Water Hydrant Problem

[MikePA]

Enough water must have drained from around the pipe because after a day or two of having to unfreeze it with the MAPP torch, it's been fine ever since. This summer I will dig it out and install something permanent.

[jerri2222]

My handle won't budge unless I get a torch....
It seems to freeze at the top part....The water is draining at the bottom ...so I can't figure out what is wrong with this.... worked fine all last winter.... the little plunger thing is frozen in place and when i torch it , it seems Fine... It's a Clayton Mark type...
The repair kit doesn't look like it will help from the pictures of the parts they show...
ANY good idea's...before my wife kills me for being in the barn an hour a DAY for a horse ?
JERRY
516 635 98465 jerri2222@aol.com [img]/forums/images/icons/confused.gif[/img]

[QRTRHRS]

Having grown up and spent a good portion of my life in Pa, I have to question a pipe freezing in southern PA if it is buried three feet deep.

At my last farm in the Tamaqua area, I buried the hydrants four feet deep that I installed but there was an existing one in the one barn that was only three feet. I had hydrants that were not protected from the wind and I did have some wind at that location.

You need to understand how these valves work. the actual valve is at the bottom of the pipe with a drain hole. When you shut off that valve lever, the water drains out of the pipe through that hole. There must be a means for that water to displace.

I do not believe that the frost line has gotten below say two feet in southern PA lately if that? While some cold will conduct down that pipe, I tend to think that with proper drainage, you should not have a frozen valve.

The lever mechinism will freeze. I have had to use hot water, a blow dryer or torch on that. Over time, the rod that runs the length of the pipe will get dry and or the adjustment bolt that secures it to the handle will loosen too. You might try lubricating the rod with some vegetable oil also.

FWIW, I would use two stainless clamps on the plastic pipe over brass nipples on the bottom of the hydrant. The clamps should be 180 degrees out of alignment as far as the tightening screws are located. With brass nipples, heating the pipe is usually necessary to slip it on followed by secureing the clamps while the plastic pipe is still soft. Black pipe is harder to eliminate any drips then the newer blue pipe is. I forget the name but the blue pipe has an opaque inner layer and is more difficult to evenly heat.

I like it as I have heard that over time, the black pipe can leach different compounds into the water.

I know of no other alternative to the hydrants for open air or unheated space use. Mostly, people do little to maintain them until there is an issue.

[goatgal]

I am having the same problem this morning with my water hydrant. Although mine is outside and my son didn't put the lever down all the way last night. There was no water drippling out so I assume it was bringing up water all night and it froze. I have used a small torch on it this afternoon to try and thaw it but to no avail. It is also 3PM now and has been sunny and rather warm all day but it still does not work. What should or could I do now??

[egon]

Don't know where you live or how cold it is but putting a small enclosure over the hydrant and placing a heater inside may work. That is if it is within reach of power cords.

Otherwise a Coleman lantern may be tried.

Methods are speculative with no results guaranteed. [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Egon [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[eccentricfarmer]

Same problem. But the pvc, insulation, and as backup a warming cable works good. Make sure the pvc is stabilized against uva or it will crumble in a few years. Leave a little room between pipe and the pvc since the pipe will move as it is used. Also pvc can be alittle delicate during the cold, but is very fixable if it is above ground.