Plumbing Leaks from Garden Hoses in Edmonton
It’s that time of year again! Kids are back in school, things are starting to find a rhythm after a fun and eventful summer, and you feel like your routine that you missed so much is oh so comforting to be in again. Well I am just here to remind you of the things that can help you keep your Edmonton home warm and dry this upcoming season. Hose bibs, garden hose connections, frost-free, boiler drain, outdoor faucet or whatever you may call that water supply on the side of your house….Its time to let that bad boy breathe for the winter. Using it here and there in the fall will not do it any harm whatsoever, but if you are anything like me, it has a hose attached to it all spring and summer long. As the temperature drops to freezing points in the next few weeks, if you do not disconnect the hose, you could potentially have a burst on your hands, whether it be copper pipe or a frost free hose bib.
How Hose Bibs Work
The hose bibs are designed to drain all excess water after being used, and with a hose attached, it holds the water there just waiting for the cold weather to wreak havoc on your plumbing system. It is a simple preventative measure that could save you hundreds in a repair bill and you won’t have to stress over finding a plumber at 4 am when the pipe decides to give your home an unexpected shower.
Could your Copper Pipes Freeze?
If you live in an older home, there may be a shut off inside to create that air gap between the water and the cold. This is only the case in houses built before 1990, and if the hose bibs are not the frost free type. If this is the case, close the valve inside on the copper pipe running to the outdoor faucet and open the faucet outside. If you feel inclined, you can close the valve outside a few weeks later as most of the water would have been expelled by now, but really there is no need to shut it unless the valve isn’t holding. That’s a whole other problem that you should address within the next few days.
The purpose to all of this is if water stays near the outdoors and freezes, there is a very good chance that the water in the pipe will turn to ice and expand creating a hole in the wall of your copper pipe.