How to winterize an outdoor faucet: conventional vs. frost-free

Which faucet are you preparing?

Find the manufacturer and model on the body, flange or installation paperwork, then match it to the maker’s diagram. Handle color and an “anti-siphon” label do not identify the winterization method. Check each faucet because front and back faucets can differ. If the model or indoor shutoff is unclear, ask the property manager, manufacturer or plumber to identify it before changing unfamiliar valve positions.

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First remove the hose and removable accessories

Work before fittings freeze. Turn the faucet off, then open the nozzle on a plain hose-and-nozzle setup to release trapped pressure. A timer or other isolating device can hold pressure in a different section. Use its pressure-release method before disconnecting it.

Unscrew the hose coupling and remove user-removable timers, splitters and quick-connects left on the outlet. PRIER includes these attachments in its winter reminder. Leave an integral vacuum breaker or permanent backflow device in place. Identify an uncertain adapter before trying to remove it.

With both ends open, lift one end of the detached hose and work toward the other end to drain it, then coil it for storage. Drain removable nozzles and timers too. Expandable hoses and enclosed reels have their own storage requirements. A stuck coupling needs attention without twisting the faucet body or hidden pipe.

Conventional faucet: shut off indoors, drain outside

This sequence applies to a conventional faucet with an identified, working indoor seasonal shutoff. Close that supply before leaving the outdoor handle open. Label the indoor valve and tell the household it must stay closed.

A continuous stream means the indoor valve has not isolated the supply. Stop for seized controls, suspected ice or an unidentified drain fitting. No flow after a freeze can mean ice, not an empty pipe. If there is no known seasonal shutoff, remove the hose and arrange a winterization plan before freezing weather. A faucet cover alone does not drain the pipe.

1. Close the positively identified indoor valve supplying this outdoor faucet.
2. Open the outdoor faucet and allow the isolated branch to drain. A continuing supplied stream needs investigation.
3. Leave the indoor supply closed and the outside valve open, as in the Red Cross procedure. Label the indoor valve with the faucet location and winter position.

Standard frost-free faucet: close its handle, clear its outlet

For Woodford Model 17, close the outdoor handle normally and remove the hose so the barrel can drain through the outlet. The installed barrel must slope toward the outlet, with its supply connection in heated space. Leave the handle closed. Opening it again while the supply remains on would send more water into the barrel.

Special designs can work differently. PRIER’s C-434, for example, can drain with a hose attached. That feature belongs to the identified model. For a standard faucet, dripping that continues after the barrel drains needs inspection rather than more force on the handle.

Finish before freezing weather, then inspect the first reuse

Prepare ahead of your local freeze forecast. Irrigation systems, buried hydrants and separate backflow assemblies need their own winterization procedures in addition to this faucet work.

At the first use after winter, have someone watch the faucet while you check accessible indoor areas nearby. A split barrel can stay dry while the faucet is off and leak only when opened. Stop water use and get plumbing help if water appears indoors. If freeze damage is already suspected, arrange inspection before running it.