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Does an exterior hose bib really drain after shutoff?
I’m curious how much the setup behind an exterior faucet matters when deciding whether to shut it off for winter. A standard hose bib seems different from a frost-free model, and a frost-free one may not drain as intended if a hose or splitter is left attached.
If the indoor shutoff is awkward to reach, what details would you want to know before deciding whether it’s safer to shut the branch and drain it each season? Does the shutoff have a bleeder, and does the pipe run slope toward the outside faucet? I’d also like to know when operating a shutoff and bleeder could leave water trapped instead of draining the line.
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First confirm the indoor valve actually serves that faucet and that its bleeder is on the faucet side of the shutoff. With the hose removed, close the valve, open the outdoor faucet, then open the bleeder so air can enter and water can drain. That only works if the bleeder is clear and the pipe can drain toward an outlet; a sag or uphill section can still hold water. If the layout is uncertain, don’t treat an empty-looking faucet as proof the whole branch drained.
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