Avoid expensive repairs caused by frozen pipes and turn off your exterior water and winterize your outdoor spigots. In this post, we’ll guide you through a few easy steps to do so.
Fall weather in Albuquerque is never certain. One week you’re sweating walking to school in the 70-degree weather. The next one? It is snowing in October! Halloween is always a bit of a weather wild card. On some years, it snows during trick-or-treating, so today could be anything.
But, if memory serves me correctly, we usually experience our first frost in early November when the cold sets in. Fall flower watering is typically finished, and there is no more outdoor watering to be done, and it’s time to turn off outdoor water and store the hose for winter.
Why It’s Important to Shut Off Outside Water Before Winter
Anyone living in a colder climate, like Albuquerque, understands how harsh winter is on your plumbing system.
This means leaving your outside water running during winter is a disaster waiting to happen. Leftover water in outdoor pipes or faucets can freeze and create enough pressure to leak or even burst pipes.
I’ve had plenty of customers over the years who ignored this important home maintenance item and ended up with a flooded house. Don’t be that person!
A few of the homes are over a century old and, as is the case with many older homes, the plumbing is a bit quirky. Pipes on exterior walls and outdoor faucets are particularly at risk from the cold. If your home has older plumbing, you will need to be extra cautious to prevent damage.
But here’s the good news? It takes just a few minutes to do, and it is the simplest way to protect your home and have some peace of mind during winter season.
How To Turn Off Your Water Supply
Supplies required: Hose Bibb Cover Garden Hose (remove and store) Materials Required: · Wrenches
Step 1: Find the Valve for Your Outside Water
Many new homes, particularly those in colder regions, have an outdoor cut-off or stop valve specific to the outdoor water supply.
This conveniently allows one to turn the only outside water off during winter and not affect the rest of the house water.
- These valves are likely to be found towards the wall where the outside faucet is connected
- Utility room or crawl space is usually behind an access panel.
Locate Your Main Water Shut-Off
As you search for your outdoor water valve, though, be sure you know the location of your main water shut-off valve. You should be able to quickly shut off the water into the house in case of emergencies. Every homeowner should therefore know where it is and how to shut it off! You may require a water meter key to do this.
What if Your Home Doesn’t Have an Outside Water Shut-Off Valve?
Some climates might not have devoted shut-off valves since frozen pipes are not usually an issue.
A dedicated valve for outdoor spigots may not exist in older homes. In that case the only method to stop water from outside faucets is by shutting off the main water supply valve.
Helpful Tip
If your house does not have an outdoor water shut-off valve, and you reside in a frigid climate, you should consider installing frost-proof faucets to help prevent freezing damage. Alternatively, a professional plumber can install a separate shut-off valve to your outdoor piping to make winterizing less of a hassle in the future.
Step 2: Shut Off Outdoor Water Supply
Our outdoor valve
Outside water spigot. Perpendicular = Off
At this point, you will want to cut off the water flow. Usually, it has two types of valves. These include:
- Ball valve: Rotate the lever a quarter turn such that it is perpendicular to the pipe. And that’s what we’ve got. This handle will be parallel when it is on. Perpendicular means it’s misaligned. Same goes for gas lines!
- Gate valve: Close the valve by turning the wheel clockwise as far as it will go.
Step 3 – Open the Outside Spigots
Open your valve to release the water.
When you shut the water off, you want to ensure there is no water in the spigot. And if there’s water left in there it freezes and blows up the pipe! So turn on the faucet and let any drops of water out.
Step 4 – Disconnect and put away your garden hose.
Detach your garden hose
Once you’ve opened the outside spigots and all water has drained, it’s time to disconnect your garden hose. Leaving the hose attached can lead to water being trapped in the faucet and pipes that may burst if the weather conditions are right for freezing temperatures.
Proper Storage of Your Garden Hose
Remove the hose from the outside spigot or hose bibb. If its tight, use a wrench. To drain the last bit of water, hold one end higher than the other while coiling it.
To avoid cracking during the winter months, keep the hose in a location that is dry and not prone to freezing, such as the garage, utility room, or basement. We store ours indoors in a storage room for the winter.
Step 5 – Install a Hose Bibb Cover
Winterize your yard by adding a faucet protector
We finally made it through to the last stage! Turning off the water does not always prevent moisture from getting into your faucet and freezing in cold weather. I also enjoy using a hose bibb cover for additional protection. The good news is they are very inexpensive, and you can reuse them year after year! What a deal for four pack! To use, simply position the hose bibb cover over the faucet and push snugly into place. Next, pull on the loop tight and ensure it is flush against the wall. This additional protection is one of the simplest means of preventing expensive repairs in the winter months!
How Late Can You Leave Outside Water On?
How to shut your outside water off
It’s probably the time to do so! Your local weather will dictate when to do this, but pre-freezing temperatures are best.
Congratulations, You’re Done!
How to shut off your outdoor water supply and faucet
If you have done everything to shut down, drain, and insulate your piping, you have done all you can to protect your outdoor water supply lines from burst pipes this winter.
This is a quick and easy task that can help prevent extensive and expensive repairs from massive amounts of pressure on your pipes and your pocketbook!
