Preparing pipes for the winter?

[Cpt.America]

So I got a call from my propery manager today reminding me that it is in my lease to prepare outside pipes for the winter. What I think she said on her message, was that I needed to wrap the outside hose outlets in a towel, then a plastic bag, and wrap it up with somt duct tape.

I have lived in San Diego most of my life but have recently moved to a place where it gets sem-cold (down to the teens at night this past week) and all this "ice", "snow", and "winter" Stuff is all very new to me.

So what is the deal with having to towel up the outside hose outlets on the house? thanks for any isight you might have

Cpt.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

No man, run to Home Depot and get some of these and you are good to go. If it gets really cold you can leave a faucet or 2 dripping in your house to keep the flow going.
http://plumbing.hardwarestore.com/52-299-faucet-covers/faucet-cover-113857.aspx

 

[yettitheman]

Sounds like it's to prevent the water valve on the outside from freezing up.
Strange way of doing it.... but who knows.

 

[highfigh]

The hose bib should have a shut-off valve inside of the house and that should be closed, the hose removed and then the valve outside should be opened. That way, there's no pressure and most of the water in the pipe between the valves will drip out. Anything that's left can freeze without bursting anything. I'm in WI and it may have gotten up to 6F today. A towel really won't do much if it gets cold enough. You can buy a styrofoam cover, though and here's an example:
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=24400-1410-FC1&lpage=none

 

[Cpt.America]

Thanks for the replies guys. I don't think there is any kind of valve here in the house that will shut water off to the outside faucets. Also, the hardware store here in town is clear out of these outside protectors. I am guessing that the towel and plastic bag will keep the really cold air from going up inside the pipe? I dont see how it could do any better of a job than having the valve totally closed..... (like they always are when im not washing my car )

 

[captiankirk28]

If you have frost free faucets when you shut them off their is a long stem that shuts the water off inside the house about 8in inside and their is no need to put anything over the outside, but just make sure your hose is not hooked up to it so when you shut it off the water drains out.

Unless you have some very old faucets that are not frost free. You can tell if you ve a vacume braker on top of the faucet, is like a round plastic disc, if it has that you are ok.

 

[nick1000000]

You just need to insulate the pipes so they don't freeze causing the pipes to break. All you need it a towel and duct tape or go to a home depot/lowes and get housing insulation (espestos free) and wrap it around the pipes. Wrap it with seran wrap and duct tape.

 

[Nemo128]

Be careful with what you were told. That method only works when the temp doesn't go very low.

I'm surprised your property wouldn't have the piping prepared already.

 

[TLS Guy]

So I got a call from my propery manager today reminding me that it is in my lease to prepare outside pipes for the winter. What I think she said on her message, was that I needed to wrap the outside hose outlets in a towel, then a plastic bag, and wrap it up with somt duct tape.

I have lived in San Diego most of my life but have recently moved to a place where it gets sem-cold (down to the teens at night this past week) and all this "ice", "snow", and "winter" Stuff is all very new to me.

So what is the deal with having to towel up the outside hose outlets on the house? thanks for any isight you might have

Cpt.

The outside faucets are of the incorrect type. Insist the landlady install the correct outside faucets for regions where the temperature goes below freezing. The correct solution, and I bet it is code in your area, is to use outside faucets that have a long valve stem, so that the valve is well inside the house. If there is nothing connected to the faucet, so that the water can drain out, distal to the valve, then it will NEVER freeze. It was 25 below here yesterday morning, and it can get to over 40 below on this region. I have never covered a faucet yet, and never had a problem in 39 years living in this region.