Drain outdoor faucets before cold weather

Most outdoor faucets now are the frost-proof kind, but that doesn't mean they never break in cold weather.

Because water expands as it freezes, it can split open metal or plastic pipes, as well as capped garden hoses. The resulting damage can emerge both inside and outside of the house, but may not show until spring. The impacts can range from a slow leak inside the wall to a room-flooding geyser.

"To avoid this, the main thing to remember is that you don't want anything to still be holding water inside an exposed pipe or faucet when the temperature falls below freezing," said Ward Upham, Kansas State University Research and Extension horticulturist. "For example, attachments that can trap water in an outdoor faucet include splitters, timers, hoses or almost anything else connected to the tap."

Winter water problems would be even more common, Upham said, except for the fact that water can become ice at 32 degrees -- but, only if it has an impurity, soil or pipe roughness, or other "seed" on which to crystallize.

Without a "seed," water must supercool. After that, it can appear to freeze solid almost instantly. University of Illinois researchers found pipes in an insulated, and thus unheated attic froze at just below 20 degrees.

Some frost-proof faucets have a vacuum breaker that requires owners to push up a little stem to release the water in the pipe. Once free of such "extras," however, frost-proof faucets winterize themselves.

Faucets that are not frost-proof usually have their handle on top and they're likely to be on older homes. But, they all have a water shut-off valve, located close to the faucet, yet inside the house.

"For them, you have to turn off that valve inside the house," Upham said. "Then you turn on the outside faucet to let any trapped water drain out. And, you leave the tap turned on."

If outdoor water faucets are drained properly before winter, insulated faucet covers become more of an added precaution than a necessity.

"Covers aren't very expensive, though, and making your own isn't difficult," added Upham.

At its most basic, a faucet cover can be a "surround" of rags, newspaper or other insulating material. This wrap will need a "raincoat" of plastic or other material, taped in place to keep moisture from getting inside, Upham said.

"For a faucet cover that looks more secure, find a butter tub-type plastic container with a pop-on lid," he said. "Cut a hole large enough for the lid to fit over the faucet. Center that lid behind the faucet and tack it to the wall. Then wrap a strip of fiberglass pipe insulation around the faucet and secure it with tape. Fit the tub over the insulation and just snap the container onto the wall-mounted lid."