How to Winterize Your Outdoor Water Faucet

The coldest days of winter have swept over most of the nation now and our attention turns to staying warm. For many areas of the countries, temperatures have dipped well below freezing and homeowners are concerned about many things. Will your furnace continue to operate during the sub freezing temps or will you be left out in the cold. Travel can be treacherous when a snowstorm comes in during the winter months and the reliability of your trusty snowblower is even questioned. These are obvious points of concern for most homeowners during the cold winter days. However, one thing is often overlooked and could potentially be devastating. Failure here could mean a flooded house, costly repairs and damage throughout your home.

The often overlooked item above is referring to your outdoor water spigot. You know, that little spigot where you hook up your garden hose all summer long and use the water for watering the lawn and washing your car. Well in the winter time it is subject to the harshest conditions. Water within the spigot and inside the lines leading up to it inside your home could freeze without the proper protection. A frozen water lines could fracture leaving you with water all over your basement until the whole house is shut down. If a line breaks, pressurized water will pour out. This water and the ensuing flooded basement could damage all kinds of items.

Preventing your outdoor water spigot from freezing is a simple task.. It takes only a few minutes, costs only a few bucks, and is virtually guaranteed to prevent the water lines from freezing and to prevent the broken lines within your home.

To protect you outdoor water spigot you will need to head to your home improvement store. They sell an item for this exact purpose. It is an insulated foam cap that attaches to your spigot and is secured in place by a rubber strap. The insulation keeps the line from freezing by blocking out cold temperatures and by capturing heat escaping from your home and holding it near the water line. This inexpensive device costs around $5 and installs in seconds. Simply slip the rubber strap over the handle of the spigot and tighten until the foam contact your house.

What if you local home improvement store does not offer this product? Make one yourself. Take a small garbage bag and fill its with loose fiberglass insulation. Place the bag over the spigot and secure in place with duct tape. This solution is effective and virtually free.

With your outdoor water spigot winterized you can rest comfortably knowing that you have prevent a know source of potentially devastating frozen water lines. This fix is simple, affordable, and imperative.