Outdoor hose faucets crack in winter because water trapped inside the faucet or the pipe behind it freezes and expands. Ice takes up more space than water, and the pressure it creates can split the metal, often on the part of the pipe hidden inside the wall.
Why Hoses Make It Worse
A garden hose left attached in cold weather keeps water trapped in the faucet. Even a frost-free faucet, which is designed to shut off water further inside the warm part of the wall, cannot drain properly with a hose connected. The trapped water freezes, and the faucet or pipe can crack.
The Hidden Damage
The crack often happens inside the wall, where you cannot see it. Nothing seems wrong until spring, when someone turns on the faucet. Then water can spray inside the wall or basement instead of out the spout. Sometimes the leak only shows as a wet spot on a basement ceiling or a damp floor near the outside wall.
How to Prevent It
- Disconnect and drain garden hoses before the first freeze
- Close the indoor shut-off valve for each outdoor faucet if your home has one
- Open the outdoor faucet to let any water drain out, then close it
- Add an insulated faucet cover on very cold nights
- Consider upgrading older faucets to frost-free models
What to Check in Spring
When you first use the outdoor faucet each spring, have someone watch the basement or the inside wall behind it. If water appears inside, or the faucet sprays from the handle, shut off the water right away. A weak flow from the spout combined with a wet wall is a common sign of a split pipe.
Catching the problem on day one keeps a small repair from turning into a flooded basement.
If the pipe behind your faucet has split, fixing the cracked section will stop the leak inside your wall. To have outdoor faucets upgraded before next winter, you can arrange a visit with a plumber at (833) 603-1840.