Whether you’re watering the garden or filling the paddling pool, a reliable outdoor water supply is a summer essential. Before you turn the hose back on, our plumbers recommend four quick checks.
1. Look for cracks, leaks and damage
Check your outdoor tap and hose for drips, cracks and corrosion, and look at the brickwork and inside wall behind the tap for damp patches, moss or rot. One drip a second can waste up to 20 litres of water a day and can soak into your walls.
Pro tip: turn off all the water in your home, wait an hour, then check your meter. If the reading has gone up, you may have a hidden leak.
2. Check your double check valve
UK regulations say every outdoor tap must have a double check valve to stop dirty water being sucked back into your drinking supply. Hoses left in ponds, buckets or old paddling pools over winter are a common risk. Look at the valve body, and if you see cracks or bulging, replace it as soon as possible. Run the tap for a few seconds to flush out any grit before you reconnect the hose.
3. Look for freeze damage
Water trapped in an outdoor tap over winter can freeze, expand and crack the pipework. Check the tap for damage, then turn it on and listen for hissing. Unroll the hose fully to check for bulges, and run water through it to spot pinhole leaks.
4. Test the water pressure
Put a one-litre jug under the tap and time how long it takes to fill. You should get at least 10 litres a minute, so the jug should fill in under 6 seconds. If it’s slower, your water pressure may be low, and our plumbers can find out why.
Get summer jobs booked in
As a Which? Trusted Trader, our plumbers in Bolton, Horwich, Chorley and Preston can check, repair or replace your outdoor water system so you can get on with enjoying the summer.
Found a problem?
Our local plumbers can repair or replace outdoor taps, valves and pipework quickly.
