Hose Bib

What is a hose bib?  It is your outside faucet.  We are getting calls from the few nice days we just had, folks were using their outside water to wash cars and hose off patios.  When they turned on the water they heard water running inside the wall or discovered it dripping into a basement ceiling or wall.  If you did not winterize your hose bib when you live in a cold weather zone and left the garden hose attached through the winter, most likely the first time you go to use it, you will find out the pipe froze and cracked.  When water freezes it expands and can exert a pressure of up to 2000 pounds per square inch.  That’s a lot of pressure in a solid pipe with no where to go, so the pipe bursts, leading to costly repairs.  Water pipes in external walls, crawlspaces and un-insulated areas are susceptible to freezing. If you find you have such a water leak, turn off the water supply and call De Hart Plumbing at 785-341-4193.  De Hart Plumbing, serving Manhattan Kansas, Junction City Kansas and Wamego Kansas.