Do you know where your hoses are?

Many homes have what are called “frost-free” outside faucets.

These faucets are designed so that the water is actually shut-off at the interior of the home where is more likely to be warmer.  This prevents freezing of the water in or next to the valve outdoors.  When you shut off the valve, water drains out of the short section of pipe between the shut-off handle and where it actually shuts off at the warmer interior.

Leaving hoses attached to the valve during the winter eliminates the frost-free function of the valve because the water can’t drain out.  So remember to remove your hoses from these faucets when there is the likelihood of freezing.

As a Seattle Home inspector, I do not re-install hoses that I find still attached to these valves in the winter.

If you have older style valves that are not frost-free, they should have an interior water shut-off so that the outside faucet can be opened up and drained.  Obviously hoses should not be left on these valves either.

Have you disconnected your hoses from your outside faucets yet?

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