Frozen outdoor pipes that burst are a homeowner’s nightmare. When it eventually warms up, you’ll start to hear a strange hissing behind the walls or down in your basement. That means your pipes are thawing, and water is spraying out of the cracks left behind by the ice. Tracking frozen pipes is a misery, and hiring someone to open up your walls to find them is expensive and time-consuming. It’s painful to watch a plumber or contractor tear out more and more of your drywall, trying to track down every leak.
In this article, we’ll outline some of the simplest ways to avoid this scenario and when to call a water damage specialist for help.
For Any Homeowner Who Uses Outdoor Faucets
Outdoor faucets are convenient when you need easy access to water for your front lawn or backyard. However, if you don’t prepare them for cold temperatures, you may encounter some serious problems. You’ll benefit from this guide if you’re one of the many homeowners who need advice on winterizing your pipes, including:
- Homeowners who want simple DIY methods to keep their pipes from freezing and bursting.
- Anyone with an older home with antiquated outdoor pipes that are prone to freezing easily in winter.
- Anyone new to winterizing your property, which is common with first-time homeowners, and those who have moved recently to a colder climate.
Winterizing your outdoor pipes isn’t too tricky, so let’s get started with some easy tips to prevent frozen outdoor pipes.
How You Can Easily Winterize Your Outdoor Pipes
It’s helpful to understand why frozen outdoor faucets, in particular, cause so much damage. Here’s a quick explanation. When water freezes, it expands nearly 10%. The expansion puts force on your hose or pipes, and eventually they will crack, split, or burst, often behind your siding or interior walls. Chances are, you won’t even notice the pipe has burst until the ice thaws, or you have significant leaks and mold growing in places you can’t see.
The good news? A few preventive measures can eliminate this risk. Below are the five most effective ways to protect your outdoor faucets this winter.
Shut Off the Indoor Water Supply to the Outdoor Faucet
Many homeowners are unaware of the location of the shut-off valve that supplies water to the outdoor faucet. If this sounds like you, start by checking the basement or utility area, especially along the wall that faces your backyard. That’s usually where the water line feeding the outdoor faucet (or spigot) exits the house.
Once you turn that interior valve off, no new water can flow into the line. Then open the outdoor faucet, and the water that is already sitting inside the pipe will naturally drain. Gravity pulls the water down and out through the spigot, completely draining the pipe. An empty line can’t freeze or expand, which is the whole goal, and no water means no pressure buildup and no burst pipes hiding behind your walls.
Disconnect and Drain All Hoses Before Temperatures Drop
This tip may seem obvious, but it is the cause of most frozen outdoor pipes. Many homeowners are caught off guard when a sudden cold snap arrives, and they don’t have the chance to drain and store their hoses before the water freezes. When the outdoor spigot is turned off, but the hose is still attached, water remains inside the hose and often pools near the faucet.
Once the temperature falls below 32°F, water freezes and expands, which can cause the hose to crack. If it splits where it connects to the spigot, it can also split open. Furthermore, the water, now in the form of ice, continues to expand and push back into the faucet, reaching into the pipes inside your home and causing cracks and leaks.
Preventing this scenario is straightforward. Disconnect every hose and drain it by lifting it from one end to the other until all the water has run out. Store the hose in a shed, barn, or other location where it can thoroughly dry out. After storing the hose, briefly turn on the outdoor faucet to draw out any remaining water. This quick step eliminates the “freeze plug” that causes most cold-weather damage.
Add Simple Pipe Insulation to Protect Water Supply Lines
Even if you’ve drained the faucet and shut off the indoor water supply, any exposed pipe leading to the outdoor spigot can still get dangerously cold. Older homes benefit tremendously from insulating small, older pipes, which often run across cold basement walls. When the temperature drops, these sections of pipe cool quickly, making them more prone to freezing.
A quick and inexpensive fix is to wrap any exposed sections with foam pipe insulation. You can find it at any hardware store, and it slips right over the pipe without the need for tools. The foam helps keep the pipe a little warmer by trapping the heat that already exists inside your home. It’s not a replacement for shutting off the valve or draining the faucet, but it adds an important extra layer of protection for pipes that are more vulnerable to cold air.
Homeowners often skip this step because it feels optional, but it can make a significant difference during long, cold nights when overnight temperatures suddenly plunge. Spending a few minutes insulating exposed pipes now can prevent a burst line later, and that’s a trade most people are happy to make.
Prevent Frozen Pipes with Advanced 24/7 Restoration
It’s been said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” And, nowhere is this more true than when it comes to winterizing your outdoor faucets. If you’ve ever experienced frozen and burst pipes, you know what a nightmare it can be.
Denver and the Front Range are well-known for their temperature swings throughout the seasons, and Advanced 24/7 Restoration is prepared to handle frozen pipes inside and outside your home. We also offer preventive services to take it off your hands. One of our teams will shut off your water main, drain the outdoor faucet, insulate your pipes, and drain your hose. What could take you an entire day takes our team a couple of hours.
If you end up with burst pipes, we’re available 24/7, and we respond within an hour, day or night. Reach out to us online or call us at (720) 613-2750. It’s all in the name — Advanced 24/7 Restoration.
Advanced 24/7 Restoration’s mission is to provide unparalleled care and support to our valued clients. Delivering the best solutions for your property restoration needs. Our vision is to be the top-rated damage restoration company in Denver, known for our exceptional services, professionalism, and dedication to customer satisfaction. Water damage, fire damage, flood damage, and more.
