Tips to keep water from freezing if possible

RoyB wrote:
My house spigots all have the long value head where the value it actually some 12-inches or so away from the outside wall. Just leaving a water hose connected to this even with the spigot value closed under the house it still freezes here on the outside part at our house. I guess there is always standing water at this point if left connected up.

Roy Ken

I agree with Roy Ken in that the spigot will freeze. In fact this past spring I needed to replace one spigot that I had left the hose connected to as it had frozen between the handle and the actual shutoff point. Split the copper and had a leak in the spring whenever the faucet was turned on.

Unless it is heated it is better to remove the hose and not just shut the valve off. You could get lucky as I did for many years or you could be replacing valves in very tight spaces.

Use the tank. Do not leave water running.

Whatever electrical you use to keep the hose bib from icing up please read and understand the heat tape or blanket's instructions thoroughly. I used to cap the hose bib with a milk crate lined with aluminum foil and fiberglass blanket insulation.

K Charles wrote:
Heat tape on the spigot.

on the hose myself. campgrounds have had one on the spigot.
bumpy

Sometimes keeping a little water running slowly can help ward off freezing.

Heat tape on the spigot.

We always disconnect any external hoses when the temps get down to freezing...

I always felt we was flirting with failure keeping them hooked up.

My house spigots all have the long value head where the value it actually some 12-inches or so away from the outside wall. Just leaving a water hose connected to this even with the spigot value closed under the house it still freezes here on the outside part at our house. I guess there is always standing water at this point if left connected up.

Same thing always happens at camp grounds. Their water values are actually well below the ground but leaving a fresh water hose connected will freeze their connection point as well.

Just me...
Roy Ken

The hose is heated, but without a heat tape on the spigot it is going to freeze. Get a short tape and wrap the spigot and you should be fine.