Sponsored by
I Almost Threw Out My Keurig. It Wasn't Broken.
Every cup from my Keurig started tasting weak, flat, stale — so I unplugged it and stuck it in a closet. Then I learned the dirty secret of grocery store K-Cups: by the time a pod reaches your kitchen, it's usually spent months going from factory to warehouse to truck to shelf. The flavor oils are long gone. Some brands even over-roast to hide it.
The fix wasn't a new machine. It was fresh pods from Angelino's, a family-owned L.A. roastery that roasts, packs, and ships within 3–5 days — straight to your door, from 39¢ a cup. Over 1,000,000 happy customers. 50+ flavors, no subscription required, and 15% off your first order, applied automatically at checkout.
The Inspection Insider
A small drip can become a much bigger winter problem.
Most exterior taps don’t get much attention once summer ends.
The garden gets put away, the hose gets coiled up, and the tap is forgotten until spring.
But during one inspection, there was no missing the problem.
A huge column of ice had formed directly below the exterior tap.
It was an extreme example of what can happen when water and freezing temperatures meet in the wrong place.
🗂️ Inspection File: The Frozen Tap
The exterior tap was surrounded by a large buildup of ice that stretched all the way to the ground.
At that point, you didn’t need any special equipment to know something wasn’t right.
Water had continued to drip from the tap during freezing weather. Each small amount froze, then the next drip froze on top of it, gradually building the large column of ice you see in the photo.
The ice itself was obvious.
The bigger concern was what might be happening inside the wall, where you couldn’t see it.
That’s why exterior plumbing deserves a quick check before winter settles in.
🔩The Root Cause
Exterior taps are exposed to some of the coldest conditions around your home.
If water remains trapped in the faucet or the pipe feeding it, that water can freeze and expand. In some situations, that can damage the faucet or even split the plumbing inside the wall.
A frost-free exterior tap reduces that risk because the actual shutoff point is farther inside the heated portion of the house. When properly installed, water should drain from the exterior portion after the tap is turned off.
But frost-free doesn’t mean foolproof.
Leaving a garden hose attached can trap water inside the faucet and prevent it from draining properly. An improperly sloped faucet can do the same thing.
And older homes may have conventional exterior taps that need to be shut off and drained from inside before freezing weather arrives.
👀Worth a Look
Want to learn more about Winterizing your outdoor taps?
This Old House — How to Prevent Frozen and Burst Pipes
Family Handyman — A Step by Step Guide to Winterizing your hose Spigot
Bob Vila — 3 Last-Minute Winterization Projects You’ll Regret Skipping
🛡️Next Steps
Before temperatures stay below freezing, walk around your house and check every exterior tap.
Start by disconnecting garden hoses, splitters, timers and other attachments.
Turn each tap off and check that it isn’t dripping.
If you have a conventional exterior faucet with an interior shutoff valve, close the interior valve and then open the exterior tap to drain the remaining water. If you’re unsure what type of faucet you have or how it’s winterized, a plumber can show you what your particular setup requires.
And if an exterior faucet has already frozen, don’t assume everything is fine just because it eventually thaws.
A damaged pipe may not reveal itself until the ice melts and water starts flowing again.
📈Prevention Tips
Before winter:
Disconnect and drain all garden hoses.
Remove hose splitters, timers and other attachments.
Check exterior taps for slow drips or leaks.
Know whether your taps are conventional or frost-free.
Shut off and drain conventional exterior plumbing where required.
Make sure frost-free taps can drain properly.
Take another quick look after the first few cold nights.
It’s a five-minute walk around the house that could save you from discovering a plumbing problem in the middle of winter.
And don't wait until you see a five-foot icicle.
🔁 Watch & Share
▶ Watch on YouTube
🔗 Know someone who'd find this useful? Share it.
⏭️ Next Time
When did you last change your furnace filter?
Next week, I’ll show you why this simple maintenance job matters before heating season really gets underway. 🔥
Until next time,
Ron Henderson, CMI
Certified Master Inspector
Was this useful? Drop me a line at: [email protected]
Disclaimer: The Inspection Insider is an educational media publication. Content is based on general home inspection experience and real-world findings, and is intended to help homeowners understand what to watch for — not to assess, diagnose, or provide an opinion on any specific home or condition. Nothing published here constitutes a professional home inspection or should be treated as one. If you have concerns about your home, hire a qualified home inspector or licensed tradesperson to evaluate it in person.
Affiliate links: Some links in this newsletter may be affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, I may earn a commission (at no additional cost to you). I only recommend tools/resources I believe provide value to homeowners