Montpelier Hills News

How to Prevent Freezing Water Pipe Breaks & Leaks in Montpelier Hills

Does not fully apply outside Montpelier Hills
Updated: 2021.11.22
In late October or early November, night-time temperatures start to drop below freezing. That is the time to take these simple precautions to prevent your outside water pipes/faucets from freezing this winter, to avoid possible damage from burst pipes.
  • Find (*) and turn off (clockwise) the TWO inside shut-off valves that feed water to the front and rear outside water faucets. (*) The inside valves are usually near the hot water heater and/or water meter.
  • Then open the outside faucets. 
  • Then ONLY SLIGHTLY unscrew the little "air bleed" caps on the side of each of the inside shut-off valves -- unscrew the cap just enough to hear air sucking into the valve.
    • This allows all the water to drain out through the open outside faucet. If you open the caps too much (or remove them all together) ALL the water in the outside pipe will drain at the inside-end where you are standing.  Drain times vary, but no more than an hour at above freezing.
    • In most Montpelier Hills homes each outside faucet has a positive pressure fitting with a plastic tab in the throat of each outside faucet.
    • For each outside faucet, tilt and hold* the tab sideways to ensure that all the water drains out. * The tab will snap back to the center closed position
  • Let the outside faucets drain while temperatures are above freezing.
  • Then close the outside faucets before freezing/nightfall. 
  • Finally, put-back and hand tighten the air bleed caps on the interior shut-off valves -- finger tight, no tools -- so they don't get lost or leak when you turn on the inside valves to supply the outside faucets again in the Spring. 
2022.11.15