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Outdoor Faucet Covers for Winter: How to Protect and Drain Your Hose Bibs

Updated October 31, 2026 · General information, not plumbing or legal advice

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The short answer: Before the first freeze, disconnect and drain your hoses, close the inside valve that feeds each outdoor faucet if you have one, let the pipe drain, and put an insulated cover or foam dome over the faucet. Outdoor hose bibs are on Texas A&M AgriLife Extension's list of the pipes most likely to freeze.

Safety first. Never thaw a pipe with a torch or any open flame. They are a fire hazard and can release deadly carbon monoxide. Keep electrical cords away from water, and stay out of rooms where water is near outlets, panels or appliances.

Steps for each outdoor faucet

Disconnect the hose. Drain it and store it in a shed or garage (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, FEMA, Missouri Extension).
Close the inside valve that supplies the outdoor faucet, if there is one (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Missouri Extension). Look for it on the pipe leading to the faucet, often in the basement or crawl space. Bob Vila says to use the main shutoff if you can't find one.
Drain the pipe. Illinois Extension and Missouri Extension say to shut off and drain the pipes leading to outside faucets. Illinois Extension says this lowers the chance that the short section of pipe just inside the house freezes. In plain terms, open the outdoor faucet so the water can run out. This last wording is ours.
Cover the faucet. Use an insulated faucet cover (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, NC State Extension) or an insulating foam dome (Missouri Extension).

These steps don't depend on the type of faucet. The sources we opened tell you to disconnect hoses and cover faucets without making an exception.

Frost-free faucets

Bob Vila describes a frost-free faucet as one with a long stem that positions the rubber washer and water inside the home, and recommends it as the better fix than replacing washers over and over. We did not find a university or government page that says whether a frost-free faucet needs a cover, so we don't claim either way. Following the hose rule above costs nothing.

Why bother

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension says water pipes can freeze and burst when the outside temperature reaches 20°F or below. Illinois Extension says even a crack as small as an eighth of an inch can release up to 250 gallons of water a day. If a faucet does leak after a freeze, see outdoor faucet leaking after a freeze.

Cover the faucets before the first freeze

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and FEMA both say to cover outdoor faucets. Missouri Extension suggests an insulating foam dome.

How to use faucet covers See outdoor faucet covers

Will your pipes freeze tonight?

Answer four quick questions about tonight's low, where your pipes run, insulation and heat setting. Get a risk level and a short to-do list.

Open the freeze risk checker

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Common questions

Do I need an outdoor faucet cover?

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and FEMA both say to cover outdoor faucets, and NC State Extension says to consider an insulated spigot cover. Missouri Extension suggests an insulating foam dome.

Do I have to take the hose off?

Yes. FEMA, Missouri Extension, Illinois Extension and NC State Extension all say to disconnect garden hoses. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension says to remove and drain outdoor hoses and store them in a shed or garage.

What is a frost-free faucet?

Bob Vila describes frost-free faucets as having a long stem that positions the rubber washer and water inside the home. Bob Vila recommends them over replacing washers again and again.

Where is the shut-off valve for my outdoor faucet?

Look for a valve inside the home on the pipe leading to the faucet. Bob Vila says that if there isn't one, or you can't find it, use the main shutoff.

Sources