How to disconnect hoses and winterize outdoor faucets
To winterize outdoor faucets, disconnect every hose before the first freeze, even from frost-free faucets. If the faucet has an indoor shutoff, close it, open the outside faucet, then open the bleeder cap to drain the line. Leave the outside faucet open all winter. A burst stem often stays hidden until spring.
When to winterize outdoor faucets, by faucet type
Do this once a year, before your first hard freeze, and reverse it in spring. Your two faucet types need different handling, and you can't always tell them apart at a glance.
| Faucet type | How to spot it | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Frost-free sillcock | Look up inside the spout and you see only a metal stem. The shutoff sits well inside the wall. | Remove the hose. If it has an indoor valve, close and drain that line too. |
| Standard faucet | You can see valve parts move when you turn the handle. | Close the indoor shutoff, open the faucet, drain the line. |
Handle angle is only a hint. A knob sticking straight out from the house usually means frost-free, and a 45-degree knob means it isn't. An outdoor boiler drain can have a straight knob without being frost-free.
What you need to winterize hose bibs
- A flashlight, to find the shutoff
- A bucket and a small towel
- Pliers, for a stiff bleeder cap
- Somewhere dry to store hoses, splitters and timers
Finding the valve is the hard part. In older homes it's often in the ceiling near the faucet. In newer ones it's usually beside the main water valve, and it may be labeled. Not every faucet has one.
How to winterize outdoor faucets and hose bibs
- Take off everything attached
Remove hoses, splitters and timers from each faucet. A hose left on can hold water that freezes and backs into the pipe, even on a frost-free faucet.
- Drain and store the hoses
Walk the water out of each hose and keep it indoors or in the garage.
- Close the indoor valve
Find the separate shutoff for each outdoor line and close it fully.
- Open the outdoor faucet
Let the line empty outside. Leave the faucet open for the winter.
- Open the bleeder cap
Hold a bucket under the small cap on the indoor valve and unscrew it to release water left in the pipe. Screw the cap back on once it stops.
- Deal with the vacuum breaker
If your faucet has one, unscrew it if you can, or push aside the small white post inside to drain it. Some have a set screw that can snap, so don't force it.
Signs of a burst outdoor faucet
Frost-free faucets rely on gravity. They need a slight downward pitch so water runs out after you shut them off. A flat or backward-sloping faucet holds water in the stem, where it can freeze and split.
- Water spraying inside the wall or ceiling the first time you turn the faucet on in spring. The stem has burst. Shut the faucet off and close the indoor valve.
- A damp wall, stained ceiling or musty smell near the faucet
- Water that keeps dripping from the spout long after shutoff
- A vacuum breaker that sprays when the faucet runs. Its rubber seal can trap water and freeze.
The trouble is timing. Freeze damage often goes unnoticed until you use the faucet again, so make the first spring turn-on a two-person job, with one of you watching indoors.
How to winterize outdoor faucets yourself, or call a plumber
Draining is DIY. Call a licensed plumber to reinstall a faucet with the right pitch, replace a split stem, or add a shutoff where there isn't one.
Treat insulated faucet covers as a backup. The Homes MSP guide rates them as slightly better than nothing at best. Close and drain the line first if you can.
What homeowners say about how to winterize hose bibs
Covering an outdoor faucet isn't always enough. Owners in cold climates say you need to shut the indoor valve for that line and drain it, and one learned this from a burst pipe. (Hacker News)
Frost-free faucet questions
Do frost-free faucets need to be winterized?
Yes, in part. You must disconnect the hose, or water can stay trapped and burst the faucet. Structure Tech, a home inspection firm, advises winterizing them like any other faucet, because a frost-free faucet only drains if it was pitched correctly.
Should I leave outdoor faucets open in winter?
Yes, after you've closed the indoor shutoff. That lets the line stay drained. If there's no indoor shutoff, keep the faucet closed and talk to a plumber about adding one.
How do I know if my outdoor faucet burst?
Often you don't find out until spring. When you first turn it on, water sprays from the split stem inside the wall. Check indoors the first time you run it, and shut it off quickly if you see or hear water.
What you’ll need
Sources: homesmsp.com, structuretech.com, afi.org
General guidance for U.S. homes, not professional advice. For gas, electrical and structural work, call a licensed pro.