Ice forms quickly inside water pipework connecting to faucets that are exposed outdoors. Pipe cracks as a result of freezing faucets outside are typically within walls. When temperatures drop to below 28 degrees, the water damage caused by frozen pipes can extend into your home. The consequences of several hundred gallons of water could impact the structural integrity of your Ottawaland home and your essential belongings. In winter, you should install outdoor faucets to ensure that all plumbing service, both indoors and out throughout the cold winter months, follows.
Making Outdoor Faucets Ready for Winter
Step 1: Go around the outside of your home and locate all the exterior faucets. Unattached any hoses attached to them and empty any water remaining from each.
Step 2: Inside the home, typically near the main shut-off valve for water in the basement ceiling, find the shut-off valve in every supply line leading to the faucet. They will be lever-type valves, as opposed to conventional faucets. They also have the bleed cap for draining any remaining water from the pipe.
Step 3: Turn off the water by closing the shut-off valve. Open the faucet. A small amount of water will flow out. Go back to the shut-off valve and remove the cap that bleeds any remaining water from the pipe. Put a bucket on the bleeder to capture the water. Replace the lid on the bleeder and shut off the faucet on the outside.
Step 4: Many older homes don’t have shut-off valves indoors for outdoor faucets. Professional plumbers can modify the faucet to a frost-free faucet that permits you to keep the water running year-round. Many home centers sell tap insulation kits that can be fitted to the tap during the winter and then removed in the summer.
Beware of costly water damage and prepare your outdoor faucets for winter. For more advice, you can also call Ottawa Plumbing Service at (613) 317-1682 or email us at info@ottawaplumbingservice.com.
