Winterizing your hose bibbs is crucial as the temperatures dip into the negative 20s. Every spring, we get many calls about broken or burst pipes in crawl spaces and basements. These pipes can be found when homeowners turn their hoses on for the first time. Unbeknownst, their basement is being sprayed by gallons of water, even though they're running their hose outside.

First, what's a hose bibb anyway?

Simply put, the hose bibb is the faucet located outside of your home. Sometimes, it's called the spigot. The faucet or spigot is connected with pipes, which are connected directly to your home's water supply. They are especially vulnerable to freezing in colder temperatures because they are connected to outside faucets. Follow these steps to prevent freezing.

Drain and remove hoses. This will reduce damage to the hose and prolong its life expectancy.

Locate all the hose bibb shutoff valves in your home. Each hose bibb will have a shutoff valve. These valves can also be found in crawl spaces, basements, or utility rooms. We are happy to assist you in identifying and labeling these shutoff valves whenever we visit your home for repair or service.

It is simple. Turn the valves to the off position. Take note of the following: Righty, tighty; lefty, loosey/open.

This seems counter-intuitive, but it is the right thing to do. Any water trapped in the pipe will be removed by opening the hose bibb. You should see a little water coming out of the hose bibb, and then it will stop. This will tell you that you have turned the inside valve off. You can leave the hose bibb open. Don't forget to keep the hose bibb open during spring.