Winters in Ottawa usually involve freezing, snowy weather, with temperatures dropping as low as -14 degrees Celsius (6 degrees F) in January. As you prepare for the cold months, you will need to winterize your plumbing system, including your outdoor hose.
As an Ottawa homeowner, you should know about the benefits of a frost-free hose bib vs a regular outdoor faucet. Our team at Out Of This World Plumbing discusses why you should consider replacing your regular hose bib with a frost-free faucet.
With traditional hose bibs, the shutoff valve sits just behind the handle. If temperatures drop below freezing, the water that sits right behind the valve freezes. Since freezing water expands, the tap or faucet may split open. You may only notice this problem long after, when spring comes and you try to use your garden hose.
In frost-free faucets, the valve’s location is much further back, which keeps the residual water from freezing. Any water that remains behind the valve will retain the warmer indoor temperatures.
Although quality frost-free hose bibs usually prevent freeze, it’s impossible to provide a 100% guarantee against freezing. To stay on the safe side, you should still turn off any water supply to outdoor faucets and detach garden hoses before the season’s first freeze.
A frost-free hose bib is a recommended choice for homeowners who:
If you forget to turn off the water supply to outdoor faucets before the first freeze, you’ll be glad you invested in a frost-free hose bib. A frost-free bib can help you avoid unpleasant consequences such as pipes freezing solid, burst pipes, water leakages, and widespread water damage.
Winterizing your outdoor faucets is an essential autumn chore in Canadian households. The ideal time to winterize faucets is around the start of October. With conventional faucets, you must make sure you:
Frost-free faucets involve a simpler winterization process. All you need to do is turn off the shutoff valve supplying water to your outdoor tap. Any water left over in the pipe will drain automatically. Just remember to remove and drain the hose that connects to the faucet.
At Out Of This World Plumbing, we recommend Woodford frost-free outdoor faucets for all installations in Ottawa. Woodford faucets include several high-quality, freeze-proof models that prevent burst pipes and answer all your outdoor water needs.
Now that you know the advantages of a frost-free hose bib vs a regular hose bib, it’s time to book your installation with our team at Out Of This World Plumbing. Our professional plumbers can handle all your outdoor faucet installations and repairs in Ottawa. Call us today at 613-241-3139 for a free estimate.
