Hose draining time!

[ColinJ]

I just found a reminder in my diary: "DRAIN HOSE!". It took me a minute or two to remember why it was there...

I have a hose outlet in my back yard and normally have a hose connected at all times for convenient post-ride bike washing.

Last winter though I got caught out by a sharp frost. The hose froze solid, bursting the pipe and cracking the nozzle. I made a note in my new diary to remind me not to get caught out again!

I have drained and disconnected the hose for safe storage until next spring. I also discovered that I can isolate the pipe leading to the hose outlet which I have done so I can leave the external tap open in case that freezes up. (I am quite surprised that it was not damaged last time along with the hose connected to it.)

If you have a similar setup... drain yours too?

 

[Drago]

I've closed the stopcock to the outdoor tap in the new house and drained that down.

 

[Salad Dodger]

Yes, I guess it's about time to put the little polystyrene "hat" on the outside tap.

 

[Alex321]

Never drain the hose, but normally leave it disconnected when not in use. And Like Salad Dodger, we have a little polystyrene tap cover that goes over the tap during the winter.

 

[fossyant]

Never done anything with mine to be honest. Freezes up but been fine so far. The tap is usually fine, but the hose does freeze.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

I read that as "Horse draining time", otherwise I'd never have opened the thread.

So disappointed now.

🐎🐎🐎🐎

 

[Dadam]

I always drain the hose to store it but I’ve never isolated the outside tap in 20 years. Never even crossed my mind.

 

[Dadam]

I read that as "Horse draining time", otherwise I'd never have opened the thread.

So disappointed now.

🐎🐎🐎🐎

I actually read it as house draining time and thought Colin had been flooded!

 

[Windle]

We have a hose that runs from a garage inside tap through the door frame and all the way over the garden for chuck & aviary watering, which obviously needs to be used every day, so can't be permanently turned off. It rarely freezes unless it's really cold but I do drain it off after use when the temperature is getting near zero. It's a merry dance of back over to the garage, shut off inside tap, back over garden to open the two plastic taps then halfway back to undo the a hose joint I put in at the lowest part to allow it to drain fully. It's a faff about but not as much as carting buckets of water over the garden. The only downside being you end up with a skatey patch near the hose joint split when the bugger freezes .

 

[fossyant]

I use my hose all the time ! I'm one of those weirdo's who washes the cars weekly, especially in winter.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I have a similar setup but I always turn the tap off after use so there's no pressure in the hose, sometimes I also disconnect it. If it ever has frozen solid, which it may have done, no harm has come to it

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I put the insulation stuff on the outside tap a few weeks ago.
I normally have a few meters of hose on the tap for ease of use - but in winter I disconnect it and loop it over the top of the tap

I do have a cutoff indoors - but the person who put it in put it behind the washing machine - which is a right pain, especially if I need to use it to rinse off the bike after a muddy ride - so it normally stays on but with the insulation on the tap and pipe

I do make sure the powerwasher is empty - last one broke because there was water in it and it froze and broke something inside!

 

[Peter Salt]

My girlfriend does it for me.

 

[matticus]

Yes, I guess it's about time to put the little polystyrene "hat" on the outside tap.

DIY jobbie, or a commercial product? I'd expect one to blow away ... :-/

 

[Alex321]

DIY jobbie, or a commercial product? I'd expect one to blow away ... :-/

It has an elastic loop that goes around the tap, and is pulled tight by a toggle.

This looks very similar to the one we have
https://www.diy.com/departments/out...ost-protector-tap-jacket/5013478143372_BQ.prd