When the weather gets below freezing outside, the elements can cause damage to your home if you don’t take the proper precautions. In part I of the series, I’d like to bring your attention to your outdoor faucets. In the Northwest, as the weather gets wet and chilly, we retreat indoors and forget the outdoor parts of our home that we may have left behind.
First – remove hoses from your outdoor faucets, remove any excess water and store them in your garage or other enclosure. Water left inside hoses could freeze and ultimately cause damage to the tube resulting in leaks when you want to use the hose again.
Second – place faucet protectors over all your outdoor faucet bibs. These are very inexpensive styrofoam covers that can be purchased at your local hardware store for about $2.00 each. These helps insulate your pipes inside and prevents frozen pipes that can cause your entire plumbing system to seize up with ice blockage. A $2.00 faucet cover could save you from that one chilly morning when you are anxious for a hot shower, but the pipes have frozen!