How to Insulate Outdoor Faucets to Prevent a Winter Water Catastrophe

You’ll need to turn off the water supply to your outdoor faucets before you can drain and cover them for winter. The shut-off valve is typically kept somewhere warm where it won’t freeze. Look inside your home in utility closets, a basement, or a crawlspace to find the water shut-off valve for your outdoor faucets.

The shut-off valve that supplies water to the outdoor faucets typically has a round, wheel-shaped handle, although it could also have a lever handle. Turn the round shut-off valve clockwise until it stops to turn off the water, or turn the lever handle until it is perpendicular to the water supply line.

If you can’t find the water shut-off valve to your outdoor faucets, call a plumber to help you.

Your outdoor faucets may be attached to a garden hose or other attachments, like a hose extender or a hose stand. Remove the hose or other accessories, and let them drip to release any extra water. These accessories shouldn’t be threaded on too tightly, but if you have trouble, you can use a wrench to twist them off. Store these parts away somewhere dry for winter, like a garden shed or garage.

Now, it’s time to drain the excess water from your outdoor faucets. With the water shut off, turn the handle of each outdoor faucet to the left to open it. Keep a bucket underneath to catch any water. Leave the faucets open for about three hours, which gives them time to release any water left over in the pipes before moving on. You can leave the faucets open all winter.

Although you do still want to cover freeze-proof faucets with an insulation product, this faucet type shouldn’t require draining. Consider keeping it open to help avoid pressure buildups over winter, but you don’t need to wait three hours to let the faucet drain. If you have a freeze-proof outdoor faucet, feel free to move on to the next step.

Before you cover the faucet for winter, now is also a great time to check for damage and make repairs so that the faucet is ready to go when it’s time to start spring gardening. If you notice leaks, cracks, corrosion, or other damage, hire a plumber near you to make repairs before you cover the faucet for winter.

If you have a foam cover, stretch the rubber loop, which you’ll find inside the cover around the back of the faucet where it meets the wall. Then, place the cover over the faucet. The rubber loop has a string that comes out of the top of the cover. Pull the rubber string to tighten the cover against the wall.

If you have a flexible cover, it will look like a small drawstring pouch. Place the opening of the cover around the faucet, then pull tight on the drawstring to close it. Repeat for each outdoor faucet around your home. Just remember to turn off each faucet before turning the water supply on and before attaching a hose or turning on the sprinkler system in the spring.