Key Takeaways

The key to avoiding frozen outdoor pipes is turning off the indoor water valve and draining the line before cold hits.

Cover faucets after your last fall use or before a freeze, using either store-bought covers or snug DIY wraps.

In colder areas, frost-free bibbs or added wall insulation offer stronger, longer-term protection.

When temperatures dip, most of us think about insulating windows or sealing doorways, but your outdoor faucet (where the hose goes) often gets overlooked. That small metal spigot sticking out of your house might not seem like a big deal—until a hard freeze turns it into a cracked pipe and a surprise flood inside your walls.

Fortunately, covering an outdoor faucet is one of the simplest cold-weather home maintenance steps you can take, but it’s no

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