I’m heading out to dig up my “Merrill Manufacturing” water hydrant that i just discovered has a long split in its pipe above ground. Apparently something 6′ underground didn’t seal properly last October, the last time i used it. I installed the hydrant 6 years ago, but it’s been in use only spring-fall the last 3 years. Since my neighbors had the same job last summer after only a few years’ use on theirs, i’m wondering if there is maintenance i missed, if there are better hydrants that last longer, or if this is to be expected. The hydrant is installed on the water line about two feet from the casing, not inside the casing, if that matters.
If there are better designs, types, or brands of hydrants, i’d like to know, so that the very next owner of this property won’t ever have to think about it. Thanks for any guidance.
At least it’s not snowing…. =)
Colleen
Replies
IF you have what I have in my yard, there is a valve at the base of the vertical pipe.
There should be a drain hole [1/8 th in pipe on mine] that needs to be set in gravel so that the water in the vertical pipe can drain out when the main valve is closed.
I'm not a plumber, but your problem sounds just like what I encountered when replacing an old yard hydrant at my place.
My guess would be the same as Chuck's - There isn't a way for water to drain away from the base of the unit.
We always use pea gravel. But anything will work as long as it gets the water away from the drain hole.
I installed the old hydrant myself, so it's installed correctly. I bought hardware available locally, but i'm willing to search out better quality if such exists. I think the problem was not sealing tightly when shut off. Hole is now dug and i'm off to civilization to reconnoiter my options. Thanks for playing!CDM
Well, ya never can tell how you liberals are gonna install stuff.(-:It's been a while since I worked on one of those things, but I think you can adjust the vertical rod to make sure it seats properly.
Seatbelts are a great safety device. If you sit on the buckle, it keeps you from falling asleep at the wheel
I saved the instructions on the new hydrant for adjusting that rod. I noticed last fall it was dribbling a bit on shut-off. Conservative woman would have thrown her fake-fingernailed hands in the air and left a message on some cowboy's machine to call her back. When he finally got off his barstool and returned her call, he would have suggested she come over to his place to take a shower that night, then showed up three weeks later with his backhoe, a D-8, two swampers, ripped the 220V cable to smithereens, made four trips back to town to get the right fittings and splice kits, run over her pussycat Floyd, and left his empty Dinty Moore beef stew cup in her flowerbox. Total cost: $1040. Liberated liberal just gets it done in four hours, then takes the rest of the day to read Camus. Priceless. <G>Edit: the new hydrant, branded "Simmons", seemed considerably heavier than the one i removed - hope this means it's made better.
Edited 3/20/2006 6:30 pm ET by splintergroupie
Yowza, you sound like my kinda gal.
"A job well done is its own reward. Now would you prefer to make the final payment by cash, check or Master Card?"
"...he would have suggested she come over to his place to take a shower that night, then showed up three weeks later with his backhoe, a D-8, two swampers, ripped the 220V cable to smithereens, made four trips back to town to get the right fittings and splice kits, run over her pussycat Floyd, and left his empty Dinty Moore beef stew cup in her flowerbox. Total cost: $1040."
So what's your point ???
(-:
How do they get deer to cross at those yellow road signs?
Edit: the new hydrant, branded "Simmons", seemed considerably heavier than the one i removed - hope this means it's made better.
Same brand I just installed. Fit and finish were considerably superior to the one it replaced (no name). I threaded a short length of copper tubing into the drain, pointed it down into washed stone, and am hoping for the best.
Boss really gets your creative juices flowing, doesn't he? That was good.PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
I checked out a plumbing wholesaler i've used before. There are two other brands that were supposed to be even better. "Woodford" was TOTL and "Prior" the next best before the "Simmons", which was a mid-range kind of beast. I settled for the Simmons to save driving over two hours to buy the best one.That drain fitting was the same size as an unused tip from the propane torch kit i bought years ago to solder copper. It's been sitting in a plastic bin for 20 years, just now finding its highest calling. I also wrapped a Scotch-bright pad around it for extra filtering before i backfilled with 100% sand.Thinking about Boss Hog getting my juices going...my fingertips are blushing!
Edited 3/20/2006 9:50 pm ET by splintergroupie
"Thinking about Boss Hog getting my juices going...my fingertips are blushing!"
Is that all you women EVER think about ???
(-:
Men who treat women as helpless and charming playthings deserve women who treat men as delightful and generous bank accounts.
I'm really a gay man trapped in a woman's body, so you'll need to ask someone else.
Now you've gone and ruined the visual image I had of you.....
Has anyone ever actually seen someone's butt in a sling?
LOL good one
& her reply was equally good
I just hope she isn't one of those aw natural ones that don't shave or wear pit stick."There are about 550000000 firearms in worldwide circulation. That's one firearm for every twelve people on the planet. The only question is...........How do we arm the other eleven?" Yuri Orlov<!----><!----><!---->
this gonna be good...........Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Simmons is a good brand
But make sure yer hose is disconnected in the winter cause it prevents it from draining correctly.
& if you leave it on with the hose attatched well that makes up about 96% of frostfree hose bibb failures.
edit------ ¯©Â½â€°â€¡
"There are about 550000000 firearms in worldwide circulation. That's one firearm for every twelve people on the planet. The only question is...........How do we arm the other eleven?" Yuri Orlov
Edited 3/20/2006 11:56 pm ET by plumbbill
<<But make sure yer hose is connected in the winter>>I believe yer meant to say DIS-connected, did yer not?Speaking of dissing, what exactly is it that you like to see shaved? I may fit the [plumb]bill or i may.
Woops----- yeah DISconnected
What I want to see shaved---------- Last time I answered that question------ um huh well lets just it wasn't politicoly correct. :-þ
"There are about 550000000 firearms in worldwide circulation. That's one firearm for every twelve people on the planet. The only question is...........How do we arm the other eleven?" Yuri Orlov<!----><!----><!---->
Speaking of politically incorrect, i saw this and thought of you....
I agree with that pic
"There are about 550000000 firearms in worldwide circulation. That's one firearm for every twelve people on the planet. The only question is...........How do we arm the other eleven?" Yuri Orlov<!----><!----><!---->
& hey thanks for the correction
I would hate to see that type of DISinfo up there for too long"There are about 550000000 firearms in worldwide circulation. That's one firearm for every twelve people on the planet. The only question is...........How do we arm the other eleven?" Yuri Orlov<!----><!----><!---->
Ross gets a hold of me....
the complaint is that the bath sink flow is anemic.....
scalding hot to the can.....
cool only at the shower...
anemic flow there too...
scalding hot both sides at the kitchen sink....
G80104 and I did the ruff in for this job... you know how the 2 of us reacted to this complaint....
G8 and I lite over there... (174 miles up the road) and find...
the HO trimmed out...
water heater set at 160*F... I guess scalding....
open the shut offs all the way on the lav sink and clean the screen...
cold to the can..... never any hot... this is a tuff one to reason why he called it that way.....
cartridge in the shower faucet up side down...
We left 3 stubs under the kit sink... 2 hot... 1 cold.. can we figure out what happened here...
so why get upset with me?????
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Edited 3/21/2006 7:07 pm by IMERC