Keeping water hydrant thawed?

Alexz7272

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I was curious about what others do to keep their hydrants thawed during the winter? Would pipe insulation help, or not? I can just get water from the house and walk it out but would be nice if I could use it part of the time. THANK YOU!
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norseofcourse

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If your hydrant is freezing, it's not draining properly when shut off. Is the little gizmo on it keeping it from draining?

When shut off, it should let air into the hydrant and pipe, to allow the water to drain down below the frost line, into a gravel area. Then when you turn it back on, it takes a second or two for water to get back up to the outlet again.

Yikes on your snow on the ground! Was that taken today? Today we have snow in the air for the first time this winter, but it's not sticking yet.
 

Bruce

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Right, if it is freezing, something is not working right or the water pipe is not deep enough in the ground.
 

Latestarter

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Right! Exactly what the others said! It shouldn't freeze even sub zero. You want to make sure you run enough water through it though to warm up the pipe before you shut it off. Once the pipe is up to water temp, when you shut it off the water in the pipe will have time to completely drain before the pipe is back cold enough to freeze it. Then the sun on the pipe during the day should be sufficient to melt any skim ice on the inside of the pipe.

So sorry I missed the snow storm (NOT!). We're supposed to hit 31-32 tonight, so it's getting chilly outside. I didn't let that deter from using the jacuzzi though ;)
 

greybeard

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If your hydrant is freezing, it's not draining properly when shut off. Is the little gizmo on it keeping it from draining?

When shut off, it should let air into the hydrant and pipe, to allow the water to drain down below the frost line, into a gravel area. Then when you turn it back on, it takes a second or two for water to get back up to the outlet again.

Yikes on your snow on the ground! Was that taken today? Today we have snow in the air for the first time this winter, but it's not sticking yet.

The "little gizmo" looks to be just a camlock quick connection--completely hollow inside except a rubber washer around the periphery of the id. None I have ever seen have any kind of check valve.
 

lcertuche

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I realized this a.m. when I noticed my chickens water was froze that I need to cover our outdoor hydrants. Ours are the kind that do freeze and I don't need any broke or cracked pipes.
 
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