Air Conditioning, Heating and Plumbing - Advice, Discussion and Tips from ARS®/Rescue Rooter®. Welcome to the ARS/Rescue Rooter Home Connect, your online resource center for information, answers and interactive advice about air conditioning, heating, plumbing and drain maintenance. As part of our commitment to providing exceptional service, we created the ARS/Rescue Rooter Home Connect to be a useful tool with many helpful ways to find what you need.
I’m concerned because I don’t get the same answer to my question from all sources, so I really would appreciate a response from a reputable plumbing company (such as ARS) as well as the reason for your answer. To prepare my water pipes for the winter, I know to turn the water hose off from inside my house. Can you please tell me whether I should leave the outside water hose (faucet) open or closed?
There can be a few variables depending on the type of shut-off valve you have located inside your home. The simple and direct answer is that the faucet should be closed. Contrary to popular opinion, flowing water can and does freeze. Just look at Niagara Falls in the winter. Follow these simple steps: Turn on the outside faucet (water flowing). Close the shut-off valve inside the house (make sure all water has stopped flowing). If the inside shut-off valve has a relief drain, remove the cap and drain the remaining water out of the pipe. This type of valve is called a “stop and waste.” If the inside shut-off does not have a relief drain, allow outside faucet to drain completely (5 minutes) before closing. Once the pipe has been drained of all water, leave the hose connection closed for the winter and cover the outside faucet with a Styrofoam faucet cover available at most home improvement centers for approximately $5 to $10, or you can wrap the faucet(s) with old towels and duct tape. I suggest you contact a professional plumbing contractor, such as the ARS/Rescue Rooter branch in Manassas, VA at (703) 631-3650, who will be happy to assist you.
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