Protecting Your Outdoor Water Faucets in Winter
Amy Newcomer • October 20, 2025
If you live in an area where winter temperatures drop below freezing, it’s important to protect your outdoor water faucets by draining them completely. Even if you have frost-free faucets, it's still wise to take a few minutes to drain them to ensure proper function.
When water freezes, it expands by about 9%. This expansion can exert over 100,000 psi of force, which can easily rupture your faucet or pipes and potentially cause flooding inside your home.
Steps to Drain Your Outdoor Water Faucets:
- Close the Inside Valve: Locate the valve inside your home that controls the water flow to your outdoor faucet. This valve is usually positioned closest to the wall where the pipe exits your home.
- Drain the Inside Valve: Place a small bucket under the valve. Unscrew the small drain plug on the side of this valve to allow any trapped water to drain out.
- Disconnect the Garden Hose: Remove any garden hose attached to the outdoor faucet.
- Open the Outdoor Valve: Open the outdoor faucet to let any remaining water drain out. Once drained, close the outdoor faucet.
- Replace the Drain Plug: Reattach the drain plug on the inside valve.
After winter, to use your outdoor faucet again, simply reopen the inside valve. Before doing so, ensure that the outdoor faucet is closed to avoid any potential leaks or flooding.
Additional Considerations:
- Uncover the Inside Valve: Make sure the inside valve is not covered by boxes, blankets, or other items. Covering this valve can insulate it and prevent warm air from circulating, which can lead to freezing and potential damage.
- Frost-Free Faucets: Many modern homes are equipped with frost-free faucets designed to prevent freezing. These faucets are typically a foot long and have a mechanism that keeps the valve beyond the wall, away from the cold. However, if these faucets are not installed correctly, they can still freeze. Therefore, it's still a good idea to drain them as a precaution.
- Insulated Covers: While insulated covers can help retain some warmth, they should not replace the draining process. In extremely cold conditions or when the faucet is exposed to strong winds, insulated covers alone may not be sufficient.
- Garden Hose Removal: Always disconnect your garden hose from the outdoor faucet. Water left in the hose can freeze and expand, potentially causing damage. If you need to leave the hose outside, ensure it is fully drained or use a compressor to remove all water.
Summary
By following these simple steps to drain your outdoor water faucets, you can avoid the risk of freezing and potential flooding during the winter months.
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Wishing you and yours a relaxing and Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Cloud's Home Inspections.
DIY Remedies When flooding affects your home, removing the water is only the first step. To prevent mold growth and lingering bacteria, thorough cleaning is essential. A simple and effective method is using bleach. Wearing protective gloves, apply bleach generously to floors, walls, and ceilings, then scrub the surfaces with a brush to disinfect them. When to Call Professionals In some cases, water damage may be too severe to manage on your own. Professional cleanup crews have access to stronger disinfectants, specialized equipment, and protective gear to ensure the affected areas are fully sanitized and safe.
