Water Hydrant install

[Willl]

Would someone explain to me why the hose needs to be removed from a buried hydrant after every use in cold weather?

Don't know about others, but my 'hose-end-gizmo' is usually shut tight which would stop any drain back which would create a up pipe full of water.

 

[SandburRanch]

Don't know about others, but my 'hose-end-gizmo' is usually shut tight which would stop any drain back which would create a up pipe full of water.

Yes it would if the hose end can't get air through an open end, sprinkler or other etc.

But in that case the hose and gizmo also needs drained. Just the hose connection at the hydrant being loose to atmospheric air is sufficient to drain the hydrant but not the hose.

 

[BHD]

It may not drain back with that much resistance, or vacuum to pull 50 foot of water out of the hose and down the pipe, and it may saturate the ground with water and not be able to pull all the water in to drain out the hydrant,

just loosen the hose and break the vacuum or use a vacuum breaker on it,

 

[Willl]

I'm so guilty of this. Either I didn't realize it was going to freeze that night or just plain forgot to disconnect the hose.

Either way, I've been caught many times going out in brrrrrr temps to find my frost-free frozen solid.

Nothings stupid proof.

 

[Hollow]

I just put in a new hydrant. I went to Lowe's and bought a plastic meter box, (only $14) T'd off and put a shut off valve in the box. Ran it over and then up with a freeze proof hydrant. I'm like you, if its worth doing it's worth doing with a little overkill. If something ever happens to that hydrant and I don't have time to fix it right then I can just shut it off and come back to fix it later without effecting the rest of my water supply.

 

[Hollow]

 

[turnkey4099]

I just put in a new hydrant. I went to Lowe's and bought a plastic meter box, (only $14) T'd off and put a shut off valve in the box. Ran it over and then up with a freeze proof hydrant. I'm like you, if its worth doing it's worth doing with a little overkill. If something ever happens to that hydrant and I don't have time to fix it right then I can just shut it off and come back to fix it later without effecting the rest of my water supply.

Amen! I have kicked myself many times for not doing that. I put in 7 frost frees when I had the new well put in. only 2 are still working. The well pumped some very fine silt for years and ones I didn't use regularly plugged up. To replace them would require shuttign off the pump and draingn the entire system.

They are 'fixable' from the top BUT: Jusst try taking one apart that way as it comes fromt eh factory. I don't know what torque they put on them but you ain't gonna breake that top piece loose on one still in the ground. It took me a leg vice, a 24" pipe wrench and a hammer befoe I got one I dug up loose.

Might be a good practice to loosen and reinstall it on any new FF you install before you bury it.

Harry K

 

[SandburRanch]

It may not drain back with that much resistance, or vacuum to pull 50 foot of water out of the hose and down the pipe, and it may saturate the ground with water and not be able to pull all the water in to drain out the hydrant,

just loosen the hose and break the vacuum or use a vacuum breaker on
it,

If the hose end is above the under ground drain hole and open to atmosphere it will drain the hose, I guarantee it. In fact if the hose remains in a tank or water container of any kind and the container water level is elevated above the drain back, in time it will drain the whole container. Been there, done that by mistake and won't forget that lesson.