Freeze Proof Hydrant repair ????????????

[Ridgerunner]

Glad you got it done before a hard freeze. If it's dripping it's no longer frost free.

 

[valley ranch]

I installed 5 of them here~ wish I had installed a: Stop and drain so I could shut off the hydrants without closing the water to the house``` When I was repairing that hydrant the water was off at the house as well``` Next time```

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'm a head of you there. I put a shut-off valve to that line when I installed it. Part of that might be because I worked in oil and natural gas production. You always have a way to isolate a line. I also put a check valve (back flow valve) so dirty water cannot flow back into the good water line. That check valve is a requirement from the county health department. That shut-off valve is not but I'm sure glad I did it. It probably paid for itself one time I had a steady leak down there. I could repair it at my convenience.

 

[valley ranch]

Yep```

 

[Nyboy]

Hope your daughter makes a nice profit from all her training.

 

[valley ranch]

Yeh~ she has~ The horse~ a papered Quarter~ is from a ladies stable~ daughter trained it to saddle and will get 1/2 of the sale```

 

[baymule]

That sounds complicated. I like PVC myself......and I have a cut off valve for every single hydrant. Husband thought I was nuts and the guy that trenched and installed the pipe tried to argue with me....wrong thing to do. I keep 10' pieces of PVC, fittings and glue so I don't have to run to town when there's a problem.

 

[Nyboy]

Where I am a hydrant is at curb Only fire dept can use for water. Are you talking about outside faucets ? I have them and have plumper replace about every 2 years ( he needs to go into crawl space to change)

 

[Ridgerunner]

A frost free hydrant is basically an outdoor faucet with the valve buried far enough underground that it is below the frost line so it can't freeze. The exposed part is maybe 2-1/2' above ground. A lot of people would call them a faucet. The way they work is that when the valve is open (you raise the handle) water flows through but when the valve is closed a drain hole opens up so the part above ground can drain. No water, they don't freeze.

Alex I don't know what your safe depth would be. I have to bury that valve 24" to be safe from it freezing. Some people have to go a lot deeper, maybe as much as 4 or 5 feet below ground. It depends on how deep your ground freezes in your worst winter. Since they drain and don't freeze, I have running water outside all year around, handy for watering the chickens or cleaning anything I wish to clean.

 

[baymule]

My ground doesn't freeze, but any exposed pipe sure will. I just turn off the cut off valve, open the faucet and call it good. I do like the idea of a no freeze faucet, then I wouldn't have to fool with it.