How to do it

Disconnect and drain every garden hose before the first hard freeze, and store them indoors.
Find the indoor shutoff for each outdoor faucet, often in the basement or crawlspace on the pipe heading to that wall.
Close that valve, turning a wheel clockwise or a lever across the pipe.
Open the outdoor faucet so the water trapped in the pipe can drain out.
If the indoor valve has a small bleeder cap, put a bucket under it and open it to drain the last water, then close it.
Leave the outdoor faucet open for the winter and fit an insulated faucet cover over it.
Drain and store sprinkler timers and splitters too.
In spring, close the outdoor faucet, open the indoor valve and check for leaks inside and out.

Common mistakes

Leaving a hose attached to a freeze-resistant faucet, which traps water inside it.
Closing the indoor valve but not opening the outdoor faucet to drain the line.
Waiting until after the first freeze to do it.
Forgetting to check for leaks when you turn it back on, since a split pipe may only show then.

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Last reviewed September 28, 2026. First published September 28, 2026.