Frozen Yard Hydrant: Things You Should Know

Having a frozen yard hydrant can be a massive problem during the wintertime. Not having access to water for livestock in freezing temperatures can be deadly. Keeping your yard hydrant up and running during the wintertime can be vital. 

In this article, we will cover what causes a yard hydrant to freeze, how you can get your hydrant working again, and a kit that can make sure your hydrant will be fine, even if it does freeze!

Causes of a Frozen Yard Hydrant

Forgetting to remove a garden hose from the hydrant is one of the biggest causes of frozen yard hydrants in winter. Removing it after using it and rolling it out seems so simple. But it’s just as easy to forget. Then all of a sudden you have a big problem from such a seemingly small mistake.

The reason hydrants freeze with a garden hose still attached to them is because of the distance on the hose. The drain-back is only strong enough to pull the water in the hydrant standpipe down. It doesn’t have the power to pull the extra distance and weight, which causes water to sit above the freezing point. This can lead to cracks and breaks when temperatures dip below freezing. 

Another common way a yard hydrant can freeze in the winter is leaking. Having your yard hydrant winterized is the only way to prevent breaking. A small leak anywhere on the hydrant can cause big problems during freezing temperatures.

If you know your hydrant has a leak or drip, you should shut the valve off to that hydrant before temperatures get below freezing. That will be the only way to properly winterize your yard hydrant without replacing the entire hydrant. 

How to Fix a Frozen Yard Hydrant

For a regular yard hydrant that is frozen, fixing the problem can be extremely tricky and risky. While heating up a yard hydrant with a torch, or pouring boiling water on the hydrant seem like a good ideas on the surface, they can lead to even bigger problems. Not only is this fix most often temporary, it can also lead to your hydrant being broken permanently.

There is only one way to be sure that your hydrant won’t freeze long-term. It’s a HAK.

Hydrant Assist Kit

A Hydrant Assist Kit (HAK) is a frost-free water hydrant encasement system. Once installed, it allows a hydrant to be repaired or replaced from the surface—no need for digging or excavating. A HAK protects your hydrant from corrosion by keeping dirt away from the hydrants standpipe.