Protect outdoor faucets from freezing
A burst pipe behind an outdoor faucet can flood a wall before you notice. A few minutes per faucet prevents it.
Step by step
Find your home's main water shutoff and test it, so you know where it is before an emergency.
Disconnect every hose, splitter, timer and quick-connect. Anything left attached traps water, even on frost-free faucets.
Remove or drain screw-on vacuum breakers, which can hold water and crack.
If the faucet has an indoor shutoff valve, close it. Open the outdoor faucet to drain the line, open the small bleeder cap on the indoor valve if it has one, then close the outdoor faucet once it stops dripping.
A frost-free faucet should slope slightly downward toward the outside so it drains. If yours doesn't, have a plumber correct it.
An insulated cover adds an extra layer of protection, but it's no substitute for the steps above.
Safety first. If the faucet keeps dripping after you've closed the indoor valve, the valve isn't sealing. Have a plumber fix it before a hard freeze.