Sometimes you're so busy during the winter holiday season that you forget to turn off the water supply line to your garden, and you face a burst pipe or broken hose bib after a deep freeze.

Of course, it's best if you can have the pipe and/or hose bib replaced, but if your finances are tight or you're just too busy to do any plumbing repair yourself, you can always run your garden hose from the supply line to your washer. 

All you need is a faucet splitter, which enables you to run both your cold water washer hose and you garden hose from the same faucet.

What you will need to add a faucet splitter

Faucet splitter

A faucet splitter is shaped like the letter "Y" and has a single female connection at the base and two threaded male branch connections . It is also equipped with shut off handles on the male branch lines so you can choose which branch line to use. You can also use both lines simultaneously, but water pressure will be lower for both lines.

Teflon tape

This is a thin plastic ribbon that is used to seal threaded plumbing connections.

Bucket

When you disconnect the washer supply hose, you will need to drain it or your floor will get wet.

Pliers 

You will need pliers for disconnecting the washer hose and making the new connections.

Disconnecting the washer hose

You will begin by turning off the supply valve to the cold water faucet for your washer, and placing a bucket under the faucet. After the water is turned off, use your pliers to turn the washer hose connector in a counterclockwise direction. Don't squeeze the connector with excessive force, or it may bend. Use only enough pressure to loosen it.

When the hose connector is completely disconnected, place the end of the hose into the bucket to drain.

Connecting the faucet splitter

Next, wrap 2-3 layers of teflon tape in a clockwise direction around the exposed threads of the faucet and the two threaded male ends of the splitter. Pull the teflon tape tight as you wrap it around the threads to ensure a proper seal.

Connect the female end of the splitter to the threaded male faucet connection by turning it in a clockwise direction until it is tight. You may use your pliers to be sure that the connection is tight if you lack strength.

You will then connect the female ends of the washer and garden hoses to the two threaded male ends of the splitter in the same manner.

Although this is just a quick fix until you can get your outdoor water supply in working order, it will provide you with an immediate water supply for your garden. Contact a plumbing company like Angeles Plumbing for more info.