Turning Your Outside Faucets Back On

Here is a question I got from a homeowner about turning on outside plumbing like faucets and outside showers on for the spring/summer season.

How do I turn the water back on this summer to an outside shower?

Tried turning on from the basement and water leaked out.  I was told from the previous owner of the house that I needed to “pinch” before turning on?  Not sure what that means?

Water Line Bleeder Cap

Not sure what the “pinch” is, but usually there is a bleeder cap that is used to drain the water out of the line after the water is shut off. The bleeder is usually part of the valve on the interior of the home where the water to the outside spigot or shower is shut off.

You are exactly correct. When I go to turn the water back on do I turn the bleeder valve on or the large red valve back on first?

Just make sure the bleeder valve cap is tight then turn the water valve (red in your case) on and you should be good to go.

The bleeder cap just has a small hole in it to allow air into the line to clear the line of water to prevent a winter freeze up that could cause a split pipe or other plumbing failure. If the bleeder cap is as tight as it goes and still drips, it may need a new gasket, which is usually a small rubber disc that fits inside the bleeder cap.

Related Posts:

1. A New Roof can put Money Back in Your Pocket
2. Sump Pump Installation for Do-It-Yourselfers – Basement
3. Repair or Replace Faucets, Fixtures and Pipes – Services
4. Are You Flushing Your Money Down the Drain? – Plumbing and Heating

Posted by CCHI on May 11 2011. Filed under Articles & Tips, Exterior Home, Plumbing & Heating. Tagged as . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry