How Does A Freezeless Faucet Work?

We use our outdoor water faucets all summer long, but when cold weather sets in it is important to winterize your home which includes making sure your faucets do not freeze. Removing your garden hose from the faucet is necessary to allow water to flow out of your faucet, also called the silcock, spigot or hose bib. Installing a frost-free, or freezeless faucet, is one of the best ways to prevent frozen faucets from bursting and causing water damage.

Freezeless Faucet Versus a Traditional Spigot

A freezeless faucet looks very similar to a traditional spigot on the outside, although the parts on the inside are different. A frost free hose bib has a longer pipe that goes inside the house than a traditional faucet. This allows the shutoff valve to sit further inside the home where it is warmer. An outdoor faucet should be installed with a slight downward pitch to help water drain out of the pipe so it will not freeze. A traditional faucet may have the shutoff valve sitting right behind the handle.

When you turn the water off on a freezeless faucet, the water is stopped behind the valve, which is further inside the home so it will not freeze. Any water left in the outside portion of the pipe drains out. This leaves nothing left in the pipe to freeze and cause pressure which is what causes pipes to burst. Frozen and ruptured pipes can cause significant damage to a home.

Proper installation is critical for a freeze proof faucet to provide the protection it was designed for. Winterizing home maintenance is still necessary as you still have to disconnect the hose from the faucet to ensure that no water will freeze inside the pipe. When your garden hose is removed and your frost free hose bib is properly installed, there should be no risk of a freezing faucet.

You can learn more and find the Woodford faucet that works for you at BuyEagle.com, the official online retailer for quality Woodford faucets and hydrants as well as the full Watco product line. Watco offers high quality bathtub drains and tub stoppers, designed for easy installation and long-lasting performance. Contact us to learn more and with any questions on how to properly install a freezeless water faucet.