Frost Free Hydrant Failure

[logan97]

our yard hydrant 2' bury is freezing. How do I repair it?

 

[Willl]

A deeper hole ?

 

[firedog]

If they are designed the way I think they are.....the valve is at the base (2' below grade, in your case) and should be set in gravel. When you close the valve it opens a drain at the bottom to allow the water in the riser to gravity flow out into the gravel. The drain may be plugged allowing water to remain in the riser which freezes during cold weather.

 

[logan97]

If they are designed the way I think they are.....the valve is at the base (2' below grade, in your case) and should be set in gravel. When you close the valve it opens a drain at the bottom to allow the water in the riser to gravity flow out into the gravel. The drain may be plugged allowing water to remain in the riser which freezes during cold weather.

it has worked fine for 3yrs? there is gravel at the bottom I watched it get installed ?

 

[DanD78]

As said the valve is below ground and should have a gravel bed for the hydrant to drain in to. I don't know the frost level in your area but 2' is not very deep.

Is the valve on the bottom of the hydrant opening when the lever is pushed closed? One way to check is close the lever and put your hand over the water outlet. You should be able to feel a slight suction as the water drains down the pipe. If the pipe is staying full of water it will freeze. You will need to adjust the lever so the drain opens with the with the lever in the closed position or the drain is choked. If you do feel it sucking you need to bury it deeper or insulate the ground around the hydrant.

Dan

 

[Brad_Blazer]

My standard practice when it's warm and I'm using a hose on the hydrant is to use a ball valve at the end of the hose and close the ball valve before I shut off the hydrant. That way the hose pressure forces water out of the drain hole, keeping it clear. If your drain is blocked you can try (when it is above freezing) connecting a hose with a valve like I did and cycling the valve on and off to flush the drain. It might also be worthwhile to dig down to the valve and verify that the drain is totally clear.

This is pretty basic but of course it will freeze if you leave a hose or anything connected to the hydrant that interferes with the drain-down feature.

If the drain is blocked you can try (when it is above freezing) connecting a hose with a valve like I did and cycling the valve on and off to flush the drain. It might also be worthwhile to dig down to the valve and verify that the drain is totally clear.

 

[beenthere]

Also, they don't work if there is a hose attached and the temp drops below freezing. Simply because they don't drain properly. Same with a frost-free house hydrant.

At least that has been my misfortune a few times.

 

[dcyrilc]

Also, they don't work if there is a hose attached and the temp drops below freezing. Simply because they don't drain properly. Same with a frost-free house hydrant.

At least that has been my misfortune a few times.

I've put decent quality vaccume breakers on all my hydrants. At least then they drain any time you shut them off, even if you didn't disconnect the hose. I might still loose a hose to freezing, but at least the hydrant is protected.

 

[Wheatland KB]

The seal might be worn allowing a bit of water to flow up the hydrant once the valve is closed. I've had this happen on more than one occasion (mine are down 10 feet). Pull the valve, rod and all of the hardware out and inspect the seal at the bottom. Replace if needed. Could be a simple one dollar fix.

 

[schmism]

incase it wasnt mentioned earlyer...

if you keep a hose attached to it, it can prevent the hydrant from draining via the hole at the bottom.

 

[hawkeye08]

I have to rebuild mine every 4-5 years. The ones that don't get used much are the worst. It seems that the seal is not very long lasting. It can be touchy to get the adjustment right, too loose and it leaks, too tight and it sticks (and then tears the seal the first time it is opened).

It is about $10 at local ranch store for a rebuild kit. I have completely replaced two of three that I have twice in the the last 17 years since I originally installed them. Two of them need rebuilding now.

 

[SandburRanch]

You'll probably find a valve similar to this one pictured if you dig down to it.

There are a few ways to test the drain ability of the weep hole without digging and that's what I'd check first. I don't especially like diggin. One way is to put some water in an attached hose, elevate the hose and it will empty if the drain is open. Another way is to attach a short hose and blow on it. If it's open you'll loose pressure between your little ole puffy cheeks. Tree roots are often problematic in the drain area. A brother of mine has to blow his out with an air hose every 3-4 years.

The instructions with the last rebuild kit I bought said to adjust the handle to 30 degrees after the plunger just touches the seat. I've found about 20 degrees works and isn't as likely to cut the neoprene as the one pictured from the factory. Lubricate the moving parts so you can get a better feel for what's right. You may find they sold you a lot more parts than you need. What a waste.

An open ended hose remaining connected can drain your stock tank or your kids pool over night if left in the container. Been there done that.

 

[logan97]

we purchased some heat tape the other day put it on , and covered it with some feed bags. It is working again but is dripping, which obviously caused the problem. Is there an adjustment or should we just order the "kit" for it ?

 

[jayste]

we purchased some heat tape the other day put it on , and covered it with some feed bags. It is working again but is dripping, which obviously caused the problem. Is there an adjustment or should we just order the "kit" for it ?

I think if it is leaking then you need a tighter adjustment on the handle to better seat the plunger or you need to replace the rubber plunger. You might have possibly damaged the plunger trying to free it after it froze. The plunger is the black thing in SandburRanch's 2nd photo. That one is damaged.

I just had to remove one of mine the other day. Seems I couldn't get it deeper in the ground due to a shelf of sand rock. The sand rock was keeping the water from properly draining away from the hydrant as well as it was only about 2' down. That's even a little shallow for this part of the country. It was installed by the provious owners. I'll have to find another spot to put that I can get another foot or so deeper.

 

[logan97]

I think if it is leaking then you need a tighter adjustment on the handle to better seat the plunger or you need to replace the rubber plunger. You might have possibly damaged the plunger trying to free it after it froze. The plunger is the black thing in SandburRanch's 2nd photo. That one is damaged.

where exactly is the adjustment on the handle, i think there is one flat nut about 3/4" or so ? not out there at the moment.I did not try to free it after it froze.

pretty sure this is the one ?

http://www.simmonsmfg.com/online_catalog/hydrantparts/hydrantparts5.html

 

[SPIKER]

it can depend on the manufacture of the hydrant some use standard washers & seals for a rebuild kits. like others take it apart & pull the long stem up & out and then take a look at the seals to see. You can also turn off the water going out to the hydrant and let it drain for a while to keep the dripping down.

Mark

 

[Molerj]

Adjustment for the handle is the square head bolt that threads through the handle against the brass stem.

 

[JRobyn]

Not all designs have a nut for adjustment - I have a bunch of "Simmons" hydrants that just use a setscrew on the main shaft.

- Jay

 

[JRobyn]

After one of the setscrews stripped, I did a bit of re-engineering on one of mine and added a "regular" adjustment nut....

 

[Waradmiral1991]

On a related front - can anyone tell me the manufacturer of this hydrant? I need to replace the plunger and all the replacements I have tried are too large? There is no manufacturer name on the hydrant itself.