You Left Your Hose Hooked Up All Winter – Now What?

We’ve all been there. The cold nights are finally turning warm and we decide to do a little yard work or wash the car. The only problem is that we go to turn on the hose and realize it’s been hooked up all winter. Now what? Did your pipes freeze? Do you have any plumbing damage? What’s the first step to get this sorted out? Get our pro tips for handling your hose, as well as how to handle any issues along the way.

What Happens If You Forget to Disconnect Your Hose During Winter?

Is it really that big of a deal to leave your hose hooked up all winter? Maybe not—if you live in Arizona. But in Utah, you absolutely need to take care of your hose and outdoor spigots. If you shrug off disconnecting your hose and taking it into your garage or shed, you risk frozen water in the pipes continuing to expand and burst, causing the need for water damage repair in Utah. You may not even realize you have a burst pipe or leak until the ice and snow thaw. Suddenly, frozen water can escape and flood your home. The results? Water damage and a big clean-up can leave your home in disarray or severely damaged.

How Long Does It Really a Hose Take to Freeze?

If you love to travel, ski, or lead a busy lifestyle, it’s tempting to put off simple chores like putting the hose away. The problem is that hoses can freeze overnight. Anytime the temperature drops too low (which can happen as late as spring here!), a pipe with poor insulation or already cracking can turn into an emergency water damage restoration situation.

How to Disconnect a Hose That’s Frozen

If you forgot to disconnect your hose before winter rolled in, don’t panic. There’s always a solution, even if it’s calling in specialists. If your hose remains connected, proceed with these steps:

• Disconnect all of your outdoor hoses
• Open the spigot
• Wrap the spigot and any of the exposed supply pipe in an old towel
• Take a kettle of hot water and pour it over your wrapped spigot
• Continue heating up water and pouring it over your spigot until the flow of water returns
• Once your water is running, let it continue for two to three minutes
• Leave the spigot slightly open for a trickle to flow through and prevent the pipe from freezing again

If you’re having no luck and can’t get the water flowing, call a plumber right away for assistance.

What if There’s Already Utah Water Damage from a Burst Pipe?

If you’re already dealing with water damage from a leaky pipe or flood, you need one of our Water Damage Specialists to provide experienced Utah water damage restoration services. Our team works with hundreds of homes to confidently dry and clean your home to get everything restored to its normal state as soon as possible. If you experience a leak that’s wreaking havoc on your kitchen, basement, or other area of your home, we also offer structural drying services to get on top of the problem as quickly as possible.

Pro Tip: Set a Google Alert to Disconnect Your Hose This Winter

Despite our best intentions, it’s easy to forget about disconnecting our hoses. Instead of leaving it up to chance or hoping you’ll remember, set a Google alert to automatically remind you to disconnect the hose on a certain date. Set more than one reminder over a few weeks in case you’re busy or ignore the alert. It’s also wise to set it at a time of day when you’re typically not swamped with work or family obligations.

Call Utah’s Water Damage Specialists Today

Plenty of things can go wrong in your home, but the good news is that taking preventative steps is easy. Setting an alert to disconnect your hose, knowing what to do if your spigot freezes, and keeping the experts on autodial can also empower you to stay safe. If you ever find yourself in a water emergency, call us right away. Our Water Damage Specialists are here to handle emergency water extraction, clean-up, mold remediation, and more.