One of the biggest problems you can encounter in the winter is your pipes freezing. Water freezing in your pipes during the cold months can lead to them bursting, and that could be a financial and home-repair nightmare. There’s a simple task you can do now to prevent this: drain your outdoor faucets.
- Turn off your water supply valve. This is usually located near the water meter in your basement, or possibly your crawl space or garage. Your home may have two separate valves for the indoor and outdoor water supply, so make sure you’re turning off the proper one.
- Head outside and remove any hoses or connections to your faucets (you can store them away in your garage or basement for the rest of the season).
- Turn the faucet on full blast and let it run until it trickles to a stop. This pushes out any excess water flow from the pipes, as well as other build-up throughout the pipe.
- Once the water stops, turn the faucet back off, twisting it tightly.
- Consider purchasing an insulation cover to place on your faucet to protect it from the snow and other weather conditions over the next few months. You can find these at Home Depot or your local hardware store, for under $5.
