When the weather turns cold, water left in the line to an outdoor tap can freeze, split the pipe and leak into your basement, often without you noticing until spring. In London, Ontario, the best time to shut off your outdoor taps is late October or early November, before the first hard frost.
Once you are done using water outside the house, it is time to shut down the water to the outdoor taps and drain the lines. This is a simple job that most homeowners can do themselves in about 10 minutes.
Remove Garden Hoses First
It’s very important to remove garden hoses. You won’t be able to properly drain the line to your exterior tap with a garden hose attached.
Close the Shutoff Valve and Drain the Line
For each outside tap, you will find a shutoff valve in your basement (unless it’s a frost free tap, explained below). Turn the basement valve to the right (clockwise) to shut it off. You will find a small bleed valve at the base of the tap. It’s a little cap that you unscrew. You may need pliers to loosen it. Have a pail and rag ready, the water between the bleed valve and the outdoor tap will drain out.
Leave the bleed valve cap off and go outside and open the faucet. If you have a newer outdoor tap it will have a vacuum breaker. You’ll find a little button inside the outlet of the faucet. Push it in a few times with your finger to allow air into the line. More water may run out through the bleed valve in your basement.
Vacuum breakers were mandated several years ago. They prevent stale water that is in the hose or chemical sprays applied with your hose from backing up into your home’s water supply.
Once you are satisfied that all the water is out of the line, you can close the outside valve and put the bleed valve cover back on in the basement. In the spring, all you will have to do is open the tap in the basement.
Don't Forget Garage Taps
If you have a second outdoor tap, repeat the process. Some houses will have a tap in the garage. You need to repeat the process for this one as well. These often freeze and split if you leave the garage door open for an extended period of time when shovelling the driveway.
Frost Free Taps
How They Work:
- Shut-off valve location: The main shut-off valve is located on a long stem that extends from the faucet handle, deep inside the wall where it is protected from freezing temperatures.
- Drainage: When you close the faucet, the valve closes, and the empty space inside the long stem is designed to allow the water to drain out through a small port and away from the building.
- Proper use: To function correctly, a hose must be disconnected from the faucet during freezing weather. Water trapped in a connected hose will prevent the faucet from draining properly and can cause the pipe to burst when it freezes.
If you have frost free taps, we would recommend the same process as outlined above. In London, Ontario, winter temperatures can get low enough that you may even freeze the line on a frost free tap.
Going Away for the Winter?
If you are leaving your home for a winter vacation, shut off your main water supply. (You can’t do this if you have a hot water heating system.)
If temperatures are expected to drop below -10° Celsius while you are away, it’s not a good idea to lower your thermostat. The risk of a pipe freezing and splitting increases significantly on our coldest nights.
If you can, open up the cupboards below any sink (kitchen or bathroom), so warm air can still reach the piping hidden behind the wall. This is especially important if the sink is on an outside wall or over an unheated space (crawl space or garage).
More ways to protect your plumbing this winter: how to prevent frozen pipes.
Outdoor Taps: Frequently Asked Questions
Before the first hard frost. In London, Ontario, that’s usually late October or early November. Once you’re done with the garden hose for the year, it’s time.
We recommend it. A frost free tap is designed to drain itself, but only if the hose is removed. In a London winter, the line can still freeze, so shutting the inside valve and draining it is the safe choice.
It’s usually in the basement, on the pipe running to the outside wall behind the tap, sometimes above a finished ceiling or behind a panel. If you can’t find it, give us a call at (519) 451-8910.
Water trapped in the pipe can freeze and split it. You often won’t see the leak until you turn the tap on in spring, and then water runs inside the wall or into the basement.
Shut off your main water supply right away, then call us. Salmon offers 24-hour emergency plumbing service at (519) 451-8910.
