Installing yard hydrant

Paddy · Jul 12, 2007

Bill,

The way these are designed, the only contamination would be at the hydrant. The rubber stopper is either blocking the fresh water flow or the tube drain. Other wise in the on position water would blast out the drain. So as you turn on the water, fresh will flush the tube. So as long as you don't drink the water from the hydrant, I can't see an issue. But you are correct, the bottom of the hydrant tube is filled will ground water. When I have replaced mine in the past, I had to bail the muddy pit. This muddy water is quickly flushed from the tube and I drink from mine all the time. Just not instantly after turning in on!

A flat pad of concrete is a good idea just below the surface. I have ripped one hydrant out as the other poster by catching a loose garden hose with the garden tractor

I do like the 'frost free hydrants" over the convential wall mounted shut offs. I can never remeber to keep disconneting the hose on those dang things and replace them nearly every year.

Patric T

JerryG · Jul 12, 2007

okie350 said:
Take care unrolling the plastic pipe, it can kink easily, creating a pin hole leak.

For the speacial adapter, use a "street ell" with a barbed end that will slide into the ABS hose, and use 2 radiator clamps to secure it. You can get the fittings at almost any farm store as well as Lowes and Home depot.

I used a "T" post to secure mine and keep it straight, it ran to about 6" lower than the hydrant handle.

Mark

Gee Whiz. I looked at the posts before mine or I thought that I did. You said almost everything that I did. I need some new glasses.

turnkey4099 · Jul 12, 2007

JerryG said:
I don't know what the codes are there but here you have to have a shut off close to the hydrant. When mine was put in they put the shut off about two feet from the hydrant and then put a 6" green PVC pipe up to the surface. I sure am glad that they did. So far one of the work crew backed into one hydrant and I broke one when a hose hung on the tractor and pulled on it. All of mine have T posts driven beside them to where they are level with the top of the pipe by the handle. The T posts are then wired to the pipe. I think that stainless pipe clamps would work real well also.

I sure wish that were true here. My major front yard/drive hydrant is mechanically frozen shut. No shut off other than by turning off the pump and draining the system. It is also right under a big Birch so digging it out is/will be a royal pain. I have a "temporary" line run from the garden hydrant to a "temporary" hydrant wired to the frozen up one.

It appears to be due to corrosion between the actuating rod and the packing gland at the top. I have tried heat, beating with a hammer, etc. No luck.

Harry K

czechsonofagun · Jul 12, 2007

As always lots of great ideas, thank you all.

JRobyn · Jul 12, 2007

To help make sure the "drain field" around the bottom of the hydrant stayed open, I lined the holes on mine (6 of em) with landscape/weedblock/geotextile fabric, then dumped in about a foot of coarse gravel, then overlayed the top of that with more fabric. I firmly tamped all fill after about the first 6", and then every 6" after that, followed by a very firm tamping of the final/top layer. They all have about 18-24" of galvanized stem below grade, so with the gravel and tamped fill, they are quite solid with no re-bar or t-post support needed. I figure if one gets snagged by something, I'd rather have it wallow some and maybe be able to straighten and re-tamp it than to have it bend the riser and possibly break off.

- Jay

Bill Barrett · Jul 12, 2007

Paddy, yes this is the hydrant style I'm talking about. If the hydrant is on and water pressure drops below 20 psi water , bacteria can and does get in, also with water flow through hydrant contaminant can aspirate into the line, once it's in the line bacteria can grow contaminating the whole system. If the hydrant is open, and water is shut off at supply tank or city water is interrupted water can and does get siphoned back into the complete system.

Bill Barrett · Jul 13, 2007

heehaw · Jul 15, 2007

suggestion: forget about the yard hydrant, and just bring up a piece of galv pipe and put a faucet on top of it: its cheaper, will feeze, but won't burst, unless you try to cover it up and miss a spot, or put a shut off in line: the shut off doesn't allow the water to be pushed back down the line when the faucet and pipe freezes: i put in at least 4 yard hydrants when i built in 86: replaced 3 of them at least once or twice, until i finally did this, and haven't had a single problem since.
heehaw

Paddy · Jul 15, 2007

heehaw,

That may work in your location, but up North you will have a split line!

heehaw · Jul 16, 2007

i first heard about this idea in Point Marion, Pa:thats pretty far north!! they freeze from the top down, which pushes the water back into the line: thats why they will split if a shutoff valve is used; "some brave souls" have even used sch 40 pvc and said they don't break, but i haven't got that brave yet.
heehaw