How to winterize outdoor faucets and kitchen supply lines in Grand Rapids
Quick answer: Before the first hard freeze, disconnect and drain every garden hose, close the indoor shutoff valve for each outdoor faucet, and open the outdoor faucet so the line drains. Then protect kitchen supply lines on exterior walls. Insulate pipes in unheated spaces, open the sink cabinet on very cold nights, and keep the heat at 55°F or higher when you’re away.
Why do pipes freeze in a Grand Rapids winter?
Water expands as it freezes. In a closed pipe, that pressure can split copper and crack plastic fittings. The American Red Cross lists the pipes that freeze most often:
- Outdoor hose faucets, sprinkler lines and pool lines.
- Pipes in unheated spaces, such as crawl spaces, garages, attics and kitchen cabinets.
- Pipes on exterior walls with little or no insulation.
A kitchen can have all three. The sink often sits under a window on an outside wall. The fridge line may run through a cold crawl space. And the hose faucet is often on the same wall, fed from the basement just behind it.
How do I winterize an outdoor faucet?
It takes a few minutes per faucet. Do it before the first hard freeze of the fall, not after it:
- Take the hose off. Remove hoses, splitters and timers, drain the hose and store it.
- Close the indoor shutoff. It’s usually in the basement, close to where the faucet comes through the wall.
- Open the outdoor faucet. Let the line drain, and leave the faucet open all winter.
- Drain the valve. If the shutoff has a small drain cap, open it over a bucket, then close it.
If you can’t find a shutoff for an outdoor faucet, or the valve won’t turn, don’t force it. An old valve that breaks while you’re turning it will leak. A plumber can add a new quarter-turn shutoff, which is a small job.
Which kitchen lines need protecting?
Look under the sink and along the path of every appliance line. Check these spots:
| Where | Why it’s at risk | What helps |
|---|---|---|
| Sink on an exterior wall | Cold air behind a closed cabinet | Open the cabinet doors on very cold nights |
| Pipes through an unheated crawl space | No heat reaches them | Pipe insulation sleeves or UL-listed heat cable |
| Fridge or ice maker line near a garage wall | Garage air gets below freezing | Reroute the line or insulate it; keep the garage door closed |
| Dishwasher line in an island over a cold space | The floor below isn’t heated | Insulate the pipes under the floor |
Move cleaners and chemicals out of children’s reach before you leave a sink cabinet open overnight.
What should I do on the coldest nights?
On nights well below freezing, a few habits make a big difference:
- Drip the cold water at any faucet served by exposed pipes.
- Keep the thermostat steady day and night. A setback saves a little gas and costs a lot if a pipe freezes.
- Leave the heat on at 55°F or higher if you travel, as the Red Cross recommends.
- Know where your main shutoff is. If a pipe splits, closing it fast limits the damage. The City of Grand Rapids’ leak detection guide is a good place to start.
How do I know a pipe has frozen?
If you open a faucet and only a trickle comes out on a very cold morning, suspect a frozen pipe. Keep the faucet open. Warm the likely section gently with a hair dryer, a heating pad or hot towels, working back from the faucet. Don’t use a torch or any open flame. Then check the other faucets in the house, because if one pipe froze, others may have too.
Call a licensed plumber if you can’t find or reach the frozen section, or if you see water once it thaws. A split pipe often leaks only after the ice melts.
When is a remodel the better fix?
If the same sink line freezes every winter, insulation and dripping only treat the symptom. The lasting fix is usually to move the supply lines. They can come up from the floor, or run inside the heated side of the wall instead of against the cold outer sheathing. That’s much easier while the cabinets are out, which is why a remodel is the right time to do it.
Our guide to moving kitchen sink plumbing explains what that involves. The 2026 cost guide has local planning ranges. If you’d like a licensed plumber to look at it, use the form below. We pass your request to one licensed local plumber, and the referral is free.
How to winterize an outdoor faucet
- Disconnect the hose
Unscrew every garden hose, splitter and timer from the outdoor faucet. Drain the hose and store it indoors or in a shed.
- Find the indoor shutoff
Find the valve that feeds the outdoor faucet. In most Grand Rapids homes it’s in the basement ceiling or on the wall just inside the spot where the faucet comes through.
- Close the shutoff
Turn the indoor valve fully closed. A quarter-turn ball valve closes when the handle sits across the pipe.
- Open the outdoor faucet
Open the outdoor faucet and let the water in the line run out. Leave it open for the winter so any water left inside has room to expand.
- Open the drain cap if there is one
Some shutoff valves have a small brass drain cap on the side. With a bucket underneath, open it to let the last of the water out, then close it again.
Common questions
Do I still need to winterize a frost-free outdoor faucet?
Yes, at least partly. A frost-free faucet closes deep inside the heated wall, so the part outdoors drains itself. That only works with the hose off. A connected hose traps water in the faucet’s barrel, and that water can freeze and split it inside the wall. You may not find out until spring, when you turn it on and water runs into the basement.
Should I let the kitchen faucet drip on cold nights?
If the sink sits on an exterior wall or its pipes run through a cold space, a slow drip of cold water helps on very cold nights. The American Red Cross recommends it for faucets served by exposed pipes. Moving water is harder to freeze. It costs a little water, far less than a burst pipe inside a finished cabinet.
What should I do if a pipe freezes?
Keep the faucet open and warm the frozen section gently with a hair dryer, a heating pad or towels soaked in hot water. Never use an open flame. If you can’t find the frozen spot, can’t reach it or can’t thaw it, call a licensed plumber. Know where your main shutoff is in case the pipe has split.