[MaxCap]

When it's well below freezing, is it best to cover your outside faucets with those styrofoam covers or to let them drip? (I live in South Texas, and our high today and yesterday has been in the 20s--very rare here.) I covered our faucets, but I can't drip them and leave the covers on. I checked one today, and it's frozen. So I wonder whether dripping or covering is more important in preventing burst pipes. Thanks.

[joypulv]

I live in the north and leave all my outside spigots open.
I am too cheap for those anti freeze ones too; they are just regular ones.
I don't have any that drip - amazing how a water bill will go up - but dripping is OK.

[creahands]

The ideal solution, if not anti freeze valves, would be to have a valve inside hose that u can shut off when temp is freezing. Have outside spigot pitching down from the inside valve. Leave spigot open and water in it will drain, keeping it from freezing.

Chuck

[hkstroud]

Doesn't matter now. Too late now,they are already frozen. Just be prepared when they thaw, in case you have a busted pipe or faucet.

[massplumber2008]

Yeah, the real answer is like Chuck said, you either install ANTIFREEZE outside faucets (see image) in which case you could leave them on year 'round without dripping or anything, or, you install shutoffs with drain caps on them (see picture below) so that every winter you can winterize your outside faucets.

Here, you would turn off the new shutoff(s) and then open the outside faucet. You would then open the cap which would let air into the pipe which would displace the water in the pipe, i.e. drain the pipe and you would not need to drip them or cover them with foam covers. It is best to have the pipe pitched toward the outside or toward the shutoff with cap to facilitate draining.

In the spring you would tighten the cap back to the shut offf and open the shutoff to restore water flow... ;)

If you chose to install the antifreeze faucets know that they need to be pitched down and out so they can automatically drain by gravity and know that you CANNOT leave a hose attached in the winter as these faucets can freeze if the hose freezes.

Questions? Let us know, OK?

Mark