Insulating Your Outdoor Faucet

Outdoor faucets in the winter will cause many problems for your plumbing. Water in faucets or attached hoses can freeze and expand when the cold weather moves in, which could cause your pipes to burst.

How do you help protect your pipes, or any outdoor faucet and the water inside it from freezing in the winter? You will need to remove hoses, shut off your water valve, and insulate your faucet for maximum protection from this type of problem in the winter.

• Wrap exposed pipes with insulation tubes that can be found in your local hardware store. The tubes have an opening cut on one side. Open this slit and wrap the tube around all your external pipes. For added protection, use duct tape to tightly shut the slit to better protect the pipes from damage.
• There are insulated slip-on covers that can be fitted on faucets or hose bibs. There are faucet covers that are either square or dome-shaped shells that can fit right over outdoor faucets.
• Get a towel or an old piece of clothing that you no longer wear, such as an old t-shirt or jacket. Towels are going to work best, but also clothing pieces such as t-shirts or jumpers will do.

Wrap the cloth around the faucet. The t-shirt or jacket may need to be folded to make them thick enough to keep the faucet secure. Make sure you cover the whole faucet with the garment and wrap it as many times as you can and as tightly as you can.

For extra safety, you can use another piece of clothing. Simply wrap it around the first one.

In addition to the outdoor faucet itself, it is also necessary to protect any pipes running into unheated areas such as basements and attics.

In most cases, faucet covers will provide enough insulation throughout the winter. However, in extremely cold weather, an inexpensive insulated cover may not be adequate to protect your outdoor faucet from freezing. An internal shutoff valve is recommended to drain any water from the pipes. But if you opt for an insulated foam cover, choose one that is secured to stay on during the winter. Electrical heat trace tape is another option to prevent the freezing of pipes.

For further assistance, call us at 778-397-4850 or visit our page.