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Post by gracielagata on Feb 28, 2017 17:35:36 GMT
So background on what happened.  I used the yard hydrant Sunday afternoon to rinse out a cooler. Turned it off, saw it go to a trickle, walked away. I had just left the cooler flipped over right under the hydrant because I didn't feel like moving it while it aired out. I went out there Monday morning, and there was an icicle going from the head to the cooler. And the handle was lifted all the way on! I have no idea how that happened. All I can figure is that even though it went to a trickle, the handle wasn't fully closed and the slight trickle I thought had ended actually stayed on and lifted it open more, as the cold set in, and together they both caused it to continue to open? I busted it loose and tried the water- nothing doing. A few hours later I check it and water is back. Starts trickle-y and goes to what seems normal. (I usually have a hose on it, and there is a decent bit of snow to change how it hits the ground sound-wise.) I close and open it multiple times, it seemed fine and I could hear either the water drop or water rise gurgle in the pipe, I can't remember which. I don't remember if the delay to bring water up was there as it normally is; again, I usually use a hose and am not next to it. I went to bed last night thinking all was well. I go check it this AM and there is a short 2ish inch icicle hanging from it again! No water coming out when I move the handle. My friend thinks it is likely still okay, that maybe a gasket is busted in the head, or the head is frozen? My husband thinks the pipe is frozen (possibly through) to the frost line (3 feet). Anyone have any ideas on what is happening? Do we need to worry? Other info: It is a hydrant we replaced 2 years or so ago, this is its second winter. We've never had any problems. It is 6ish feet in the ground. We do have a shut off valve in the ground that hopefully my husband is bringing a key home for tonight. (A friend is supposed to make a long key for it, but it requires welding and his welder is down. Obviously we should have made sure it got done sooner. lol Ugh.) Thanks! |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2017 18:15:02 GMT
There is a drain hole in the bottom so when the hydrant is turned off the standpipe drains. When the hydrant was not turned all the way off, this weep hole drained water filling the area around the drain hole with water, then freezing. Sounds like when it thawed enough everything seemed OK. But it froze down there again overnight maybe pushing the sealing surface apart, freezing the water in the valve area again. Drain area needs to dry out but since the ground is frozen the water can't get away. I would turn the valve off and wait for it to warm up, thaw the ground so the water can get away....James
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Post by gracielagata on Feb 28, 2017 18:17:38 GMT
That is kinda what I wondered, but I thought the whole reason that we put them so deep in the ground is so that the weep hole is below frost/freeze level.
The weep hole is 6 feet deep. ??
What is the sealing surface, specifically? And freezing the water 'up in the valve area' -- is that the handle part, since you reference 'up'?
Thanks!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2017 22:35:08 GMT
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Post by gracielagata on Mar 1, 2017 13:58:07 GMT
Yes, the hole in the ground is nearly 6ft. The pipe itself was an 8 footer. So the weep hole is at least/nearly 3 feet past the frost line of 36 inches here. I was figuring that now- that it freezes down the entire riser since it has an issue somewhere. The guess for that is currently in the head. Either way, I got it giving water again yesterday, but not at a full blast amount except for a few seconds here or there, then it went to a good flow, just not its full flow. My husband brought home a heat gun and a key to shut off the in-ground on-off valve, so it can just sit until spring thaw. When he heated it yesterday evening, it was slowing down flow the longer he messed with it, I assume from it getting colder as the day went on. Sitting until spring thaw stinks for me, since this hydrant was 30-40 feet from the trough. Now I have to haul hose or buckets nearly 200 feet. Oh well, good exercise. |
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Post by Bear Foot Farm on Apr 13, 2017 14:45:40 GMT
I know it's a little late, but some of those hydrants have a bolt at the top that allows you to adjust the tension on the handle. Many also have a hole where a padlock can be placed, so anything you could put through the hole would keep the handle from lifting.
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Post by dustawaits on Apr 14, 2017 0:58:03 GMT
Freeze proof faucets can and do freeze! Some are better than others and if you can get the American made instead of the
overseas one, you will get better service. Don't think we ever had a good hydrant to freeze and ruin. We put lots of gravel at the base of ours.
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Post by gracielagata on Apr 23, 2017 15:11:27 GMT
I know it's a little late, but some of those hydrants have a bolt at the top that allows you to adjust the tension on the handle. Many also have a hole where a padlock can be placed, so anything you could put through the hole would keep the handle from lifting. Adjusting the tension is on the list as soon as we get it checked out better in the next month or so. I also planned to do as you suggested in putting something there to prevent it coming on by itself due to pressure (though one would think that adjusting the screw would fix that, but who knows). It also would be another piece to remind me if it is off or not. In the warm months I attach one of those timers to it when I trough fill, so at least then it turns it off until I get back to actually turn off the handle. Thanks. |
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Post by gracielagata on Apr 23, 2017 15:17:47 GMT
Freeze proof faucets can and do freeze! Some are better than others and if you can get the American made instead of the overseas one, you will get better service. Don't think we ever had a good hydrant to freeze and ruin. We put lots of gravel at the base of ours. As we have now learned!!  I searched high and low for an American one, and couldn't find any stores that carried that.  This one has lots of gravel and rock chunk at the bottom, as wwe knew it needed it, plus we had plenty to put back when we dug it out! We installed an in-line on-off valve for it so we could turn it off for future servicing, as the only way that one seemed possible to do was to drain our pressure tank in the process of turning the well off there, and we didn't want to waste so much water and work. We had been using the hydrant that way- with the key to get water. It gave water just fine, but you could still hear and see it wasn't draining quite right, so I am not sure what that means. My husband had to bring the key back to work, and we can't find one long enough yet (6ft or so). And our welder isn't set up yet, so we haven't made a key for it, and obviously haven't used it in a month or so. I want to check it again in when we know the winter freeze is fully over and see how it drains then... |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2017 17:01:26 GMT
If it is wet where you are in the winter (best to do anywhere) is to lay a sheet of plastic over the "pit", on top of the rock, before putting soil on top. It keeps the hole from flooding and also keeps the soil from washing down into the rock. When the hydrant is open (water running) there is a surface that closes the weep hole, If this is not adjusted right or bad, the "pit" fills with water and then freezes (too much water to drain away before it freezes). These hydrants need to be shut off and the hose removed so the "barrel" drains out through the weep hole quickly....James www.woodfordmfg.com/woodford/Installation/How%20A%20Freeze%20Proof%20Hydrant%20Works.pdf |
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Post by gracielagata on Apr 25, 2017 13:31:16 GMT
If it is wet where you are in the winter (best to do anywhere) is to lay a sheet of plastic over the "pit", on top of the rock, before putting soil on top. It keeps the hole from flooding and also keeps the soil from washing down into the rock. When the hydrant is open (water running) there is a surface that closes the weep hole, If this is not adjusted right or bad, the "pit" fills with water and then freezes (too much water to drain away before it freezes). These hydrants need to be shut off and the hose removed so the "barrel" drains out through the weep hole quickly....James www.woodfordmfg.com/woodford/Installation/How%20A%20Freeze%20Proof%20Hydrant%20Works.pdfI am guessing this is what happened with ours, since it managed to get itself left on all night via some evil hydrant breaking ghost (or maybe just the more likely pressure of a small drip and the water below causing it to fully open and freeze). I am not 99% positive, but I believe we lined the pit area with feed bags at least. But I would have to ask my friend who helped, as I can't remember right now. |
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