Start by disconnecting every hose
Remove garden hoses, splitters, timers, and spray attachments from each outdoor faucet. A connected accessory can hold water where it should drain, increasing the chance of freeze damage inside the faucet or wall.
After disconnecting everything, turn the faucet on briefly and watch for leaking around the handle, vacuum breaker, wall penetration, or connection. Shut it off and confirm that dripping stops.
Use the instructions for your specific setup
Outdoor faucets are not all built or winterized the same way. Frost-free models, older hose bibs, irrigation-fed lines, and faucets with an interior shutoff can require different steps. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the fixture and any winterization directions provided for your home.
Do not force a stuck valve or assume every exterior line should be drained the same way. If you cannot identify the correct shutoff, leave it alone rather than risking a broken stem or concealed leak.
Know when the check has found a repair
Call a plumber if the faucet keeps dripping, the interior shutoff leaks, the pipe moves in the wall, or the shutoff is inaccessible. Water showing inside the home while an outdoor faucet is running can indicate a split line and should be addressed promptly.
For Layton homeowners, completing this check in fall leaves time to repair a problem before freezing weather. It is a simple inspection, not a guarantee against every cold-weather failure.