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Ever wonder what might cause your outdoor spigot to lose water flow? It's not as complicated as one might think. Something as simple as a clogged or leaky pipe could be the culprit. Some other causes are corrosion of the pipes or lack of water pressure coming from your street.

Yes, even though frost-free and freeze-proof faucets are designed to withstand winter weather, it is still recommended to cover them with an insulated cap, especially during periods of extreme cold. These faucets work by keeping excess water inside the home's heated space and using a downward slope to drain, but this protection can be compromised. For the faucet to work correctly, you must always disconnect any attached hoses before temperatures drop below freezing, as a hose can trap water and lead to freezing. Ultimately, covering all outdoor faucets, even freeze-proof models, is the best way to prevent frozen and burst pipes.

A back pressure valve is a control valve used on production vessels, such as separators, treaters, and free water knockouts. The valve holds pressure until a set point is reached, and then releases upstream pressure to reset. Back pressure valves are not safety mechanisms. Instead, they are regulators designed to keep the fluid, gas, or liquid mixture in a system at a certain pressure level to prevent bursts and other incidents.

Meanwhile, a backflow preventer is a safety mechanism that kicks in when the pressure has already failed and contaminated water flows in the reverse direction. Most backflow preventers consist of two one-way valves, or check valves assembled together. This design only allows water to pass through in one direction but not the other.

Frozen water doesn’t always cause a pipe to burst. Most of the time, a clog will simply prevent your sink from draining properly. Plastic and PVC pipes could warp to expand with the frozen water without rupturing. But as the cold weather progresses and more water or debris piles up in a frozen pipe, the risk of a burst pipe increases.