along with interior shut-offs and drain ports. Buttonwood says following the same steps still adds protection. Either way, hoses should come off.
If you are unsure what type of faucet you have, or you have several outdoor taps, a quick call to a licensed plumber can save a repair bill. The same goes for any tap that drips steadily after the interior valve is closed, since that is a job for a professional.
Winterizing outdoor faucets is a quick bit of home maintenance. A few minutes now, before temperatures drop, can prevent a burst pipe and the water damage that follows.
Sources: John the Plumber; Buttonwood.
