Insulate outside tap?

Joined
7 Sep 2008
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Kent
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United Kingdom
I had a tap fitted outside over the summer. It is fed from a tee off the rising main under the kitchen sink and then through the wall and fitted under the kitchen window. I can turn off the supply via a dedicated stop cock. My neighbour reckons that his didn't freeze even during last year's cold snap and that he has never bothered to insulate it. I have switched off the water supply, but is my neighbour correct about insulation? The house is centrally heated until about 10.30 each night and then again from 6am.
 
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He was lucky......isolate via stop cock and then open the tap, this will allow any freezing water an expansion route and stop the pipe splitting......or insulate
 
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no need for a tap during the winter so why risk having the water on? isolate and open tap till the spring comes round again, does your neighbour have the pipe insulated between the cavity as well, he was lucky!!
 
Don't see how these cover can work. There is water in the tap and pipe. It could be subject to freezing temperatures for days at a time. No amount of insulation is going to keep the tab above freezing for that amount of time. Isolate and open tap as advised above.
 
no need for a tap during the winter so why risk having the water on? isolate and open tap till the spring comes round again, does your neighbour have the pipe insulated between the cavity as well, he was lucky!!

unless you have a beloved motorcycle and wanna wash all the salt off it after a good blast :LOL:
 
no need for a tap during the winter so why risk having the water on? isolate and open tap till the spring comes round again, does your neighbour have the pipe insulated between the cavity as well, he was lucky!!

unless you have a beloved motorcycle and wanna wash all the salt off it after a good blast :LOL:

very true, that takes me back, i actually have a hot and a cold outside tap for washing the car, filling the paddling pool, just make sure they are plumbed in with easy access to the valves so that the tap can be easily put on and off
 
in sweden as standard the tap is inside with a 2 ft shaft to control.
 
i was alway fit isolation and drain off so it can be drain down
as well double check vavle
(god do hate acky brick in this area)
 
don't insualte. there i said it! everyone goes well over the top with it in this country. as the guy said we're not in sweden. if you're worries, just leave it open and turn it off from the inside the water can drain out then. think about how many uninsulated garden taps out there and how many call outs have i had for frozen/ split taps? none. don't lose any sleep over it mate.
 

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