It’s that time of year to get your house ready and exterior for the coming cold winter weather. One of the crucial factors to consider when preparing your outdoor faucets is to resist the winter weather if you reside in a region with harsh winters.
1: Locate All Of Your Outdoor Faucets
The first thing to find is the faucets in the area around your house’s exterior. That includes any faucets within the backyard, as the faucets connect to rain barrels or other water sources. It is essential to remove and drain all hoses attached to the taps.
Suppose you’re anticipating some freezing winter weather. In that case, you must ensure your pipes are protected with insulation to keep them from freezing. If they get not lined with insulation, wrap them in foam insulation or apply heat tape over the pipes. Also, clearing your gutters of debris would be best to ensure they don’t flood as temperatures fall.
2: Find the Shutoff Valve That Is for the Outdoor Faucets
Once you’ve found the main valve, it’s time to find the shutoff valves on each faucet. It can be accomplished by shutting off your primary water source, and the taps will get shut off one at a time.
If you need help determining where they are or if they’re hard to reach, you should contact an expert plumber to assist you in shutting off the outdoor plumbing.
3: Shut Off the Valves and Drain the Water
Shut off shut-off valves on each outdoor faucet, and allow the water to drain. If there isn’t a shutoff valve for every faucet, shut off your primary water supply and turn off everyone at a time.
Then, head outside and turn on the faucets to let the water run out. Check the fixtures for damage after all the water has to get drained. If you notice any cracks in pipes or leaks in the area around them, they must be fixed before using them again.
It is vital! Go inside to the shutoff valve, and then remove the cap on the bleeder to eliminate any remaining water from your pipes and to avoid freezing in colder conditions. If you don’t take this step, you could risk your outdoor faucet or pipes freezing in the winter, causing damage and costly repairs later.
Be sure to have a bucket with an outlet plug to collect all the draining water! Take the cap off and shut off the outside faucets when it’s gone. Repeat this procedure for each tap outside if you need to.
4: Make Sure You Invest in the Maintenance and Outdoor Faucet Covers, or Frost-Free Outdoor Faucets
Consider purchasing repairs and covers to avoid worrying about your faucet outdoors getting frozen over in the winter months. These are affordable and easy to put in. If your faucet does not freeze or comes with a frost-free function built-in the tap, you can not bother with this step.
Suppose you’re planning to spend most of your time indoors during winter and want to avoid rusting or frozen pipes. In that case, It’s worth investing in frost-free outdoor faucets. Frost-free outdoor faucets will ensure you can access the outdoor faucets when you require them. It can also help reduce repair costs as your pipes will not freeze and break as efficiently in winter’s colder temperatures.
This article has provided some guidance on preparing for winter and ensuring your family is comfortable and well-hydrated throughout those winter months. Colder temperatures can be brutal on your outdoor faucets. If you take the steps necessary to prepare for these conditions, you’ll not have any issues when it is time to turn on the taps.
Get Your Outdoor Plumbing Checked by Your Reliable Plumbing Team for Correct Winterization Preparation and Maintenance
Remember that winterization preparations and maintenance will help ensure everything runs smoothly during the winter months, so be sure any issues get addressed before leading to more severe harm!
We are at Ottawa Plumbing Service, ready to assist you with your plumbing requirements. Contact our team at (613) 317-1682 or mail at info@ottawaplumbingservice.com to schedule your appointment or for more information on our services.
