In the winter, your whole plumbing system is at the mercy of the weather. Tricks like leaving your interior faucets on a slow drip to prevent them from freezing. However, your indoor fixtures don’t have it half as bad as those outside. If you have outdoor faucets on your property, such as those used for hoses, use the following guide to protect them from the frigid temperatures.

3 Plumbing Steps to Winterizing Outdoor Faucets

1. Put Garden Hoses in Storage

While this step is best completed in the fall, it’s better to do so late than not at all. Unscrew the hoses attached to your outdoor faucets and drain them of any residual water so it doesn’t freeze and damage the inside of the shaft. You can do this by laying the hoses on a sloped lawn or driveway. Once dry, coil them up and store them in a shed or garage.

2. Turn Off Any Valves

Some homes have outdoor faucets that are equipped with internal shut-off valves, which make the winterization process far easier. Once you switch off the valve, open the drain cap over a bucket, which will catch the leftover water. Then, turn the faucet on temporarily until it runs completely dry. Finish off this step by turning off the faucet and closing the drain cap.

3. Insulate the Faucet

As an additional precautionary measure, cover the exterior faucet with an insulating material. This will prevent unexpected spurts of water or even moisture in the air from freezing inside your plumbing fixtures. Especially if your outdoor faucet lacks an internal shut-off valve, wrap it in an insulation tube or a slip-on cover. Throughout the season, check that tears or other types of damage are not impeding the cover’s functionality.

If you’d like some professional help with the plumbing winterization process, turn to Miller Plumbing of Rush, NY. They boast over 50 years of experience and cater to clients throughout the Monroe, Livingston, and Ontario counties. These experts handle jobs of any size, from removing clogs to repairing water heaters to replacing burst pipes. For more information on their services, including faucet repair, visit their website or call (585) 533-1404 today.