During the summer,
your outdoor shower brings cooling relief from the heat and a practical way to tidy up after working and playing outside or visiting one of the beaches on Cape Cod. But when the cold of winter arrives, freezing temperatures will burst pipes and damage the shower’s hardware unless this outdoor amenity is winterized. Include the garden shower on your list of outdoor maintenance tasks for late autumn. With thorough preparation, you’ll be ready to return your shower to full use within minutes when warmer weather returns in the spring.
Step 1
Locate the valves on the hot- and cold-water pipes that run to the outdoor shower. Turn each valve handle to the left until the handle won’t move any further to shut off the water supply.
Step 2
Turn the shower faucet handles to the “on” position. Let the water run freely, draining the pipes. Leave the faucet in the “on” position to prevent any remaining moisture in the pipes from accumulating and expanding to burst the pipes under freezing conditions.
Step 3
Remove the shower head by gently twisting it off the overhead pipe. Invert the shower head to drain out any water. Store this piece of hardware indoors until spring when you set up the outdoor shower again.
