Plumbing pros???? Hydrant sounds like it's sucking air!

shakeytails in KY · #1 02/13/13, 07:37 PM

I just walked out to the barn and the wash rack hydrant sounds like it's sucking a steady stream of air. It didn't do this when we shut it off after watering tonight, it must have started while I was in the house watching TV. It works just fine and has full pressure. I don't recall it ever freezing, and if it's even close to freezing temps, the hose is always disconnected.

Any ideas what this is??? We weren't thinking when dummy me decided on it's placement, and digging it up will require concrete busting. Sigh...

jwal10 · #2 02/13/13, 08:07 PM

Did it have a hose on it? When you turn the water off it drains through a hole at the bottom of the hydrant, with a hose attached it could drain the hose too if the end is open (no closed nozzle on it) it could take a while to drain....James

shakeytails in KY · #3 02/13/13, 08:29 PM

No hose connected. We always disconnect as soon as we're done watering if there's even a slight chance of a freeze.

I just went looking for the water meter to see if there's any water being used right now (there shouldn't be!), but I couldn't find it in the overgrown grass with my flashlight in the dark.

motdaugrnds · #4 02/13/13, 09:24 PM

When our outside lines showed signs of air, we discovered "leaks".

First was at bottom of our freeze-proof hydrant. To correct this, we had to dig down to the bottom of that hydrant, repair the leak & then rock/trench it better (2+ ft deep).

Second was found by water puddling in back yard during dry spell. Digging down where that line was (over 2 ft deep) showed a tiny hole water was coming out of. Repair of that stopped the puddle, letting it dry up. (This had literally caused problems with the water pressure "switch", which had to be replaced.)

Now, I'm hearing gurling/air in the house and am wondering if our water pressure "tank" (bladder type) has a hole in it. Have no idea how to check this and am concerned it will be expensive to fix. [I keep hoping, though this is all it is and not the level of water in the well. This well is only 79 ft deep and has served house/barn/garden/orchard/vineyard/animals well daily since 1995. It is spring fed; so I doubt the water level is too low; however, when the repair man came out to fix the "switch", he didn't check anything else.]

What I'm saying is: check the level of your well water and your pressure tank/switch too.

In re-reading your initial post, I am wondering if your lines have ice in them that water has to flush out at times.

shakeytails in KY · #5 02/13/13, 10:41 PM

Figured it out. Unfortunately, we got a leak. What I thought was air is water. Finally found the water meter, and it was spinning with no water running. Just what we want to do- walk several hundred feet to turn on water in the AM, then turn it off when finished. I'm guessing it's a smallish crack near where the hydrant ties into the water line. DH has to work tomorrow, and while I'd be happy to dig, I don't think I can figure out how to get the concrete out of there first- and when we poured the concrete, I remember we put some mighty heavy reinforcement wire in that stuff! Definitely doesn't sound like fun.

motdaugrnds · #6 02/14/13, 08:23 AM

I sure wouldn't want to be in your shoes right now. When I had to dig our hydrant out, I felt real fortunate that we had not buried it in concrete! (We used a total of about 4 ft of #57 rock instead, stabilizing the hydrant with large rock at bottom, mid-way up and near top.)

"SPIKE" · #7 02/14/13, 08:50 AM

I hate plumbing problems, especially in the winter!

Sorry to hear about having to deal with concrete, that just makes it more of a job.
If the concrete is for a nice finished look in that area, then I understand using it. If it is for stablizing the no-freeze hydrant, then let me offer this suggestion.
When installing the plumbing pipe onto the hydrant, start with a galvanized elbow and at least a 6" galvonized nipple before connecting it to pvc pipe, if you are using pvc. I also drive a metal fence "T" post in next to it and use hose clamps in atleast 3 places to hold the hydrant steady.
Around here they start rusting and have to be replaced at about 8 years.

SPIKE

shakeytails in KY · #8 02/14/13, 09:05 AM

The concrete is in the wash rack inside the barn, so it's not just for stabilizing the hydrant. The mistake was when it got knocked and sprung the pipe clamp attaching it to the wall, we didn't fix it right away, so there was play in the pipe. We do use the t-post/and or wood fence post method on the outside hydrants, and always use galvanized elbows. I'm thinking about replacing the hydrant while we're at it. It's ten years old, but it's not top-of-the line. I'll be checking out the plumbing places today for a Woodford.