Help With Exterior Hydrant Leak

[badlander]

We got up this morning to find water pooling around the water hydrant that we have near our barn. Not good considering it's 101 degrees outside at the moment and everything else is bone dry and a delightful shade of brown. We dug down, thankfully the ground was wet, and discovered water pouring from the outflow port. So we turned off the water pulled the guts out of it and discovered a split washer. THEN we discovered thst the parts we needed to repair the unit were all marked obsolete on line. No we aren't to blame...they came with the homestead.

A trip to town didn't help. We finally drove to the nearest big city and was able to MacGyver a washer into working but now we are leary about using the hydrant and have another one just like it on our back porch set in concrete. ...much to our dismay.

Anyone have any experience with Ritchie frost free hydrant repair and/or know where we can get replacement parts? Ultimately we may face replacement. But it is not high on our priority list right now and we can avoid using the obsolete hydrants.

THANKS!

[TnAndy]

Most of the newer ones are made in China and you can't get a replacement part the next day if you needed one.

[Darren]

Someone on ebay is selling some of the other Ritchie parts. I'd contact them and ask if they had any others. The parts are out there on someone's shelf. I've never heard of that brand. The ones sold around here were either Campbell or Simmons. I'd call some of the old-time hardware stores in your region.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ritchie-Yard...item3ef9b18903

[badlander]

Originally Posted by TnAndy

Most of the newer ones are made in China and you can't get a replacement part the next day if you needed one.

Is there a web site or contact? I'm coming up with almost no leads.


the ebay item is the right color. I'm thinking these are probably out of production models and have been here for at least 8 years. Probably hand me downs or bought by the previous Amish owner at an auction.

We would like to find a source for the rubber guts should we have future problems.

[Darren]

All you need to do is get into the supply chain. You do that by calling a supplier. telling them what you're trying to do, ask for the names of the independent hardware stores they deal with. Then call the stores.

As an example of using the supply chain, I was trying to find people who needed 24" tube type truck tires. Those are mounted on three piece rims. Not too many trucking companies run them except for some special operations. The lock rings are still being made. All I did was call the local branch of a truck parts chain that carried the rings, explain what I was trying to do and they gave me the names and numbers of all of their customers that were still running trucks with three piece rims.

All you need to do is call hardware wholesalers, tell them what you're looking for and ask for the names of the independent hardware stores that have been around a long time. With enough phone work, you'll find your parts.

All of us are familiar with the hardware store that seems to be something out of another time, packed to the rafters with stuff everywhere. You need to talk to them.

Here's a wholesaler to start with.

https://www.orgill.com/default.aspx?&check=1