Outdoor Plumbing Winter Checklist for Central Oregon Homes

In Central Oregon, freezing temperatures can arrive without warning. Don’t let a simple winterization oversight turn into a plumbing disaster.

During Central Oregon’s frigid winters, your outdoor plumbing is at risk. Frozen water expands in volume, so a frozen pipe can end up bursting or cracking. When this occurs, the water damage can quickly add up. Rather than risk your plumbing system’s integrity, it’s essential to be proactive. A little early preparation before winter begins can save you thousands of dollars in repair costs.

Why Outdoor Plumbing Is Especially Vulnerable

While all pipes can potentially burst, outdoor plumbing systems are particularly vulnerable. Outdoor spigots, garden hoses, irrigation lines, and exposed pipes aren’t protected by indoor insulation. Additionally, there is no heat source to warm them. As a result, overnight freezes can cause these unprotected pipes to burst.

Although any outdoor faucet or pipe can freeze, there are a few common scenarios that our plumbers see. Outdoor wall leaks, garage flooding, and broken sprinkler lines are all fairly common occurrences in Central Oregon. To avoid costly repairs and prevent frozen pipes, you need to use the best winter plumbing checklist.

Signs Your Outdoor Plumbing Needs Winterizing

During our plumbing maintenance checks, we can discuss the type of plumbing winterization tips your home needs.

• Leaky Outdoor Faucets: If you notice a leaky outdoor faucet, it means the seal or other components have already been stressed. As a result, the faucet is more susceptible to freezing.
• Exposed Piping With No Insulation: Insulation helps to keep any residual heat within the pipe. If there isn’t any insulation, freezing is more likely. 
• No Shutoff Valve Access: A shutoff valve allows you to turn off water if there is an emergency. You can also use the shutoff valve to turn off the water flow to your outdoor plumbing. If you can’t find your shutoff valve or it isn’t accessible, call one of our plumbers for help.
• Hoses Left Connected Into Late Fall: Even if your hose is empty, water can remain trapped in the pipe and faucet. When the weather turns unseasonably cold, this can cause the frozen water to expand and damage the pipes.
• No Frost-Proof Bibs Installed: By investing in frost-proof bibs, you can reduce the risk of frozen pipes. If you don’t have frost-proof bibs, it’s time to reach out to one of our plumbers for fixture replacement services so that you can avoid frozen pipes and fixtures this year.

Step-by-Step: How To Winterize Your Outdoor Plumbing

If you’re worried about how to avoid frozen pipes, we can help. From investing in an outdoor spigot cover to garden hose winter prep, there are a few things you can do to winterize outdoor plumbing before freezing temperatures arrive.

Disconnect Garden Hoses

Before winter weather freezes your outdoor faucets and pipes, disconnect your garden hose. This protects the hose as well as the pipe and fixture that it is attached to. Once the hose has been removed and drained completely, you can store it safely indoors until springtime.

Shut Off Water to Outdoor Faucets

Next, you need to locate your interior shutoff valves. Typically, you can find this by going to the interior of the wall where the outdoor pipe is located. You’ll see a gate valve or a ball valve. If you have a gate valve, turn the wheel clockwise until the water is completely shut off. For ball valves, you must turn the lever clockwise until it is perpendicular to the pipe. To achieve the best results, you should shut off the water flow before temperatures drop.

Drain Exterior Pipes and Spigots

Once you’ve shut off the water to your outdoor faucets, open up the outdoor faucets so that any trapped water is released. Removing this trapped water helps to prevent it from expanding and bursting your pipes in the winter.

Install Outdoor Faucet Covers

As an added layer of outdoor faucet freeze protection, it’s a good idea to invest in outdoor faucet covers. These cheap devices take just a few seconds to install. Once installed, they prevent cold air exposure and provide an added layer of insulation.

Add Pipe Insulation to Exposed Lines

Take a walk around your property to check for exposed lines. You can use foam sleeves or heat tape for extra insulation. This approach is especially useful in garages and crawl spaces.

Winterize Sprinkler Systems 

The final step in your burst pipe prevention is to winterize your sprinkler system. You need to blow out any of the water that remains in the system so that there isn’t any water left to freeze. 

Common Plumbing Mistakes To Avoid

As you prepare your outdoor plumbing for winter weather, there are a few common mistakes you should avoid.

• Forgetting to Remove Hoses: If the hoses are attached, water may still be in the fixture.
• Skipping the Drain Step: Don’t forget to drain water after you shut off the water supply.
• Relying Only on Faucet Covers: While faucet covers are effective insulation, they aren’t enough to keep your pipes from freezing. You also need to shut off and drain your water as well. 
• Using Space Heaters To Thaw Frozen Pipes: Thawing your frozen pipes with a space heater or other heat source can damage your pipes. It is also a fire hazard, especially if you’re using a heat source in a concealed space.

When To Call a Professional

If you experience any of the following situations, you should call one of our licensed plumbers for help with your outdoor plumbing systems. 

• You don’t have any shutoff valves.
• Some of your piping is inaccessible.
• Your home is already experiencing partial freezes. 
• You want to upgrade your home to frost-proof outdoor faucets. 
• You need to install a heat cable or permanent insulation. 

Central Oregon Heating, Cooling & Plumbing offers winterization services to protect your home before the freeze hits.

What To Do If a Pipe Freezes or Bursts

Even with the best burst pipe prevention, you may still have a pipe freeze or burst. When this happens, protect your home and family by using the following steps.

• Immediately turn off the water supply. 
• Never use an open flame to thaw your pipes.
• Call our expert plumbers immediately for 24/7 emergency plumbing repairs.

Prepare Your Plumbing Systems for Winter 

Central Oregon Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electrical helps homeowners in Bend, Redmond, and throughout Central Oregon prepare their plumbing for winter. By being proactive with early winter plumbing prep, you can save money on repairs and prevent frozen pipes.

Get your outdoor plumbing ready for winter by scheduling your plumbing winterization service today.