Frozen Hydrant in Nov? What is up???

travlnusa · #1 11/18/10, 07:00 PM

I have had my hydrant freeze up in the past, but never like this.

I live in NW WI. Today is the first day that the high temp did not get above freezing. When I went to turn it on this evening, no water. I can lift the handle, and it does raise the rod going down the pipe, but no water.

The water line runs 11' underground. The drain for the pipe is 6' down. We have a touch of frost on the top soil, but nothing even close to frozen ground.

I have wrapped the exposed (above ground) with heat tape and have it plugged in. Will se what that does for me....

I am guessing that for some reason water is getting held up in the pipe, and somewhere in there, it froze.

What would you all do?

Minimomma · #2 11/18/10, 07:45 PM

Had one act like that last year. Handle came up, (but it took a lot of pulling) and no water. It was not frozen. It was worn out and had to be replaced.
Not what you want to hear but at least the ground isn't frozen solid for digging yet.

oneokie · #3 11/18/10, 08:29 PM

If you did not have a hose attached to the hydrant, then the only thing that comes to mind is that the plunger has deterioated and come apart.

travlnusa · #4 11/18/10, 08:53 PM

I can get a rebuild kit at local hardware store. Comes preassembled from handle down to plunger at the bottom.

So, I know you can get the handle off easy enough, but how do I pull up the rod to replace, or am I digging up the whole thing and installing new?

RedneckPete · #5 11/18/10, 09:51 PM

How long are they good for? I've installed six on my property in the last couple years and figured I was good pretty much forever. I'm not liking this thread so far.

Pete

travlnusa · #6 11/18/10, 10:02 PM

Update: I have had the heat tape running for about 4 hrs and water is now running.

Plan tomorrow is to pack bales around it for the winter, keep heat tape running, and take all of your advise as to how to fix this properly.

rambler · #7 11/18/10, 10:09 PM

If it froze up with just barely below freezing, it's not draining.

You did not have a hose left on it did you???????

If the end of the pipe was free and it froze on that little frost, then it's not draining, and boy I'd hate to rely on heat tape ^ straw bales until next March..... Yikes, that's gonna be prblems as the frost goes lower....

--->Paul

oneokie · #8 11/18/10, 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by travlnusa

I can get a rebuild kit at local hardware store. Comes preassembled from handle down to plunger at the bottom.

So, I know you can get the handle off easy enough, but how do I pull up the rod to replace, or am I digging up the whole thing and installing new?

Depending on the brand of hydrant, the usual proceedure is to disconnect the handle, then unscrew the hydrant head from the riser pipe. WARNING: most times the hydrant head is sealed with an epoxy thread sealer. Unless you have some really big pipe wrenches, it is near impossible to just unscrew the head from the riser. Applying heat to the head casting where the riser pipe is threaded into the head with a propane torch and getting the casting above 350 degrees F. is the best way to get things apart. After you get the head removed, just pull the old rod and plunger out of the riser and insert the new.

oneokie · #9 11/18/10, 11:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedneckPete

How long are they good for? I've installed six on my property in the last couple years and figured I was good pretty much forever. I'm not liking this thread so far.

Pete

Longevity of the freeze proof hydrants is dependant on the quality of your water and how often they are used. If you use them on a regular basis (weekly or monthly) they are mostly problem free.

travlnusa · #10 11/19/10, 06:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oneokie

Depending on the brand of hydrant, the usual proceedure is to disconnect the handle, then unscrew the hydrant head from the riser pipe. WARNING: most times the hydrant head is sealed with an epoxy thread sealer. Unless you have some really big pipe wrenches, it is near impossible to just unscrew the head from the riser. Applying heat to the head casting where the riser pipe is threaded into the head with a propane torch and getting the casting above 350 degrees F. is the best way to get things apart. After you get the head removed, just pull the old rod and plunger out of the riser and insert the new.

I can get the head off easy enough as I had to replace the packing a few years back. Will work on it over the weekend.

Thanks all

fishhead · #11 11/19/10, 07:36 AM

Did you have a hose attached? If so maybe it prevented the water from draining out by creating a suction. Good luck. Now is not the time to have water problems.

travlnusa · #12 11/19/10, 02:40 PM

No hose attached. Made that mistake my first year.

motdaugrnds · #13 11/19/10, 05:35 PM

We had a similar occurrance and discovered the "bottom" of the hole was sitting on a hardpan that did "not" let the water draining down out of the freeze-proof faucet go anywhere. Thus, each time we used that faucet, the water got closer and closer to ground level, which eventually froze during the winter. (We had to dig a drain trench that permitted the water draining out of the faucet to leave the area.)

Also, if you keep a water hose connected all winter, as we do, you need to make sure there is a cut-off switch at the faucet for that hose. We now turn it off before we turn off the freeze-proof faucet and we also leave the end of the hose open slightly and layed out "down hill". This works well.