Winterise an outside tap

Drain and insulate your outside tap before frost hits, so pipes do not freeze and burst over winter.

OT-01Gather your tools and materialsLay everything out before you start so you are not searching for things with the water already off. You will need pipe lagging, a tap cover, waterproof tape, and a small bucket or cloth for drips. If you plan to fix the lagging to the wall you will also need wall plugs, screws and a drill.

2 each · Foam pipe lagging (1m lengths)

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1 each · Outside tap cover (foam jacket)

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1 roll · Waterproof self-amalgamating tape

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OT-02Find and close the internal isolation valveMost outside taps have their own isolation valve inside the house, often under the kitchen sink, in a utility room, or where the pipe first comes through the wall. Turn it clockwise until it stops to shut off the water to the tap only. This leaves the rest of your home's water supply working as normal.

OT-03Drain the outside tapGo outside and open the tap fully. Let it run until no more water comes out, then leave the tap open. Leaving it open matters: any water left trapped in a closed tap can freeze and crack the valve inside.

OT-04Drain any trapped water from the pipeSome isolation valves have a small drain-off screw next to them. If yours does, hold a cloth or small bucket underneath and loosen it slightly to let the trapped water in the pipe run out. Retighten the screw once no more water drips. If there is no drain-off point, don't worry — opening the outside tap in the last step usually clears most of the water anyway.

OT-05Wrap the exposed pipework in laggingWrap foam pipe lagging around any pipe you can see outside, from where it leaves the wall to the tap itself. Push the foam sleeve fully closed along its length and tape over any joins or ends with waterproof tape so damp cannot get in. This stops the pipe itself from freezing solid even if a hard frost hits.

OT-06Fix the lagging to the wall if it needs supportIf the lagging or pipe run needs a clip to hold it in place, you'll be drilling into the outside wall. Cables and pipes can run in unexpected places even outdoors, so check with a detector first, and still expect something to be there — detectors miss buried cables and pipes outside their usual routes. Before you drill, confirm you know where your stopcock is (usually under the kitchen sink) and that it turns, so you can shut the water off fast if you ever hit a pipe. For solid brick or block, drill a 6mm hole about 35mm deep, insert a wall plug, and fix the clip with a No.8 screw.

4 each · Wall plugs (6mm)

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4 each · No.8 screws, 30mm

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1 each · Masonry drill bit, 6mm

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2 each · Pipe clips

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OT-07Fit a foam cover over the tapSlide the foam tap cover over the whole tap body and pull the drawstring or cord tight underneath to hold it in place. This gives the most exposed, most vulnerable part of the fitting extra protection against frost.

OT-08Tidy up and note when to check it againDust away any drill debris, wipe the wall dry, and dispose of packaging and lagging offcuts. Leave the outside tap open and the internal valve closed all winter. When the frost risk has fully passed in spring, close the outside tap, open the internal valve slowly, and check for drips before using the tap normally again.

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