From the Archive: Autumn Chores
Winterizing Outdoor Faucets Before Frost
A quarter hour of autumn work spares you a cracked hose bib come spring. Here is the fall routine for every hose connection on the house.
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The gist
Disconnect the hoses, close any indoor shut-off for the outdoor tap, open the outdoor faucet to drain it, and leave it that way until spring.
How to do it
- Remove every hose and splitter. A hose attached to a frost-free sillcock keeps water in the barrel, which freezes and splits it inside the wall.
- Find the inside valve. Older homes usually have a small shut-off on the pipe leading to every outdoor tap, often in the basement ceiling close to the wall. Close it.
- Open the outdoor tap. Let it drain. Some indoor stops carry a tiny bleed cap; loosen it with a pail underneath.
- Leave the outdoor tap open for winter so any trapped water has room.
- Drain and store hoses in a garage or shed.
- Shut down irrigation. In-ground sprinkler systems need their own fall blow-out by a qualified service.
Frost-free taps do not need an inside shut-off to survive winter, but only if the hose is removed. That one step is the important one.
Keep this kit by the main shut-off
- Flashlight or headlamp
- Bucket and old towels
- Adjustable wrench and slip-joint pliers
- Flange plunger for toilets, cup plunger for sinks
- Label on the main valve so anyone can find it
Common slip-ups
- Leaving a short hose or quick-connect adapter on the tap.
- Closing the inside valve but leaving the outside tap shut, trapping water.
- Forgetting a tap on the far side of the house or in the garage.
- Assuming a split pipe will show itself in winter. Most are discovered when the tap is first used in spring, often as water appearing in the basement.
Stop and phone a plumber when
- 1A ceiling or wall starts dripping
- 2More than one drain backs up at once
- 3You smell gas or sewage indoors
- 4A valve will not turn or drips when touched
When to get help
If you open the tap in spring and see water inside, close it immediately and call. If an outdoor tap has no inside shut-off and is not frost-free, consider having one fitted. See outdoor faucet repair and frozen pipe thawing.
Straight answers to common calls
When should I winterize outdoor taps in Oakville?
Ahead of the season’s first deep freeze, which in Oakville tends to land in late October or November.
How do I know if my faucet is frost-free?
A frost-free tap typically has a longer shell and the handle sits at an angle on the outside wall. If unsure, ask during a visit.
Keep reading
- Outdoor Faucet Repair in Oakville
The hose bib drips all summer, or worse, it split over winter and nobody knew until the hose went on in May.
- Frozen Pipe Thawing in Oakville
A cold morning, a turned tap, and nothing comes out.
- Advice from the Archive
Guides written for Oakville homeowners who want to understand their plumbing before something goes wrong.
- Burst Pipe? Your First Ten Minutes
Water pouring from the ceiling.
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