In older outdoor faucets, water fills the sillcock — that’s the pipe that goes from inside the house, through the foundation wall, to the faucet. In winter, that water can freeze, expand and split open the pipe. By turning your outdoor faucet off and draining the water from the pipe, you prevent that pipe from bursting and possibly dumping water into your basement.
You can skip this job if you have frost-proof outdoor faucets — most newer homes do. These sillcocks have a long valve stem. When you turn the handle on the outside the house, you're actually operating a valve on the inside of the house, so you won't get frozen or burst pipes.
Time — 15 minutes
Difficulty — Easy
Expertise — None
Frequency — Once a year
Where — Areas of US with freezing winters
Steps
- In the basement or crawlspace, close the shutoff valve on each pipe that feeds an outdoor faucet.
- Place a bucket under the drain cap on the side of the valve and then turn the cap counterclockwise to let water drain from the pipe.
- Locate all your exterior outdoor faucets — don't forget the one in the attached garage, if you have one — and turn their handles counterclockwise to open them so they can drain.
