How To Prepare Your Pipes for Winter

Prepare your home for winter and protect your pipes from the cold with these tips before you begin , make sure you know the location of the main water shut off valve , so you can turn off the water quickly if needed .

Some homes have exterior faucets with cut off valves .

If yours does close them and drain the faucets , if not insulate them with foam faucet covers .

A standard faucet can freeze and rupture , but a product called a cell cock just might be the answer to your freeze problems .

This cell cock is made by shark bite and works with C PV C peck and copper all without having to sweat or glue the connection .

It comes in an eight and a 12 inch length depending on the thickness of your wall .

First , open the faucet and allow any leftover water to drain out of the pipe under the house , cut the pipe , but make sure you don't cut it too short .

You can always come back later and trim it if you need to back outside , remove the old faucet and slide the cell cock into place .

Fill the hole in the wall with a waterproof sealant and screw securely into the wall back under the house .

You're ready to make your connection , clean the pipe and remove any rough edges .

And with the shark bite depth gauge , make a mark on your pipe .

Insert the pipe into the shark bite connection all the way to your mark .

Turn the water back on , check for leaks and you're done for an extra level of protection .

You can also install a faucet cover that will insulate your faucet from direct exposure .

Consider insulating your pipes with foam tubing , cut the tubing to the lengths that you need , using a utility knife or a pair of shears .

When you get to an elbow , you can use foam corners that make it easy .

Just split the tubing and wrap it around your pipes .

Make sure you loosely wrap a little bit of duct tape around the insulation along the way to keep it secure insulation works best if it has a little bit of room to breathe .

Garden hoses can pose a danger to exterior faucets too .

Be sure to disconnect them to prevent water from freezing in the hose and rupturing the faucet drain the hoses and store them where they'll be protected from the cold weather .

Finally , once temperatures dip below freezing , be sure to check the water flow periodically .

If you notice a drop in the water pressure , it might be a sign that the pipes are beginning to freeze , leave the faucets open , allowing a slow drip to keep the water flowing and to relieve pressure .

These are a few steps you can take to protect your pipes and prepare your home for the winter .

For more tips on winterizing your home .

Go to Lowe's dot com or click on the links in the description .