Are you looking to winterize your yard hydrant? Winter is coming, and with it comes the risk of frozen yard hydrants, meaning no water in the most extreme weather conditions. Most yard hydrants don’t need to be winterized, even though yard hydrant winterization seems like a good precaution. All modern yard hydrants are frost or freeze-proof hydrants.
Meaning they are built with drain backs that allow the hydrant to pull water back down below the freezing point once they are shut off. But that doesn’t mean they always work how you want them to. There are several ways your hydrant can freeze during the colder months.
While you don’t need to winterize your yard hydrant fully, you do need to prepare for winter. In this article, we will go over how to avoid a frozen yard hydrant and how to get ready for winter.
Removing the Garden Hose
Forgetting to remove your 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.
Leak in Hydrant
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.
Never Worry About a Frozen Hydrant
Installing a Hydrant Assist Kit can prevent your yard hydrant from freezing. You don’t have to worry about it during the winter months.
A Hydrant Assist Kit (HAK) is a frost-free hydrant encasement system, which, once installed, allows a hydrant to be repaired or replaced from the surface—no need for digging or excavating. The HAK works with any waterline type or size and at any depth!
If your hydrant freezes with a HAK, you can pour boiling water down the encasement and unthaw the hydrant. You can then remove the hydrant and thaw it in a warm location like a shed or house. Even if you forget to remove the garden hose in freezing temps, a HAK can save your hydrant.
