How to Winterize Outdoor Faucets and Pipes Before the First Freeze in Warren County
The first hard freeze in Northwest New Jersey usually catches the same things every year: a garden hose left on the spigot, a pipe in a cold crawl space, a sprinkler line nobody drained. An hour of work in October can save you from a split pipe and a wet basement in January. Here is what to do, in order.
Why outdoor faucets are the first thing to freeze
An outdoor faucet, also called a hose bib or sillcock, is a pipe that runs straight through an outside wall. When water is left sitting in it and the temperature drops, that water freezes and expands. The pipe or the faucet body splits, often inside the wall where you can't see it.
The trouble is that a frozen split usually doesn't leak right away. The ice plugs it. The leak shows up when it thaws, or the first time you turn the faucet on in spring.
Step 1: Disconnect every hose
This is the single most useful thing on the list, and it takes five minutes. Unscrew every garden hose, splitter and timer from every outdoor faucet, then drain the hoses and store them.
A connected hose traps water in the faucet. That is true even for a frost-free faucet, which is built to drain itself when you shut it off. With a hose still attached, it can't drain, and it can freeze and split just like a standard one.
Step 2: Shut off and drain the faucet from inside
Many houses have a separate shutoff valve inside for each outdoor faucet. Look on the pipe leading to the outside wall, usually in the basement, a crawl space or a utility room, and often near the ceiling.
- Close the inside shutoff valve. A round handle turns clockwise to close. A lever handle is closed when it sits crosswise to the pipe.
- Go outside and open the faucet all the way. Let it run until it stops.
- Back inside, look for a small cap on the side of the shutoff valve. That is a drain, sometimes called a bleeder. Hold a cup or small bucket under it and loosen the cap to let the trapped water out, then snug it back up.
- Leave the outdoor faucet open for the winter so any leftover water has room to expand.
If the valve won't turn, drips from the stem when you turn it, or you can't find one at all, don't force it. Old valves can snap or start leaking when they're pushed. Call a plumber before the cold arrives, not after.
Step 3: Check the pipes in cold spaces
Walk through the parts of the building that don't get much heat and look for water pipes.
- Crawl spaces and basements: look along outside walls and near vents, windows and the sill where the house meets the foundation. Close crawl space vents and fix broken basement windows.
- Garages: pipes to a utility sink, a hose connection or a room above the garage are common freeze spots. Keep the garage door closed in cold weather.
- Under sinks on outside walls: kitchen and bathroom cabinets on an exterior wall stay colder than the room.
- Additions and enclosed porches: anywhere plumbing was run after the house was built deserves a look.
Foam pipe insulation sleeves are inexpensive and easy to slip over exposed pipe. Keep in mind that insulation only slows heat loss. It doesn't add heat, so a pipe in a space that stays below freezing can still freeze. A pipe that freezes every year needs a plumber to look at it.
Step 4: Lawn sprinklers and other seasonal lines
An in-ground lawn irrigation system has to be shut off and emptied before the ground freezes. Most are cleared with compressed air, and too much pressure can damage the system or injure you, so leave that to a professional. Outdoor sinks, showers and lines to a barn or shed also need to be shut off and drained.
Step 5: Find your main water shutoff
If a pipe does split, the damage depends on how fast someone stops the water. Find the main shutoff valve now. It is usually where the water line enters the building, often in the basement.
Make sure it turns, keep it clear, and show everyone in the house where it is. In a business or rental building, write the location down where staff and tenants can find it.
If you're closing up a house or building for the winter
Vacation homes, vacant rentals and buildings between tenants need more than this checklist. Either the heat stays on all winter with someone checking on the place, or the whole plumbing system has to be shut off and drained. The part that gets missed is the part that freezes, so have a plumber do it.
When the cold snap arrives
- Keep the heat on, day and night, including in rooms you don't use.
- Open cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls so room air reaches the pipes.
- On the coldest nights, let a thin stream of water run from a faucet served by a pipe that has frozen before.
- If a faucet slows to a trickle or stops, a pipe may be frozen. Never thaw a pipe with a torch or any open flame. Shut off the main water valve if you see a split or a leak, stay away from water near outlets or the electrical panel, and call a plumber.
New Ark answers calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and emergencies go to the front of the line. See emergency plumber for what to do while you wait.
If you smell gas
If you smell gas at any point while you're checking the basement or utility room, don't flip switches and don't look for the leak. Leave the building, get everyone out, and call your gas utility or 911 from outside. Call a contractor only after the utility says it is safe to go back in.
Want a plumber to handle it?
New Ark Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning is at 412 Firth St in Phillipsburg and serves homes and businesses across Warren, Hunterdon, Sussex, Morris and Somerset counties. We are licensed and insured in New Jersey, with four decades of industry experience.
If a shutoff valve is stuck, a faucet has frozen before, or you want exposed pipes dealt with before winter, call 908-454-4043. Every call is answered. You can also see our plumbing services and request a written estimate online.