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Winterization
5 Min Read
By Seasonal Maintenance
About This Guide
Water expands by roughly 9% when it freezes into ice. When that expansion happens inside an uninsulated copper or PEX pipe trapped behind a closed outdoor faucet, hydraulic pressure can exceed 2,000 PSI — instantly rupturing pipe walls and brass valve bodies.
Winterizing before the first hard freeze is simple, inexpensive, and prevents devastating spring floods when frozen pipes thaw out. Disconnecting garden hoses, draining exterior sillcocks, blowing out irrigation lines with compressed air, and insulating pipes in crawlspaces or exterior walls protects your property through the coldest sub-zero winter blasts.
Winterization Action Checklist
Disconnect all garden hoses and splitters from outdoor spigots
Shut indoor dedicated isolation valves and drain exterior sillcocks
Blow out landscape irrigation zones and vacuum breakers with air
Wrap exposed crawlspace and attic pipes with closed-cell foam tubing
Install insulated foam spigot covers over all exterior hose bibbs
