Living in places with cold winters comes with a hidden risk – burst pipes! When water freezes internal pipes, it expands, increasing extreme pressure that might make them crack or explode. Luckily, a simple trick known as “Dripping” your taps can assist in preventing this disaster.

Tools You Might Need to Drip Your Water Faucet

You should not need any unique equipment to drip your faucets. However, having a few things accessible could make the process smoother:

• A bucket or cup. This enables you to trap the drips and gauge the drip fee.
• A flashlight. If you want to check on faucets in dimly lit regions, a flashlight certainly helps you see.
• An adjustable wrench (elective). In uncommon cases, you might need a wrench to tighten a leaky faucet to cope with after dripping.

Pro Tip: If you’re worried about wasting water, you can gather the drips in a bucket and use them later for watering flora.

How To Properly Drip a Water Faucet?

To properly drip a water faucet, follow these simple steps:

1. 1. Choose the faucet furthest from where water enters your home. This helps keep water moving through all the pipes.
2. 2. Slightly turn the faucet handle to let out a steady drip. You don’t need a lot of water, just a tiny stream.
3. 3. Make sure the drip is consistent. It should be steady but not too fast.
4. 4. Keep the faucet dripping continuously, especially during cold weather or when there’s a risk of pipes freezing.

Dipping the faucet helps prevent pipes from freezing and bursting, which can cause much damage. Click here to check our stock of unique and durable faucets and hoses.

When to Drip a Water Faucet?

The key to dripping is knowing when to do it. Here’s the golden rule: Drip your taps while freezing temperatures are expected to cease for numerous days.

This is when you should take action:

• Weather forecasts expect temperatures continually under freezing (typically around 32°F or zero°C).
• You’ve experienced frozen pipes earlier than.
• Your pipes run via unheated areas like crawl spaces or attics.

The Dripping Do’s and Don’ts

Here is what you should and shouldn’t do while dripping water faucet:

Do’s

• Drip the burning water faucet. Hot water traces are less liable to freezing, and dripping can waste water.
• Aim for a sluggish, constant drip. A drip each second is best. You can use a cup to accumulate the drips and spot how regularly they fall.
• Focus on the faucets furthest from the principal water shut-off valve. These are much more likely to freeze first.
• Consider dripping a couple of taps. If you’ve uncovered pipes in exclusive regions, dripping taps in those places give you more safety.
• Open cupboard doors under sinks. This permits warm indoor air to reach the pipes and saves you from freezing.

Don’ts

• Drip a hot water tap. Remember, the goal is to defend the hot water pipes.
• Let the tap run in a fast circulation. A sluggish drip is all you want. A constant stream is wasteful and pointless.
• Forget to turn off the dripwhilst temperatures upward push. Keep the tap dripping till freezing weather has wholly surpassed.

FAQs

Here are some often-requested questions on dripping water faucets:

How to drip taps correctly?

Pick the farthest cold tap, turn it directly to a gradual drip (one drop each few seconds), seize the drips in a cup, and maintain it going until the freeze is over. Then, please turn it off to keep water!

Is it OK to let faucets drip?

Yes, however, it is most straightforward during the freezing climate! A gradual drip allows water to transfer through the pipes so they don’t freeze and burst. A burst pipe can cause a big mess and cost a lot to fix! Imagine a burst pipe like a massive water balloon that breaks into your home — not fun!

How much should I drip my faucet?

Your faucet needs a slow drip, approximately one drop every few seconds. Imagine a raindrop slowly falling from the faucet. TThat’ssufficient!

Should you drip warm or cold water?

Drip the water faucet. Hot water pipes are commonly highly insulated and much less likely to freeze. Think of your hot water pipes as carrying a winter coat – heavier than the cold!

Conclusion

Wrapping it up, this is how you drop a water faucet.

Remember, dripping taps are best to save you from freezing in an icy climate. Once the weather gets warmer, you may turn off the drips to shop for water. Every drop counts! Message us your quote, or to learn more about us, you can contact us whenever you need!