Protecting Outdoor Spigots in a Virginia Winter

Winters around Powhatan aren't long, but they have enough hard freezes to split an outdoor spigot, and the damage usually isn't obvious until spring. The first time you turn the hose on, water runs down the inside of the wall, into the crawlspace or onto the basement floor.

How a spigot freezes

Water expands as it freezes. If water is trapped in a pipe that gets cold enough, the ice has nowhere to go and the pipe splits. With an outdoor spigot, the pipe running through the wall is exposed to the outside air, so it's the first to freeze.

There are two kinds of spigot, and they freeze in different ways:

• A standard hose bib has its valve right at the outside wall. Water sits in the pipe right up to the valve, so it can freeze in any hard frost unless the inside shut-off is closed and the spigot drained.

• A frost-free spigot has its valve inside the heated part of the house at the end of a long tube. When you close it, the tube drains. It only freezes if something stops it draining, usually a hose left attached.

The hose problem

A hose left on a frost-free spigot holds water in the tube, so the tube can't drain. On the first hard freeze, the tube splits inside the wall. It won't leak while the spigot is closed. It leaks the next time you open it, often months later.

That's why a leak that appears in spring, when you first use the hose, is so often a frozen frost-free spigot. Frost-free spigot repair explains how it's fixed: a split tube means replacing the spigot with one of the correct length and pitch.

Your fall checklist

1. Disconnect every hose before the first hard freeze, including ones on outbuildings.

1. Standard hose bibs: close the inside shut-off valve, then open the outside spigot to drain it. Leave it open for the winter.

1. Frost-free spigots: with the hose off, just make sure it's closed. It drains by itself.

1. Outbuildings and barns: if a spigot is fed by a buried line with a shut-off, close it and drain the spigot.

1. Insulated covers help on exposed walls, but they're not a substitute for disconnecting the hose.

How to tell if a spigot split

• Water appears inside the house, crawlspace or basement when the spigot is on

• Little water comes out of the spout even though the handle is open

• The spigot works fine with no hose, but leaks inside when a nozzle is closed

• A wet spot on the wall or ceiling below a spigot on an upper floor

If you see any of those, close the spigot's inside valve, or the main, and call.

Why the damage shows up in spring

A split spigot almost never leaks during the freeze itself. The ice fills the split and holds the water back. When it thaws, the spigot is closed, so no water flows through it. The leak appears only when you next turn it on, often in March or April when you start watering the garden. By then the freeze could have been weeks earlier, and it's easy not to connect the two.

That delay is why it pays to check each spigot carefully the first time you use it in spring. Turn it on with no hose attached and look inside: the crawlspace, the basement, the wall behind the spigot. Then attach the hose, close the nozzle, and check again. A split frost-free tube often only leaks when the hose builds back-pressure.

Crawlspaces, basements and the rim joist

Most spigots pass through the rim joist, the wooden band that sits on top of the foundation wall. A leak there soaks the wood and anything around it. In a crawlspace it can go unnoticed for a long time, especially if the crawlspace isn't checked often. Signs to look for include a musty smell, damp insulation, or water stains on the foundation below the spigot.

If you find a wet rim joist, stop the leak first, then let the area dry. Leave any insulation that got soaked out of the way until it dries or is replaced, because wet insulation holds moisture against the wood.

Other freeze risks around the house

Spigots aren't the only thing at risk. Pipes in an unheated crawlspace, a garage or along an outside wall can freeze too, and so can supply lines to a sink on an exterior wall. On the coldest nights, opening the cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls lets warm air reach the pipes. Keeping crawlspace vents closed in winter, if your home has them, also helps.

Choosing the right replacement

If a spigot has split, it's a good time to upgrade. A frost-free spigot of the correct length, so the valve sits inside the heated space, and installed with a slight downward pitch to drain, is the long-term fix. Some models also include a built-in vacuum breaker to protect your water supply from backflow through a hose.

For drips and broken handles on standard hose bibs, see outdoor spigot and hose bib repair. Properties with barns and gardens, like many around Maidens, have more spigots to protect. If you're on a well, a split spigot also shows up as the pump running more: see how to tell if a leak is making your well pump run.