When the weather starts to cool down, it’s time to start preparing for winter. Important and easily forgettable jobs are draining and disconnecting your hoses and winterizing your outdoor faucets (hose bibs). Properly maintaining your outdoor faucets can prevent them from freezing. If your hose bibs were to freeze, it could cause damage to the pipe and potentially burst and leak inside your home.
Winterizing your outdoor faucets and hoses can be done in a few simple steps:
1. Disconnect, drain, and properly store the hose inside your home or building.
2. Turn off the valve inside your house that supplies the outside faucet.
3. Open the outside faucet to drain water from the outside faucet to the valve. If you have a newer outside faucet that’s frost proof - this step doesn’t need to be done.
That’s it! 1-2-3 and the job is done.
Additional Tips:
- Install frost-free hose bibs: These are a maintenance-free option that don’t require any draining. Simply remove and properly store the hose.
- Contact a professional: If you want to leave it to the professionals, contact your local plumbing contractor to assist. If you don’t know of a plumber in your area, check with friends or family members for referrals or search the Better Business Bureau.
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This blog was written by senior Personal Lines underwriter Kelsey Stoffel.
