Outside water faucet covers may look like an eyesore on the property, but you don’t want to underestimate adding one to your arsenal. They serve several purposes, and they lower the likelihood that you will experience a freeze-up after the temperature drops. Even people in some of the milder climates have chosen to employ these inexpensive and valuable tools. Let’s say that your region doesn’t go through the cold spells of other places. You never know when an unexpected cold spell might hit. Even Arizona had temperatures as low as -40 Fahrenheit back on January 7, 1971.
PROTECT YOUR PIPES
As the water freezes, the ice expands in the pipes, and this can crack or rupture your pipes. You don’t want to replace a broken pipe or deal with the aftermath cleanup of it. Taking a few minutes to insulate your outside water faucet can save you anywhere from $100 to $200 per foot, and this doesn’t include the water damage that happened either. You could spend anywhere from $400 to $1,500, and the cost for water damage restoration will cost anywhere from $1,000 up to $2,000. It depends on the extent of the damages.
SAVES ON HEATING AND COOLING COSTS
One of the ways that you lose money on heating and cooling comes from the chilly breeze that can enter the home through the openings on your outside water faucet. Many times, an outdoor faucet will extend into the garage or the crawl space, and if the wind gets in here, you will lose energy efficiency. Having an outside water faucet cover will take care of the chill that can happen through this. Foam gets placed outside the outside water faucet covers to help with the insulation of the home.
KEEPS THE PESTS AWAY!
You don’t want pests like mice, hornets, and insects getting into your home. They can enter the openings of the spigot and the small cracks near the outside water faucet. Also, you have many homeowners who have talked about how they had insect carcasses and leaves coming out of the spigot. Most homeowners don’t even know until they go to turn on the faucet in the early spring of the year. Not to mention, once pests take up residence in your home, you have a chore trying to kill them off.
HOW TO TELL IF YOUR FAUCET IS FROST-FREE OR NOT
In general, your faucet will have a perpendicular knob that remains frost-free. One way that you can tell if you have frost on it, however, is if it sits at a 45-degree angle. You want to keep your faucet as free from frost as possible because of how it will protect you in the long run. Take precautionary measures to prevent damage. It works much better than trying to undo the damage that might occur later.
SAFE FROM CHILDREN
Perhaps you’re wondering why children need to be safe from this danger. Well, a curious toddler could run toward the water faucet and turn it on. Without you realizing it, he fiddles with it and leaves the faucet on. You may not check this for a long time. They will play with almost anything that they can get their hands on. These mistakes can cost you far more than if you had a leaky water faucet or a leaky toilet. You want to keep this away from curious minds as much as possible.
WHAT TO KEEP IN MIND
Especially if you live in the cold northern reaches of the United States, you may need more than a cover for your outside water faucet. That’s because the insulation in these parts won’t stop your pipes from freezing. In particular, this becomes a secondary choice, along with shutting off the main controls to this faucet from the heated part of your home. In general, these outdoor faucet covers won’t cost you more than $10, and it could potentially save you thousands, but you have to remember to take all the precautions once the cold snap hits.
GETTING EXCELLENT VALUE
As stated before, it doesn’t cost you much to get one of these covers, but your faucet cover will last for years before you have to replace it. Besides, putting a cover can serve as a reminder to homeowners that they need to cut-off the main pipe for this. Even if they miss one day, it won’t necessarily prove disastrous because they have the cover on it. However, it reminds them that they have to. Most likely, once the winter season hits, one of the last things on your mind will be the outdoor water faucet. You may not even think twice about this, and it can slip your account quickly. A faucet cover will give you one extra reminder.
SIMPLE TO DO
Along with the cost efficiency, to install a faucet cover doesn’t take a superhuman level of knowledge. You can install an outdoor water faucet cover quite easily. It may not protect you completely, but it provides you with a little extra security. You can install this easily, and it will protect your home from expensive damage. Homeowners must take precautionary measures to ensure that their real estate investment never costs them more than what they paid. You want to come away knowing that you got the better deal.