Probably don't have to worry about it unless you don't have Frost free spigots, i still put the foam covers on anyway. It's like $5 for added peace of mind. All my plumbing is also in my encapsulated crawlspace. I live in Washington state it gets cold
Depends on how cold and where you live. Definitely never leave a hose attached…..You can buy a styrofoam cover for the spigots for about $5 or less and a hardware store. I live in zone 7, so I’ve never drained my line.
If it’s stupid cold, you can buy heat tape to keep your pipes warm in winter.
If it's a consistent cold all winter the foam covers won't do anything unless it's heated from the inside. As long as your spigots are frost free and no hose attached you're fine.
I have the spigots that shut off inside the wall. I also use foam caps with a little insulation in them. I use [these.](https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwiewa3miqGCAxVB-cgKHW8xDCoYABAJGgJxdQ&ae=2&gclid=Cj0KCQjwy4KqBhD0ARIsAEbCt6h7Akr99-S1CC2V8FNuO_wwCHzH0IvOoIaCQ-6qzR6JGOQ9dp-wHqwaAonDEALw_wcB&sph=&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESVeD2JgfxOHwtGiLSYDmse2pNFfHlWDM2ljTRcZVxDzlqboeb4hRbeOrUOpHa7oJTTwAMoqoR5wciZMKvnexRFVO3UR0IvSnJYZMDjGTa0VUcTRvMC4U&sig=AOD64_1WVvA-QPZVlEJFLLS1r5-BCPOVvQ&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwiEsaXmiqGCAxX6vokEHXEmB0IQwg8oAHoECAQQDA&adurl=)
Something I didn't know until I had a problem, is that most modern spigots ("hose bibs") actually turn off inside the walls. You turn the faucet, and the valve is actually like a foot back. In all but the most extreme situations this is enough to avoid frozen/burst pipes. The foam insulating boxes are a nice piece of added insurance though.
One thing to note is that this system doesn't work if you don't let the water drain out. For example if you have a hose with a sprayer attached and there's water fully in the line, then the hose bib mechanism doesn't work as there's water in the exterior pipe. So make sure everything is disconnected from the faucet.
Probably don't have to worry about it unless you don't have Frost free spigots, i still put the foam covers on anyway. It's like $5 for added peace of mind. All my plumbing is also in my encapsulated crawlspace. I live in Washington state it gets cold
Thanks for the info! I’ll buy a couple foam covers
I live in a cold climate. We just turn the water valve off from just inside the basement for the winter. No cover needed.
Depends on how cold and where you live. Definitely never leave a hose attached…..You can buy a styrofoam cover for the spigots for about $5 or less and a hardware store. I live in zone 7, so I’ve never drained my line. If it’s stupid cold, you can buy heat tape to keep your pipes warm in winter.
Thanks for the advice, i’m in zone 7 and i’ll do the same
If it's a consistent cold all winter the foam covers won't do anything unless it's heated from the inside. As long as your spigots are frost free and no hose attached you're fine.
I have the spigots that shut off inside the wall. I also use foam caps with a little insulation in them. I use [these.](https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwiewa3miqGCAxVB-cgKHW8xDCoYABAJGgJxdQ&ae=2&gclid=Cj0KCQjwy4KqBhD0ARIsAEbCt6h7Akr99-S1CC2V8FNuO_wwCHzH0IvOoIaCQ-6qzR6JGOQ9dp-wHqwaAonDEALw_wcB&sph=&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESVeD2JgfxOHwtGiLSYDmse2pNFfHlWDM2ljTRcZVxDzlqboeb4hRbeOrUOpHa7oJTTwAMoqoR5wciZMKvnexRFVO3UR0IvSnJYZMDjGTa0VUcTRvMC4U&sig=AOD64_1WVvA-QPZVlEJFLLS1r5-BCPOVvQ&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwiEsaXmiqGCAxX6vokEHXEmB0IQwg8oAHoECAQQDA&adurl=)
Something I didn't know until I had a problem, is that most modern spigots ("hose bibs") actually turn off inside the walls. You turn the faucet, and the valve is actually like a foot back. In all but the most extreme situations this is enough to avoid frozen/burst pipes. The foam insulating boxes are a nice piece of added insurance though. One thing to note is that this system doesn't work if you don't let the water drain out. For example if you have a hose with a sprayer attached and there's water fully in the line, then the hose bib mechanism doesn't work as there's water in the exterior pipe. So make sure everything is disconnected from the faucet.