Frost Free Hydrants

RichZ · Feb 21, 2016

I'm going to put in a couple of frost free hydrants on my farm. I put in half a dozen on my previous farm, and I had mixed results with different manufacturers. I had several that froze when it got below zero, even after I dug them back up and put more gravel under them. But I had one that never froze, but I don't remember the manufacturer. Can anyone recommend a manufacturer of frost free hydrants?

Thanks!

GPintheMitten · Feb 21, 2016

I don't recall the manufacturer but it was made in usa. But I also recommend putting a 3 or 4 inch pvc pipe around the pipe from the handle down about a foot or two in the soil. Then fill with spray foam. I drilled about 4 quarter inch holes about a foot apart in the pvc and stuck the straw in and filled it with the foam that comes in spray cans. Never a problem.

SPYDERLK · Feb 21, 2016

We like the Woodford hydrant and have abandoned others. Characteristic is that Woodford has a star wheel you can set to limit how much it turns on. I have had a problem using this feature if the hydrant is left on with a pressurized hose ready to use in warm weather. A couple of our hydrants will leak some, continuously, underground when set at part throttle. For instant use, then turn off, the part throttle star wheel is great - just not if your leaving the hydrant on. THEN you use full throttle and regulate with the hose valve. Course in winter you always turn off and remove hose so stem drains well.

Freezing is often due to the underground valve leaking when off and water rising to ground level in the stem. ... None of our 5 Woodfords have ever leaked when off or fully on.

LD1 · Feb 21, 2016

I'll second woodford

GPintheMitten · Feb 21, 2016

Woodford is the brand i installed. I put almost a dozen at my daughters farm in Michigan and one at my place. No problems.

Aquamoose · Feb 21, 2016

I did an overkill (or better safe than sorry) and carefully dug plenty and placed plenty of gravel for the tube to drain out. One by my shop had too much clay so I fitted a tube and piped it out to a drain pipe for a mini-drain field a short distance from the hydrant. Also, I recall that the instructions states that you need to test for proper operation of the hydrant and make necessary adjustments to ensure everything works well before backfilling.

turnkey4099 · Feb 22, 2016

One thing I learned over the years. Before burying a frost free, dismantle it, put it back together and then bury. They put them together so tight at the factory that once buried you aren't able to unscrew top...at leasst the ones I had. I planted 7 of them when I put in the well. 4 of them became mechanically locked for unknown reasons after several years. DThe one I dismantled with the aide of a big vice, 18" pipewrench, and lots of brute force displayed no reason for it being 'locked up'. Operated jsut fine when I put it back together.

fishheadbob · Feb 22, 2016

Woodford. 25 years of problem free service.

Gary Fowler · Feb 22, 2016

I have 3 frost free faucets at my house that I got at Lowes, don't know the name but they have been maintenance free. My brother in law has the same kind but he has at least 5 of them and I have had to dig up and rework the seals on one of them for him in 7 years of service. At least parts are available to fix any leaks.

SPYDERLK · Feb 22, 2016

Use the geotextile fabric to keep the dirt from clogging your gravel and you really dont need much.

kcflhrc · Feb 22, 2016

I just bought one at Home Depot, seems to work just fine.

SPYDERLK · Feb 22, 2016

What brand?

kcflhrc · Feb 22, 2016

SPYDERLK said:
What brand?

It's the only one Home Depot sells in stores, Everbilt I think is the brand.

rgr33 · Feb 22, 2016

I have four Merrill brand hydrants that have been in the ground for 15 years. I did get a used one for free, and ended up having to put new seals in it as it leaked. Toolk 2 big wrenches and a big ***** cheater bar to get the head off. If I had that job to do again, I probably wouldn't.

Paddy · Feb 22, 2016

They freeze due to ground water. Unless you can insure ground in not saturated, they will freeze. Dig a post hole, they fill up with water pretty quickly!

Even if you dig a 5 ft deep hole and fill with gravel, water table will just fill it too

kcflhrc · Feb 22, 2016

Paddy said:
They freeze due to ground water. Unless you can insure ground in not saturated, they will freeze. Dig a post hole, they fill up with water pretty quickly!

Even if you dig a 5 ft deep hole and fill with gravel, water table will just fill it too

Ground water shouldn't be freezing 4' down and that is typically how deep, at least in my area, you should bury the waterline. You don't fill the hole with gravel, just gravel around the drain then dirt on top.

HeLa · Feb 22, 2016

if your hydrants are freezing they are either not draining or not buried deep enough.

these are best brands, from my experience:
Woodford
Merrill
Campbell

great tip re: disassembly/re-assembly before installation, turnkey

i did a few this past summer. some of my "rules":

1. always put an elbow on the subgrade drain outlet to help keep it clear

2. stainless oetiker clamps and brass fittings if attaching to poly (no plastic barbs or worm clamps)

3. lots of crush wrapped in geotextile fabric

4. name-brand hydrants with local replacement/rebuild parts availability (list above)

5. drain/waste stop valves placed as necessary to isolate legs in case of repair/failure

i special-ordered THIS woodford for installation in my barn. it wasn't cheap but the build quality is amazing, it was made-to-order, and arrived at my plumbing supply in just a week's time. would definitely buy from them again.

Paddy · Feb 22, 2016

water doesn't freeze 4' down in to many places, but when the device is closed/off, water flows into the drain hole to what ever water level happens to be at that moment. Kind of like dipping a straw into a cut of water.

The analogy was regardless how deep you dig a hole or how much gravel you use, water level will just fill it under certain times of the year. Some locations just don't want to drain.

Xfaxman · Feb 22, 2016

This Baker Monitor hydrant was installed in 2005. It has a spool valve with o-rings instead of a faucet washer and by loosening a set screw, you can turn the top to point where you want it.

Baker Water Systems - Monitor® Magnum Yard Hydrant

turnkey4099 · Feb 22, 2016

Gary Fowler said:
I have 3 frost free faucets at my house that I got at Lowes, don't know the name but they have been maintenance free. My brother in law has the same kind but he has at least 5 of them and I have had to dig up and rework the seals on one of them for him in 7 years of service. At least parts are available to fix any leaks.

You shouldn't have to dig them up, they are replaceable by taking the top part with handle off...if you can break that top free..

Harry K