2 services
Outdoor and seasonal plumbing
Outdoor plumbing is where freezing weather and irrigation season meet. A cracked hose bib can leak inside the wall for weeks before anyone notices, and many water utilities require yearly testing of the backflow preventer on lawn irrigation systems.
- Licensed local plumbers
- The problem explained before work starts
- Price agreed before the job begins
Outdoor & seasonal services
Frost-free hose bib repair
A frost-free hose bib keeps its valve inside the heated house, but it still splits if a hose is left attached in freezing weather, because water can't drain out. If water leaks inside the wall or basement the first time you use it in spring, the stem has split and the bib needs to be replaced.
Backflow testing
A backflow preventer stops irrigation water, fertilizer and lawn chemicals from being pulled back into drinking water. Many U.S. water providers require the device on sprinkler systems to be tested by a certified tester every year and the results submitted to the utility.
How outdoor & seasonal problems start
A standard hose bib holds water right at the outside wall, where it can freeze. A frost-free hose bib closes the valve several inches inside the heated house, so the part outside drains each time you turn it off, as long as the hose is disconnected.
Backflow preventers protect drinking water from fertilizer, soil and standing water in irrigation lines. Utilities in many areas require an annual test by a certified tester, and the device needs to be drained or protected before freezing weather.
The services below cover frost-free hose bibs and backflow testing and repair.
When to call a plumber
- Water inside the wall or basement near an outdoor faucet when it's used
- A hose bib that drips or won't shut off
- A notice from your water utility that a backflow test is due
- A backflow device that leaks or spits water when irrigation runs
- Spring start-up after a cracked pipe or device over winter
Choosing the right fix
Repair or upgrade the hose bib?
A standard hose bib that has frozen and cracked is usually replaced with a frost-free model. The new one needs a slight downward slope toward the outside so it drains.
Test, repair or replace the backflow device?
A device that fails its test often just needs new seals or springs. Older devices with cracked bodies, often from freezing, are replaced.
Before freezing weather
Disconnect hoses, drain or blow out irrigation lines, and protect the backflow device. Most freeze damage to outdoor plumbing happens because one of these steps was skipped.
Outdoor & seasonal questions
Why did my frost-free hose bib freeze?
Who can test my backflow preventer?
When should I winterize outdoor plumbing?
Other plumbing services
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