How to Winterize Outdoor Faucets and Garden Hoses

To winterize an outdoor faucet, disconnect the garden hose, close the faucet's indoor shutoff valve, and drain the water left in the pipe so nothing is left to freeze. Do it once every fall before the first freezing night, and again any time you use the faucet during a cold snap. Consumer Reports calls it an easy do-it-yourself job if you can reach your pipes. For most homes it takes about as long as walking to each faucet and its indoor valve.

Why winterizing outdoor faucets matters

Water expands when it freezes. Inside a pipe, that can split the pipe open and leave you with what Consumer Reports calls "an expensive mess in your home." The part most at risk is the short run of pipe just inside the house wall that feeds the outdoor faucet. The University of Illinois Extension says that shutting off and draining these lines lowers the risk of a freeze there. It also notes that an eighth-of-an-inch (about 3 mm) crack in a pipe can release up to 250 gallons (about 950 liters) of water a day. Because the crack is often inside a wall or basement ceiling, the leak can go unnoticed until the faucet is turned on in spring.

A hose left attached causes a separate problem. Water trapped in the hose and faucet can't drain away. Boshart, a faucet maker, says a garden hose should never stay connected if temperatures could reach freezing, even briefly overnight. It also says that even "frost-free" wall hydrants have no minimum operating temperature rating. They resist freezing only when the supply is shut off inside a heated space and the pipe is drained.

The hose itself suffers too. Oregon State University Extension says leftover water can split a hose when it freezes, and a hose stored outside won't last more than a few seasons. University of Georgia Extension warns that frozen hoses are fragile and shouldn't be moved in freezing weather.

Frost-free faucets are designed to work only when used correctly. If one freezes because a hose was left on, read the manufacturer's warranty terms before you assume the damage is covered.

What you need

• A bucket or pail to catch water at the indoor valve
• An old towel or rag
• A flashlight for the basement, crawl space, or utility room
• Your phone, to photograph each valve and faucet
• A dry place to store hoses, such as a garage, shed, or basement
• Optional: foam faucet covers, or tape and foam insulation for exposed valves and pipes. University of Georgia Extension notes that home-improvement stores sell tapes, foams, and other insulating products.
• Optional: foam pipe insulation for pipes in unheated areas, about 50 cents per foot at home centers (2026, US price reported by Consumer Reports)

Step by step: shut off, drain, and protect

1. Find every outdoor faucet. Walk all the way around the house and garage and note each faucet. Boshart recommends starting with a full walk of the perimeter so none are missed.
2. Disconnect the hoses. Unscrew every hose. The University of Georgia Extension lists this as the first outdoor step.
3. Remove anything else screwed onto the faucet. Take off splitters, timers, and shutoff attachments. Boshart says these can block a frost-free faucet from draining.
4. Drain each hose. Lay the hose over a high point, such as a railing or fence, so gravity pulls the water out of both ends (Oregon State University Extension).
5. Store the hoses. Coil them somewhere with a steady temperature. University of Georgia Extension says this can extend hose life.
6. Find the indoor shutoff valve for each faucet. It's usually near the basement ceiling or in a crawl space or utility room, close to where the pipe passes through the wall toward that faucet (Boshart). Each outdoor faucet normally has its own valve.
7. Close the shutoff valve. Turn the handle clockwise until it stops. Don't force it. If the valve won't move or starts to leak, stop and see the professional section below.
8. Open the outdoor faucet. Go back outside and open the faucet fully. Water left in the pipe will run out (Consumer Reports).
9. Open the drain cap on the indoor valve. Hold the bucket under the valve and unscrew the small bleeder or drain cap. This lets air in so the rest of the water can drain out (Boshart).
10. Replace the drain cap. Once the dripping stops, screw the cap back on and wipe up any spills.
11. Close the outdoor faucet. Boshart's instructions end with the outdoor faucet closed once the line is fully drained.
12. Drain any manual vacuum breaker. Some faucets have a vacuum breaker (a backflow-prevention cap on the spout) with a manual drain. If yours does, hold the drain open until it stops dripping. Auto-draining versions drain by themselves (Boshart).
13. Insulate exposed pipes and valves. Wrap pipes that run through unheated spaces (Consumer Reports), and tape or wrap valves that sit outdoors at ground level, such as irrigation backflow valves (University of Georgia Extension).
14. Shut off sprinkler and pool lines, too. If you have them, drain their supply lines and close the inside valves that control them (Consumer Reports).

If you have frost-free faucets

A frost-free (or freezeless) wall hydrant has its valve deep inside the wall, where it's warmer. You can usually leave its water on, but only if two things are true:

• No hose is attached. Remove hoses whenever freezing is possible, including overnight in spring and fall (Boshart).
• The valve end is in heated space. If it's in an unheated garage or a seasonal cottage, Boshart says the line needs a shutoff-and-drain valve in a space that never freezes, and the pipe must be drained by hand before outdoor temperatures reach freezing.

How often to winterize outdoor faucets

The University of Illinois Extension also advises keeping the heat at 55°F (about 13°C) or higher. That helps keep the indoor end of each outdoor faucet line above freezing.

When to call a plumber

• The indoor valve has no drain cap, or there's no indoor valve at all. Boshart suggests installing a valve with a drain or switching to a frost-free hydrant. Hire a licensed plumber for this, because it means cutting into a pressurized water line, and local codes may require a permit.
• The valve is stuck, leaks at the handle, or won't fully stop the flow. A worn valve can let water creep back into the line you just drained.
• A frost-free faucet keeps dripping or never seems to drain. Boshart says these must slope downward at least 5 degrees to empty. A faucet that's level or tilted the wrong way needs to be reinstalled.
• A pipe has already frozen or burst. The University of Illinois Extension says to shut off the water, call a plumber, and contact your insurance agent. Never thaw a pipe with an open flame or torch, and be careful of electric shock around standing water. Whether a freeze is covered depends on your policy, so ask your agent.
• You can't find your main water shutoff. Know where it is before winter in case a pipe bursts (University of Georgia Extension). A plumber can help you find and label it.
• You see water stains, damp drywall, or a musty smell near an outdoor faucet in spring. That can point to a split pipe inside the wall.

Keep a record

Write down the date you winterized, where each indoor shutoff valve is, and which faucet it controls. A labeled photo of each valve saves time next fall and helps anyone house-sitting during a freeze. If a plumber replaces a valve or installs a frost-free hydrant, keep the receipt, the make and model, and the installation sheet. Frost-free hydrants depend on correct installation and use, so you'll want those papers if you ever need to make a warranty claim. Dated maintenance records also show buyers and inspectors that the plumbing was cared for. See /help for ways to keep these notes together.