Hose bibs are faucets attached to your house’s wall and can meet all your “exterior” water needs. Access to water in your backyard and driveway can make your car washes and lawn & garden watering much more effortless.
However, as hose bibs are placed outside your house, they can get frozen in the winters. If you want to make the most of your hose bibs, you will have to recheck their condition and mend all the damage done by the freezing temperature.
How to Inspect a Hose Bib?
Follow these steps for a post-winter hose bib inspection…
Assuming you had closed the indoor valve to your hose bib last fall, you will have to turn it back on. Once done, look for signs of leaks around the pipe, basement ceiling, and interior walls of your basement. If you have a finished basement, pay special attention to the drywall.
After checking everything inside, head out to your hose bib and turn the water on. Look for signs of leaks on the wall beneath the hose bib. If you see water coming from your wall, then your hose bib is damaged, and you will have to replace it.
You can even perform a simple thumb test to check if the winter has damaged your hose bib. Place your thumb over the hose bib and turn the water on. If you can easily hold the water with your thumb, then there is a crack in the piping, and the water is leaking out. However, if you cannot hold the water with your thumb because of the water’s pressure, then your hose bib is fit and fine!
Winterizing Hose Bibs
The best you can do to prevent your hose bibs from freezing is to prepare them for the oncoming freezing temperatures.
First things first, remove the garden hose from your hose bib as this can collect water that freezes as soon as frost hits.
Next, turn off the valve inside your home so that the hose bib has no water access. No water = no freezing! If there is a shut-off valve on the hose bib pipe, then turn the handle on the hose bib to drain out even the last few droplets of the water. Ideally, to get the last drops out, the spout of your hose bib should be installed at a lower point than your water access.
What if the Damage is Done?
If things have worsened at your end, you might need a helping hand from the professionals. If your hose bib is not working correctly and all your DIY attempts have failed, we are here to save you. E&K Contractors has a proficient team of plumbers who have been solving people’s water problems for almost 40 years. Get in touch with us today at (419) 474-9454 for all your plumbing needs.