How do I protect hoses and taps before freeze?

Disconnect, drain, and insulate — that's the core of winterizing your outdoor water before NB's deep freeze arrives.

New Brunswick winters are no joke for outdoor plumbing. With frost depths reaching 1.2–1.5 metres and temperatures regularly hitting -20°C or colder, any water left in hoses, taps, or pipes will freeze and expand — cracking fittings, splitting hoses, and potentially bursting the pipe behind the wall. A few simple steps in October can save you a costly repair call in spring.

Start with your garden hoses. Disconnect them from the tap completely — even frost-free taps can freeze if a hose is left attached, because the hose traps water in the spout. Once disconnected, drain the hose fully by holding one end up and walking it out, then coil it loosely and store it in a garage or shed. Hoses left outside all winter become brittle and crack, especially the cheaper rubber-vinyl blends common at hardware stores.

Next, deal with your outdoor taps. Most NB homes built in the last 30 years have frost-free (anti-siphon) sillcocks, which are designed to drain automatically — but only if the hose is disconnected. If your home has older standard taps, you'll need to find the shut-off valve inside (usually in the basement near where the pipe exits the wall), close it, then go outside and open the tap to drain any remaining water. Leave the outdoor tap slightly open over winter to allow any residual pressure to escape.

For added protection on older or exposed taps, use a foam tap insulator cover — they cost $3–$8 at any hardware store and slip right over the spigot. They're not a substitute for proper draining, but they add a buffer against wind chill on particularly exposed walls, especially on north-facing or uninsulated exterior walls common in older NB homes.

Timing matters. In most of New Brunswick, aim to have this done by mid-October. Saint John and coastal areas can sometimes stretch to late October, but Fredericton, Bathurst, and inland areas can see hard freezes in early October. Don't wait for the first frost warning — do it proactively.

If you have an in-ground irrigation system, that's a separate process requiring a professional blowout with a compressor to clear all the lines and heads. Irrigation winterization typically runs $75–$150 in NB and is absolutely worth it — a single cracked manifold or zone valve can cost several hundred dollars to repair in spring. Don't skip this step.

A good rule of thumb: the same weekend you put the patio furniture away and do your final fall cleanup, do your tap and hose winterization. It takes 20 minutes and saves real money.

If you have questions about irrigation winterization or need a landscaper to handle your fall shutdown, New Brunswick Landscaping can match you with a local pro for free — just reach out and we'll connect you with someone in your area.