When a frigid blast from the arctic vortex strikes your neighborhood, one of the possible outcomes is burst water pipes, and outdoor faucets are particularly vulnerable.
Winterizing your outdoor plumbing is incredibly important. It might seem like a chore, but doing so can help you avoid some potentially hefty plumbing repair bills.
Pipes can freeze in as little as six to eight hours, meaning this can happen overnight. If the outside temperature is below 32 degrees Fahrenheit and your pipes are unprotected, your chances for a cracked pipe increase.
Standard outdoor faucets serve a similar function to indoor faucets, but they don’t work quite the same way. Faucets that supply water for your landscaping and other outdoor uses usually have a simpler mechanism than the ones indoors because you do not need hot water outside. Any water remaining in the line will freeze and expand.
Ice takes up nearly 10% more space than the same amount of liquid water does. If the pipe is full of water in the liquid state, there is no room for expansion if the temperature drops low enough for the water to freeze.
If a pipe should burst and ruptures the faucet connection, water will be sent running down the inside of your home’s wall. Repairing the damage to flooded walls, furniture, and other possessions can amount to thousands of dollars.
To gain some peace of mind by avoiding the risk of a burst pipe, professionals suggest switching out regular exterior faucets for ones specifically developed for outdoors.
A frost-free model, sometimes referred to as a freeze-proof faucet or antifreeze spigot, is essentially a compression-style spigot with a metal tube that can be up to 24 inches in length. This extra-long tube is installed inside the house where the air is warmer and where water is unlikely to freeze.
When properly installed at a downward angle toward the outside, the water drains out of the metal tube section onto the ground, so there’s no water left to freeze.
With freeze-proof spigots, it is no longer necessary for you to check outdoor faucets during freezing times of year — something you must do with ordinary outdoor faucets to make sure you don’t miss a burst. And, depending on your home insurance policy, you may get a break on your premiums when replacing standard outdoor faucets with frost-proof models.
You have several options for outdoor faucets, and a professional technician can help you determine the most appropriate one to meet your needs.
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