How to winterize outside faucets

[@loriewhite3439]

You immediately answered my question on whether to leave the outside valve open! Thank you!

[@jeffd3844]

Thank you for posting this. It's been a while since I lived in the Snow Belt and I'd forgotten about those little drain caps.

[@JamesSimpsonOnGoogle]

Excellent information - thank you!!!

[@nagarajumukka3717]

Thank you for the great video...

[@slightlychaotic8988]

Thanks, this is great, I appreciate the detail you went into related to the petcock (I didn't know to watch out for the rubber plug inside it) and the vacuum breaker. Fortunately I don't live in Minnesota, so I think I still have time to take care of those things!

[@DngnMstrDraws]

New homeowner here! If I leave the outdoor faucets open, won’t the water just come right back out of them once I turn back on the water supply?

[@fioore123]

Not if the inside valve is off.

[@michaelkulman7095]

I appreciate the thorough coverage but I have a question. I have a faucet that looks like it's frost free but I now know not to trust that unless I disassemble it I guess and it still may not have good slope but, I did as you said, but, I have no petcock...a way to get good drainage, do I just hope for the best then? Is that an indication that I do have a frost free faucet? This is an old preexisting installation so I guess it's working? Is it worth adding petcocks? I have copper and a gate valve shut off and what I assumed was a frost free spigot but now you tell me you can't tell by looks which is pretty annoying... When a person leaves the outside spigot open I think they should put a sign on the inside shutoff valve warning of this and wrap painter's tape around valve...so another doesn't casually turn it on...

[@theshop5331]

I have no individual shut offs, home is on slab, 2x6 walls, and I have frost free hose bibs. What are my options for frost proofing these hose bibs that do in fact freeze? Bonnets and heat tape?

[@francesfinnerty3753]

Where is shut off valve in mobile homes?

[@jenniferthemom]

Thank you!

[@heronimousbrapson863]

One of the clues that you have a frost-free faucet is that there's no separate inside shut off.

[@isabellavision]

I have older faucets on my house and only forgot once to clear them before deep freeze (fortunately, no damage), but I was under the impression that when I update them to "frost-free" faucets, I no longer would have to worry about any of it, the actual shutoff "gate" or ball valve would be inside the heated space, so I could even use the faucet on rare occasion in the winter if needed. But it sounds like that is not that case, or at least not advisable? If not, I don't see a big benefit in changing out the old faucets/spigots (other than supposed "anti-siphon" benefits of newer faucets, which doesn't strike me as a big danger, have never heard of this being a problem).

[@StructureTech1]

From a home inspection standpoint, we don't always know which faucets are frost-free or not, which is why we advise winterizing all of them. But you're exactly right, you *should* be able to leave the water on to your frost-free faucet year 'round, and occassionally use it during the winter if you want to. The problem with those faucets is that they're often installed improperly, where they pitch backward instead of forward. When that happens, they still have the potential to freeze and burst. If you know you have a properly installed frost-free faucet, you should be safe leaving the water on all year.

[@davidfleuchaus]

I just left a new client’s house, located in a suburb of Chicago, that already has an “anti-siphon frost-free sillcock” that seemingly did its job ok but nevertheless the water pipe froze at the first 1/2” copper pipe elbow. The pipe was insulated with spray foam and was located within a drywalled basement ceiling and wall at the corner of the basement. The insulation on the pipe insulates the pipe from warm AND cold air - it does not distinguish. Also, there was no airflow in this space - good that no cold air blew through the area but bad that no warm air blew through the area. Also, due to the thick foundation wall made of brick and due to a porch, the location was at the corner of the house. That area had the least amount of heat, especially during a -10F cold spell, and therefore froze the area and burst the elbow. The solution is to first remove the spray foam insulation from the water pipe, then to repair the elbow and then to insulate the outside wall, LEAVING a space for warm air to SURROUND that pipe. Due to space constraints I recommended insulating the wall with insulation foam board by gluing it on the wall with foam board adhesive. Also, due to the inability of heat to reach this area I recommended installing a return air grille once the drywall is repaired. A shutoff valve for this location is close by so I also recommended installing an access panel in the drywall and shutting off that valve each winter.

[@Mei-u5z]

Your first step is confusing to me. At the 1:50 you said “ you start by shutting off the water to the outside faucet” but the video shows you were opening the outside faucet ??!! so the first step is shutting off the valve inside the house then go to outside ….as you described as the next step. please clarify. Besides that your explanations are very easy to understand and my system is very similar to yours especially the valves inside the house. Many thanks!

[@kamadomattham6100]

Who else had flashbacks of bong rips? Nobody?!