This customer had an existing yard hydrant that was broken and leaking. It was a generic hydrant so parts were not available. Consequently, I had to replace it. Follow along with Plumber John in “Yard Hydrant Hose Faucet Repair” in this episode of “Tales From The Jobsite”
Yard Hydrant Hose Faucet Repair
I commonly see yard hydrants used on farms, gas stations, campgrounds, and gardens. They are great when you want a hose spigot in a remote location. The hydrant is supplied with water by an underground water line. This unit was installed in an area where the customer kept horses. I size the yard hydrant according to the required installation depth. To install a yard hydrant properly, the base of the hydrant must be below the frost line. In Willow Spring the frost line is twelve inches. Therefore I choose a two-foot-deep hydrant for this installation.
Set The Base Of The Hydrant In Gravel
The yard hydrant has a handle at the top that controls an internal stem. In the base of the hydrant, the stem connects to a valve that opens and closes. I want to install this portion of the yard hydrant below the frost line. This keeps it from freezing. The side of the control valve has a weep hole. This allows the water to weep out and drain into the gravel bed. As a result, the body of the hydrant drains each time the valve is shut off. This way the hydrant does not freeze in cold weather. In other words, without the gravel bed, the hydrant can not drain. The unit will consequently freeze in cold weather. When I install a yard hydrant I temporarily hold the hydrant in place with a 2×4 wood stud. In this way, I can verify the installation is plumb.
Support The Yard Hydrant With Concrete
Another key step when I install a yard hydrant is to support the unit with a concrete pad. I back-fill the hole with dirt and pour concrete around the hydrant. I wrap a piece of pipe insulation around the hydrant so the body of the unit does not come in contact with the concrete.
Yard Hydrant Hose Faucet Repair.
- Shut off the water supply.
- Excavate to uncover the water connection.
- Attach the new yard hydrant to the existing water line
- Temporarily repressurize the water supply to check for leaks.
- Set the base of the yard hydrant in gravel so the weep hole can properly drain
- Back-fill the hole and pour concrete around the top to support the yard hydrant
Yes, if properly installed with a gravel drainage bed.
The base of the hydrant has a weep hole. When the hydrant is shut off the weep hole allows the body of the hydrant to drain into the gravel bed.
If You Need A Licensed Master Plumber For Yard Hydrant Hose Faucet Repair Please Call 919-795-8727
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The Information in this blog post is in no way an instruction manual. Many of the procedures described require a licensed plumber to perform.