It’s no secret that changing seasons can often bring about adverse weather that can cause outdoor faucets and pipes to become broken and damaged.
But, do outdoor faucet covers offer protection to your outdoor pipes, or are they just for show?
In this article, we are going to be taking a closer look at outdoor faucet covers to see if they actually work or not.
Along the way, we are also going to be sharing with you some additional tips to help make sure that your outdoor faucet covers are able to effectively protect your outdoor piping systems – no matter how cold it might be.
Let’s start!
What Are Outdoor Faucet Coats and How Do They Work?
Outdoor faucet covers are essentially pieces of plastic or rubber that cover your outdoor faucet from the elements.
These covers are usually designed to fit around the base of an outdoor faucet, so that water doesn’t splash onto the floor when you’re using the faucet.
This is especially important in areas where there is carpeting, as well as other surfaces that may get wet.
The idea behind these covers is to keep the outside of your faucet from getting too hot during the summer months and to prevent any splashing of water on your floors or carpets during the winter months.
The covers themselves come in different sizes and shapes and are available in both clear and opaque varieties.
Additionally, there are even some covers that have holes cut into them so that you can still use your faucet while wearing the cover.
What Is The Best Type Of Outdoor Faucet Cover?
There are many types of outdoor faucet covers, including those made from vinyl, rubber, acrylic, and more!
However, each type has its own advantages and disadvantages, which means that you’ll need to consider what you want out of your faucet covers before making a purchase.
For example, one of the most popular types of covers today is the vinyl variety. Vinyl covers tend to be easy to install, and are very durable.
In addition, they are relatively inexpensive and are available in a wide range of colors and designs.
On the other hand, you also have the option of choosing rubber outdoor faucet covers, which are typically much thicker than their vinyl counterparts.
Rubber covers are also easier to clean and are less likely to crack or peel away from the surface of your faucet.
As for acrylic outdoor faucet covers? Well, they are fairly expensive and are only recommended for high-end fixtures.
When choosing an outdoor faucet cover, you should always take into account how long you plan on keeping the cover installed.
If you plan on installing the cover for a short period of time, then you will probably find that a vinyl or rubber cover works best.
On the other hand, if you plan on installing the covers for several years, then you may want to choose an acrylic cover instead.
How To Install An Outdoor Faucet Cover
Installing an outdoor faucet cover isn’t really difficult, but it does require a bit of patience. Check out the following steps to make sure that you are able to install your outdoor faucet covers with ease:
1. Remove Any Hoses/Additional Attachments
First things first, before you even think about adding your outdoor faucet cover of choice to your pipes, you should first take a moment to remove any hoses or additional attachments that you might currently have on your pipes.
If you do not do this, then you’re going to find that the covers are unable to correctly fit on your pipes.
2. Clean Your Pipes
Next, you should clean your pipes thoroughly. You don’t want anything dirty or gunky to interfere with the installation process, because this could cause issues later on.
3. Measure Your Pipes
Once you’ve cleaned your pipes, you should now measure your pipes. This will help you determine how much room there is between where your faucet sits and where your pipes sit.
4. Cover Your Pipes
After you have done all of the above, you can then go ahead and cover your pipes with your chosen outdoor faucet covers.
The majority of outdoor faucet covers consist of a “slip-on” design, which means that they should be fairly easy to install over the exterior of your pipes.
5. Insulate Any Exposed Areas
Last but not least, after you have finished adding the covers to your outdoor pipes, you should then take a moment to inspect any exposed areas.
If you can see any parts that haven’t been covered, then we recommend protecting these exposed areas with insulation foam.
As a side note, please keep in mind that the instructions that we have provided you with above are only to be taken as general guidance.
For the best results and to ensure that you are able to correctly install your outdoor faucet covers – we strongly recommend that you make sure to refer to the instructions provided to you by the manufacturer.
When Should You Cover Outdoor Faucets and Pipes?
Along with understanding all the various types of outdoor faucet covers, you might also be asking yourself when the best time to install your covers is.
As we have already briefly touched upon above, even though outdoor faucet covers are typically designed for cold weather, knowing when to put the covers on can be a pretty tricky task to get right.
For this reason, it can be pretty confusing for homeowners to pinpoint the temperature at which you should go ahead and cover their outdoor faucets.
If you’d like to cover your outdoor pipes and faucets for the winter time, then we recommend that you try to get them covered towards the end of fall.
By doing so, you will help to ensure that your outdoor pipes are protected from any early signs of frost and plummeting temperatures that might unexpectedly occur.
This will be especially helpful to those who happen to live in an area of the world where frozen temperatures are common, however, even if you live in a warmer climate, we still strongly recommend that you try to get your pipes covered earlier rather than later, as sudden cold snaps can wreak havoc on outdoor piping.
As for removal? This will vary depending on a variety of factors, however, most people find that they are able to remove their outdoor faucet covers in the early springtime.
However, this will ultimately depend on what the climate is like where you live.
After removing your covers, we recommend thoroughly cleaning them so that they can be stored away until the following winter.
The majority of outdoor faucet covers on the market are designed to last multiple uses, so as long as you are making sure to clean and take care of them – you should find that you do not need to replace them for a few years.
Additional Tips
Now that you know how to choose the best outdoor faucet covers for your needs, as well as how to install them, we are now going to be sharing with you some quick tips that will allow you to optimize the effectiveness of your outdoor faucet covers:
Regularly Check Them
After installing, we recommend that you regularly check your outdoor faucet covers to make sure that they are still in place.
If you notice that they are beginning to come loose, then you should try tightening up the screws that hold them in place.
Combine With Additional Protection
If you want to boost the effectiveness of your outdoor faucet covers, then you could also consider combining an additional level of protection to your pipes.
For example, you could also use insulation tubing.
Clean Away Dirt and Debris
We also recommend regularly cleaning off any dirt and debris that may accumulate on your covers.
This will help to prevent any damage to the covers to maintain their efficacy.
Wrapping Up
All in all? Outdoor faucet (see also ‘13 Types Of Outdoor Faucet And Their Uses‘) covers do work and they are able to offer outdoor pipes protection against the elements.
However, for the best results, it is important to make sure that you have applied them correctly and that you are following the tips above to maintain their effectiveness.
