Putting some bales of hay or straw around it and covering them with a tarp should help. With no snow cover and 20 below temps our hydrants are at least 5 feet deep and sometimes that isn't enough. Hot water helps thaw them out but I would be worried about the PVC freezing.
How do you thaw a frozen yard hydrant?
0:111:58How to fix a frozen hydrant - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipJust go ahead and plug it into the extension cord that's normally plugged into this. Guy. And thisMoreJust go ahead and plug it into the extension cord that's normally plugged into this. Guy. And this whole affair for about a minute.
How do you thaw a frost-free faucet?
Apply heat using heat tape or a heat blanket to thaw the pipe. Leave the pipe exposed to surround it with warm air. Leave the taps that run from the supply line open, so water can drip as it thaws. Once water starts flowing from the faucet normally, the water has thawed.
Why would a frost-free hydrant freeze?
Newly installed hydrants are the most likely to have problems with freezing, due to the dirt around them not being recompacted after the trench was dug to put it in. Another source of problems is traffic over the pipe, “drives the frost down deep”, evidently.
Will yard hydrants freeze?
Yard Hydrants are a Non-Freeze Valve that helps provide water all year round.
How do you keep outdoor faucets from freezing?
6 Steps for How to Protect Outdoor Faucets from FreezingRemove the garden hose from the faucet in the fall. ... Shut off the upstream water supply valve feeding the outdoor faucet. ... Drain any residual water from the faucet and pipe. ... Install an outdoor faucet protector. ... Insulate the pipe leading up to the faucet.More items...•
Will heat tape thaw frozen pipes?
Even though frozen pipes often will thaw naturally, allowing frozen water to sit in pipes does increase the chance of a burst pipe. So heat tape can be applied to speed thawing and get the water running again.
Can you use a frost free hydrant in the winter?
0:028:46Running Water Outside in Winter! Frost Free Yard Hydrant - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWe picked a really good spot to put a frost-free hydrant. This will allow us to have water rightMoreWe picked a really good spot to put a frost-free hydrant. This will allow us to have water right here on tap all winter long all we have to do is lift a handle.
How long does a frost free hydrant last?
The estimated life of poly pipe is 50 to 100 years, so you won't have to worry about digging up and fixing the water supply line for the foreseeable future.
Are all yard hydrant frost free?
The frost line varies from 0 to 8′ depending on the maximum frost depth in the region. The bottom valve assembly on a yard hydrant cannot withstand freezing temperatures.
How do frost free yard hydrants work?
Sanitary frost-free hydrants do exist. In a sanitary frost-free hydrant, the water evacuates to a protected chamber that sits below the frost line. This allows the water level to fall below the frost line without an opening for water that might be in the soil.
How deep do you bury a yard hydrant?
Like the name suggests, bury depth is the depth of the hydrant that will be below ground. If a hydrant says it's a “6 foot-bury”, the hydrant is designed for the bottom 6 feet to be buried. The hydrant head will end up about 24''-30'' above ground level. The overall length of a 6 foot-bury hydrant is 8 1/2-9 feet.
How long does a hydrant last?
How long does a fire hydrant last? Fire hydrants are built to last many decades with proper care, 50 years or more.
How do you keep a barn water hydrant from freezing?
When you shut off the hydrant, the water drops down below the frost line, hence no frozen hydrant. You want to leave it open so that you can draw water from inside the barn, so now there is always water above the frost line in an area that may or may not freeze.
What are yard hydrants for?
It can be turned on and off to provide water from a private water supply system. Yard hydrants are typically used to irrigate lawns and gardens, provide water to wash cars or on farms to provide water for livestock.
Yard Hydrant Head
The top casted piece of a yard hydrant can come in many shapes and sizes, yet all serve the same basic purpose. They have a handle that when pulled up, will lift either the rod or the wet pipe (depending on the style of hydrant) allowing water to flow through the valve, up the vertical pipe and out the hydrant head.
Vertical Pipe
The vertical pipe coming up out of the ground and the cast piece that makes up the “head” of the hydrant, should stand empty when the water is turned off. This standpipe is most often made of galvanized steel. There are specialty hydrants that have pipes made from brass or stainless steel, however these will cost significantly more.
Valve Assembly
There are two basic styles of valves, O-rings and plungers. Some manufacturers opt for a series of 2 or 3 O-rings that when seated into place will shut the water off. The more common approach is to use a rubber plunger attached to a rod to plug off the incoming water.
How long will my yard hydrant last?
There is no yard hydrant on the market that will truly last forever. When standard hydrants reach the end of their life, they need to be dug up and replaced.
