When spring arrives each year, leaks are discovered in homes across the United States. Water seeps through interior walls or floods basements, leaving homeowners wondering about the cause.
As the weather grows warmer, you might find yourself starting to water your garden or wash your car. This is likely the first time you’ve used your outside faucets since the fall or summer. If any holes or splits occurred in your hose bib over the winter, the water will pour into your walls every time the hose is used.
A hose bib is the outdoor faucet or spigot that a hose is attached to for watering lawns, washing cars, and more. A leaking hose bib can cause extensive damage to your home’s foundation or leak into your basement if it was not properly winterized.
Examining your hose bibs or spigots is important before you begin to use your outdoor connections. If any water was remaining in your pipes, it could have frozen over and created pinhole leaks.
How to determine if your hose bib is leaking
It is best to check your hose bibs with another person. One person should be outside to turn on the hose bib, while the other should look for leaks in the interior wall. Make sure that you and your partner know where the main water shut-off is located.
Open and turn on your hose bibs and check for leaks.
One helpful tip is to block the spigot opening with your thumb or hand. If you turn the water on and can easily hold your hand or thumb in place, or if no water is coming out, there is probably a leak. However, if you can’t hold back the water because of the pressure you are likely fine.
If you find a leak, whether by lack of normal pressure or spotting one inside, quickly turn the hose bib off. If this doesn’t stop the flow of water, turn off the water at the main shut-off. You’ll need to get it repaired, or the water could leak into your home and basement with every use.
If the pipe did leak, try to soak up as much water as you can to help dry the affected area, and get someone out to service the leak right away.
If you are a Freedom Protection Plan policyholder with Freedom Home Warranty, you can submit a claim on our website for interior and exterior hose bibs.
Prevention
You can prevent hose bib leaks by removing your hose prior to the winter months and letting the water drain out. If your faucets have an internal shut off, you’ll want to shut them off there first and then allow the water in the bib to drain.
Proper winterization and care for your hose bibs can keep your faucets flowing for all of your spring gardening and landscaping activities.
With the Freedom Protection Plan from Freedom Home Warranty, you can rest easy knowing that your hose bibs are protected.
