Forgot how to disconnect your garden hose for winter? Don’t worry, you wouldn’t be the first! People take a lot of precautions when it comes to winter weather, but it’s hard to remember a long home maintenance to-do list when the holidays are approaching.
Water expands when it freezes, so it’s important to remember to detach your garden hoses at the end of the season. Even if you have a “frost-free” spigot, you still need to remove the hose in the winter or run the risk of your pipes freezing and bursting. If you forget to disconnect hoses during the winter, the water that remains within it will freeze and almost definitely cause the lining to crack. It gets worse if you have a control nozzle on your hose and freezing occurs.
This ice will put pressure on the pipes connected to your house and, as a result, the home’s entire plumbing system.
The added pressure will then increase the potential for your pipes to either crack or burst, which are some of the costliest repairs a homeowner can deal with.
Disconnect garden hose before the ground freezes
Winters can be unpredictable, and it is not uncommon for residents to wake up with several inches of snow covering their back lawns. When the ground enters a state of being frozen, you can essentially pack up your gardening and lawn care equipment for the season. This includes disconnecting and putting away your garden hose.
Drain outdoor faucets immediately
Once you put away your garden hose for the winter, take extra steps to ensure that plumbing that is exposed to the elements will be safe in freezing temperatures. Start by completely draining the outdoor faucet immediately after the hose is disconnected.
Shut-off valves
Most homes have shut-off valves that you can use to block a pipe that leads outdoors. Should your home have these, you will usually find them located in basements or closets in an area of the house close to where the outdoor faucet is located.
Insulated faucet jacket
After you’ve ensured these outdoor pipes are as bone dry as possible, invest in an insulated faucet jacket. These devices can be found at most hardware stores and work to make sure that even if the faucet has no moisture, the freezing temperatures won’t penetrate indoor plumbing as well.
Call John C. Flood to Prepare Your Home for Winter
At John C. Flood, we are committed to a standard of excellence and quality that no other Gaithersburg, MD plumbing service can offer.
With more than 100 years experience providing plumbing, air conditioning and electrical contracting, we have unmatched skill and expertise satisfying our many area customers.
We also offer energy saving Management Plans that will save customers on utility expenses in the long run. We are open seven days a week and offer customers regular rates no matter when they need us to stop by their home or business. Call us at 703-214-5611!
