How to Prepare Your Outdoor Plumbing for Cold Weather

The change from summer to winter is almost here and this could take unprepared homeowners by surprise. Now is the best time to ensure that your outdoor/external plumbing is in great shape for the winter season. This article contains useful tips that will help keep your plumbing system functional this season.

Check for Leaks

First, inspect your outdoor faucets which can also be called spigot or hose bibs. If you notice a leak don’t hesitate to call your local Roto-Rooter plumber so that necessary repairs can be made. If not worked on and temperature gets too cold, the faucet will freeze leading to additional problems. When the outdoor faucet freeze, it affects the connecting water supply pipe. A hard freeze van lead to pipes bursting, however you may not always notice this issue right away due to the freeze, but once it melts there will be flooding.

Shut off Water and Drain your Pipes

After you have completed the previous task, the next step is to shut off the water leading out of your home so water doesn’t remain in your pipes. If your home has an internal shutoff valve that leads to the outside faucet, turn it off and then turn on the outside hose bibs until all the water is completely drained. Remember, water left in pipes will freeze, expand and eventually burst the pipes. But if your pipe is completely drained there’s no risk of having a broken pipe.

Cover and Conceal

After draining all of the water in the pipe leading outside, remove your hose from the outside hose bib and keep it indoors. The next step is to get a faucet insulation kit which will only cost you a few dollars. The kit comes with directions. Follow the instructions then cover and conceal your outdoor plumbing.
If you are not good with applying a DIY methond , call your local Roto-Rooter plumbers. They are ready to help you out.