Title: Plumbing tips that change with the seasons
- Shutting off the supply to outdoor faucets is always my go-to. I know some folks let them drip, but honestly, that’s more for indoor pipes if you can’t shut them off and you’re worried about freezing. Outdoor lines are a different animal.
- Here’s what I do every fall:
- Find the shutoff valve inside (usually in the basement or crawlspace).
- Turn it off, then open the outside faucet to drain any water left in the line.
- If there’s a bleeder cap on the inside shutoff, open that too—gets every last drop out.
- Leave the outside faucet open all winter. That way, if a little water’s left, it has room to expand without busting the pipe.
- Letting an outdoor faucet drip doesn’t really help much if it’s exposed. The water in the short bit of pipe between the shutoff and the spigot can still freeze and split. Learned that one the hard way years ago at a rental—ended up with a cracked sillcock and a soaked basement come spring.
- Frost-free hose bibs are handy if you’ve got them, but even then, hoses should come off before it gets cold. A hose left attached traps water in the faucet and can cause trouble.
- For anyone who can’t find their shutoff or isn’t sure about their setup, it’s worth figuring out before winter hits. Saves a lot of headaches.
I get where people are coming from with mixed advice—there’s a lot of old-school tips floating around—but shutting off and draining is just more reliable in my experience. Dripping is more of a last resort when you can’t do anything else.
Funny enough, my neighbor used to swear by heat tape on his outdoor lines instead of shutting them down. Worked until it didn’t...and then he was cursing up a storm in January trying to mop up.
Anyway, hope this helps clear things up. Winterizing outdoor plumbing is one of those chores that pays off big time when spring rolls around and everything’s still dry.
I hear you on shutting off and draining—definitely the safest bet. But I’ll throw in a curveball: in some older houses, those inside shutoffs are buried behind drywall or tucked in weird spots. Had one job where the homeowner couldn’t find the valve for years, so he just wrapped the heck out of the pipe and used a heated cover on the spigot. Not perfect, but it actually worked for him through a couple rough winters. Sometimes you’ve gotta get creative when the house throws you a curve. Still, if you can get to that shutoff, yeah, nothing beats it.
Yeah, those hidden shutoffs can be a real pain. I’ve seen valves behind cabinets, inside closets, even once behind a false wall in a basement—no joke. If you can’t find the shutoff, wrapping and using a heated cover is better than nothing, but I’d still recommend tracking down that valve eventually. Sometimes a stud finder or infrared camera helps if you’re not sure where the pipe runs. Just be careful not to damage anything if you go poking around.
Sometimes a stud finder or infrared camera helps if you’re not sure where the pipe runs. Just be careful not to damage anything if you go poking around.
Yeah, I’ve had to use an infrared camera a couple times—saved me from tearing up drywall for no reason. Still, I always tell tenants to check under sinks and behind access panels first. People hide those shutoffs in the weirdest spots. Once found one behind a stack of paint cans in a utility closet... took me hours. Heated covers are good in a pinch, but nothing beats actually being able to shut the water off when you need to.
Totally hear you on the weird shutoff locations—once found one taped up behind a furnace, like some kind of plumbing scavenger hunt. Heated covers are handy, but I’ve seen folks rely on them too much and end up with a mess when the power goes out. Honestly, nothing beats knowing where your valves are before things freeze up. I always say, if you can’t find the shutoff, you probably haven’t looked under enough piles of random junk yet...