Almost every spring repair bill traces back to one of three things: water left in something that froze, fuel left in something that gummed, or steel left damp that rusted. Winterizing is not a long job. It is a short job that has to happen before the first hard freeze, and the cost of being a week late is high.
Use the 28°F rule for timing. Air temperature of 32°F for a few overnight hours will not usually freeze water inside a hose lying on warm ground. A night at 28°F or below, or two consecutive nights near freezing, will. Work backwards from the first forecast at that threshold in your area.
Priority order when the forecast turns
| Priority | Item | What actually fails | Do it before |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hoses, timers, splitters, nozzles | Trapped water expands and splits the body | First 28°F night |
| 2 | Drip and soaker lines | Emitters crack, fittings blow off | First 28°F night |
| 3 | Outdoor spigots and backflow devices | Pipe splits inside the wall — the expensive one | First hard freeze |
| 4 | Terracotta and ceramic pots | Absorbed moisture freezes, pot cracks | First hard freeze |
| 5 | Pressure washers, pumps, sprayers | Pump housings crack | First hard freeze |
| 6 | Fuel-powered equipment | Ethanol fuel phase-separates and gums the carburettor | Within 30 days of last use |
| 7 | Batteries, cordless tools | Deep discharge in cold kills cells | Before storage |
| 8 | Furniture and cushions | Mildew, fabric rot, frame corrosion | Before the wet season |
| 9 | Hand tools | Rust and split handles | Any time before storage |
Water gear, step by step
- Shut the interior valve first, then open the outside spigot and leave it open all winter so any residual water has somewhere to expand.
- Disconnect every hose. A hose left attached holds water against the spigot and is the leading cause of split pipe inside an exterior wall.
- Drain hoses by gravity. Lay each one downhill or walk it over your shoulder end to end, then coil it in loops of at least 12 inches and store it off the ground. See watering cans and hose reels.
- Remove and drain the timer. Take out the batteries, shake out the valve body and store it indoors. Freezing water cracks the housing. See hose timers and controllers.
- Open the flush cap on drip lines and let them drain; leave the cap open. Cap ends, filters and regulators come indoors. Spares are in drip irrigation.
- Empty rain barrels and disconnect the diverter, then invert the barrel or leave the spigot open. See rain barrels and water harvesting.
- Run pumps dry for a few seconds and add pump antifreeze to pressure washers per the manual.
Fuel, oil and batteries
Ethanol-blended gasoline draws moisture and separates within about 30 days. You have two options and both work: run the tank dry and then run the engine until it stalls, or fill the tank to 95 percent and add fuel stabiliser, then run the engine for five minutes so treated fuel reaches the carburettor. What does not work is leaving a half-full tank of untreated fuel — that is the classic no-start in April.
Change the oil before storage rather than after. Used oil carries acidic combustion byproducts that sit against bearing surfaces all winter. Pull the spark plug, add a teaspoon of oil into the cylinder, pull the starter slowly twice, and refit the plug. Sharpen mower blades now while the shed is clear — see lawn mower blades and small engine tune-up parts.
Lithium batteries store best at roughly 40 to 60 percent charge, indoors, above freezing. Do not store them fully charged or fully flat, and do not leave them on the charger for months. Lead-acid mower batteries are the opposite: keep them fully charged, on a maintainer if you have one.
Furniture, fabric and hand tools
Wash furniture, let it dry completely, then cover it — covering damp furniture is worse than not covering it at all. Cushions go indoors or into a sealed deck box. See patio furniture covers, outdoor cushions and pillows and outdoor storage and housing. Umbrellas dry open, then close, bag and store horizontally.
Hand tools take ten minutes for the whole set: scrape soil off, scrub rust with a scouring pad, sharpen the bevel on spades and pruners with a file, oil the metal, and wipe wooden handles with boiled linseed oil. Rake up leaves before they mat down over the lawn — see leaf cleanup and fall yard prep. Everything seasonal is gathered in winterize your yard, and if snow is part of your winter, check gear now rather than the night before, in residential snow removal tools.
Common questions
Do I really need to disconnect the hose if the spigot is frost-free?
Yes. A frost-free spigot drains toward the outside, and an attached hose blocks that drain. The mechanism only protects you when nothing is connected.
Can I leave the mower with fuel in it in an unheated garage?
You can, if the fuel is stabilised and the tank is nearly full. The empty space above a half tank is where condensation forms.
Should I cover furniture or bring it inside?
Inside is always better if you have the space. Covering outdoors is the practical compromise, provided the furniture is dry, the cover is vented and the top is sloped so water runs off.
What about terracotta pots with plants still in them?
Move them to a sheltered spot against a wall, group them together and mulch the surface. Unglazed clay absorbs water and cracks when that water freezes, so an unprotected full pot is the one most likely to be broken by spring.
How early is too early?
Winterizing water gear early costs you a few late-season waterings, which you can do with a watering can. Doing it late can cost you a burst pipe. Err early.
Free US shipping on every order. Follow the manufacturer manual for any fuel, oil or battery procedure — storage requirements vary by engine and battery chemistry.