Keeping Hose Bibs from Freezing in Winter?

[Boris]

This question is about how to properly insulate an keep from freezing, outside water spigots, or hose bibs.

My daughter's home is at 4,000' and it snows occasionally from December through February, one to three feet. The temperature a few days ago was

28F at night, but daytime was in the 40's.

This is her second winter in the home, and last year I forgot to winterize the outsie hose bibs. This year I want to. Neighbors are telling her to simply keep a trickle of water flowing out the bibs. I guess it wowrks for them, but....

Whenever I've winterized my dad's outside bibs, I've always just wrapped in normal attick batting insulation, and cevered the insulation with black trash bags to keep rain out.

How you do it?

[Marilyn Manson]

Install Frost Free Hose Bibs

[Ed Pawlowski]

Had them in the last house. Got below zero at times but never had a problem in 49 years.

[micky]

Most years I've drained the pipe. close the spigot on tthe outside close the valve to the outside on the inside open the little knurled nut on the valve open the spigot on the outside. catch the water that drains out, or don't catch it. It's up to you. close the nut when no more comes out In the spring, reverse this.

But a few years I used a hard foam hollow semi-sphere with a little hook that hooks onto the spigot, intended to keep it from freezing. This isn't as reliable as the first method but I'm counting on global warming.

[hubops]

Yep. My earlier method - before having the proper faucets installed - was to simply leave the indoor basement insulation removed from that one joist space. ~ 1 x 1 foot area. Nothing on the outside at all. No freeze-ups in 20 years of southern Ontario winters. .. leaving an outdoor faucet dripping all winter long is absurd in the utmost. John T.

[Thomas]

My buddy used to stick a flashlight in a glove in his car. Minus 5 is minus 5.

Turn inside off and outside on. If no inside get one. 28 is no real biggie. Has it frozen in the past?

[Clare Snyder]

I install frostproof hydrants.

[Boris]

Marilyn Manson [e-mail] wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Yes, I've seen those. A friend who lives on the Oregon coast installed them. I thought they were unnessary for his location.

Anyway, how do they work? I assume once installed, you turn on the faucet valve (a little bit, or full blast, or does it matter?), and the frost free hose bib keeps itself closed, until the outside temperature reaches a pre-determined temperature (a bit above 32F ?), and then water leaks out to relieve freezing pressure? In other words, so that any freezin had a release route so as not to burst the otherwise unprotected spigot?

[Boris]

Bob F [e-mail] wrote in news:sp64kn$am8$ [e-mail]:

That's basically what I used to do at my dad's home. (Before wrapping with figerglass insulation, I used to also wrap rubber/foam type tubing abound all outside spigot piping.

[Boris]

Boris [e-mail] wrote in news:XnsADFEA2C0A1819nospamnospaminvalid@144.76.35.252:

Anhyone ever use these things?

or

[Ed Pawlowski]

They work like any other hose bib. Only difference, the seat to shut it off is inside the house so it will not freeze. It is just a long stem shaft in an empty tube. You can open them in the freezing winter if you want water outside and just close it like the short ones.

[Ed Pawlowski]

Not, that is a hack and will drip water. Put in the right hose bibs and be done with it .

[Marilyn Manson]

They work like this...

[micky]

When did they invent those things?

[trader_4]

That's the best solution, no need to do anything each winter, except make sure that a hose isn't left attached that's full of waer. If regular ones are installed in places that can freeze, they should have shutoff valves inside the house with a drain. Before winter, you shut them off and open the drain. The freeze proof kind you can use for water in the winter if needed, just like summer.

[Ed Pawlowski]

At least 43 years ago since my last house had them when built.

[Boris]

Marilyn Manson [e-mail] wrote in news: [e-mail]:

OK, I see. According to the contractor in this video, the thing works because it places the weak link, the washer in the valve, under the house, by way of the long connector tubing, rather on the outside of the house. Yes?

(At this time of year, I'm not about to go into the crawl space to do plumbing. Maybe next summer. But, it looks like the ultimate, one time solution.)

[Anonymous]

Yes, that is how the Frost Free valves work.

Have you been in the crawlspace ? Given your climate, I would be surprised if you don't already have this type valve, or at least a shut-off valve in the line to the bib, already in place.

[Boris]

"\"Retired"@home.com wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Hmmm...good point.

I have not been in the crawlspace, yet. The home is three hours away, and I will be going there tomorrow to check it out.

[micky]

It's a shame they didn't catch on faster.

My friend bought a house built by an architect for himself and it has those. Do you have a special house, or is it typical of the area.