Guides · Plumbing and water
What your outdoor faucets (hose bibs) need and how often, how long they usually last, and what replacing them tends to cost.
Disconnect the hoses, close the shutoff inside if there is one, and open the outside tap to drain it. A typical schedule is once a year. Only where winters freeze: do it about a month before the first frost.
A pipe split by a freeze often only leaks inside the wall once the tap is turned on. A typical schedule is once a year. Only where winters freeze: do it in spring, once the frosts are over.
Usually 15 to 25 years. Where yours sit in that range depends on when they went in and how they've been looked after, which is why the install year is the most useful thing to write down. Something past its typical life isn't due for replacing on that account: most things are run until they fail. It's a reason to put money aside, not to spend it.
Roughly $150 to $400 installed in the U.S. Treat it as a range for budgeting until you have a quote.
Generic schedules start from the calendar. Yours should start from your house. Keeping House takes the year each system went in and works out what's due and when, sends the reminders, and keeps the history a buyer or insurer will ask for.
Intervals and lifespans are typical figures for U.S. homes, in line with commonly cited industry ranges; costs are rough installed prices in 2026 dollars. Your manufacturer's manual and local conditions come first.