Tips on Winterizing Outdoor Garden Taps

Taking a few minutes before the cold winter weather hits, can save you from the headache of a frozen pipe that will flood your house. You need to find the shut-off valve that will stop the water to the outside spigot.

Turn the valve off, and next go outside, and remove the garden hose. You should always remove the garden hoses from your outside spigots, even if you have frost-free hose bibs. The garden hose can trap water in the spigot, which could freeze and break the pipe.

Once you have removed the garden hose, open the faucet and let the water drain out. The shut-off valve on the inside will normally have a small bleeder cap on the side of it. Remove the small cap, this will break the vacuum and allow the rest of the water to drain out. Leaving the outside faucet open, will make sure that if the valve inside leaks water it won’t be trapped and freeze.

Before you finish, put the small-cap back on the shut-off valve. This will have you ready to go when the warm weather returns. While you are taking care of the hose bibs, you should take care of your garden hoses. Stretch out the hoses and get all the water to drain out of them, then roll up the hoses until the spring.

These plumbing tips will help you keep your pipes and home plumbing faucets and fixtures in good working order.