Avoid Outdoor Faucet Leaks -
Turn On Your Hose Bib

Avoid Outdoor Faucet Leaks -
Turn On Your Hose Bib

Getting ready for Spring and Summer means turning on the garden hose. The best way to avoid a leaky outdoor faucet is by planning ahead.

In the fall before frost, you must shut off the water to the outdoor hose bib, also known as an outdoor spigot. We call this process winterization. To do this you turn off the hose line water supply at the inside shut off valve. Leave the outdoor water spigot open to drain the water from the pipe.

This is to stop the water in the exposed pipe and outdoor hose bib from freezing and expanding. The main reason your outdoor faucet will leak in the Spring is from frozen pipes.
Please read our blog on How To Prevent Frozen Pipes.

To open, or summarize the outdoor faucet, follow these easy steps:

Step 1 To Avoid Outdoor Faucet Leaks: Close the Outdoor Spigot Valve

During winter, you would have left the spigot valve open to prevent freezing. Now, before you turn on the water, make sure to tighten the faucet handle and close the valve. This will help prevent water from rushing out and causing a flood.

Step 2 To Avoid Outdoor Faucet Leaks: Locate the Indoor Shutoff Valve

The shutoff valve for your outdoor water is usually inside your house. It is often in the basement, crawl space, or utility room. This valve connects to the pipe leading outside to your hose bib. Each spigot might have its own shutoff valve, so be sure to find them all.

Step 3 To Avoid Outdoor Faucet Leaks: Open the Indoor Shutoff Valve

Once you've found the shutoff valve, open it to let water flow to your spigot. If you had loosened the bleeder valves to drain water during winter, tighten them now to prevent leaks.

Step 4 To Avoid Outdoor Faucet Leaks: Check the Water Flow

Go outside an turn on the spigot to make sure water flows out steadily. If the water pressure is low, there might be a leak somewhere. Go inside your house and check for any signs of water leaks, especially in the basement. A cracked pipe or burst pipe would now leak with the water back on.

Timing is Important. Make sure the temperature stays above freezing before turning your outside water back on. Check the weather forecast to ensure that the nighttime temperatures are also above freezing for at least a week.

Avoid Late Frosts. Even after you've turned on your outside water, keep an eye on the weather. If you predict a late frost, you might need to turn off the water and drain the system again to avoid damage.

Test Your System. Before fully committing, partially open the valve and check for any leaks. This simple test can help you find any issues that developed over winter before they become major problems.

Watch this video for a quick 101 on different style shut off valves:

Need Help With Your Outdoor Faucet And You're Located In The Toronto & GTA Area? - Call DrainWorks Plumbing!

Need Help? At DrainWorks Plumbing, our licensed plumbers and technicians offer expert outdoor faucet repair services for outdoor hose bib leaks and other plumbing issues.

If you notice any problems with your hose bibs, like leaks or cracks, don't wait to fix them. At DrainWorks Plumbing, we specialize in hose bib repairs and hose bib replacements as well as many other plumbing repair services.

We can help you avoid costly damages by keeping your plumbing system running smoothly. Contact us today if you need outdoor faucet repairs or an outdoor faucet replacement.

We can also winterize and summarize your outdoor plumbing for you as well. This service is beneficial because we can fix a plumbing problem on the spot if we discover it.

Call today at 416 486-0000 or book a plumber online.

Key Tips To Avoid Outdoor Faucet Leaks:

Here are the key tips when avoiding outdoor faucet leaks:

*  Close the spigot valve before turning on the water
*  Locate and open the shutoff valve inside your house
*  Check for leaks inside your home after turning on the spigot
*  Ensure temperatures stay above freezing before turning on the water
*  Test your system for leaks before fully turning on the water

*  Call DrainWorks Plumbing in Toronto if you need a licensed plumber to repair or replace your outdoor faucet if it's leaking or damaged.

By following these steps, you can safely turn your outside water back on and enjoy the spring and summer weather. These months are not the time to be worrying about plumbing problems.

Thanks For Reading

"Avoid Outdoor Faucet Leaks -
Turn On Your Hose Bib"

Thanks for reading "Avoid Outdoor Faucet Leaks - Turn On Your Hose Bib".

Make sure to check out our other plumbing blogs below like: "How to Unclog a Toilet"