Lets talk yard hydrants

[DStyduhar]

Hi all,

I plan to add some yard hydrants in my backyard. I'm on a well and have 1" poly between well and house. I plan to run hydrant legs on poly also. This is my first time dealing with hydrants and have q's...

1. When running the legs for each hydrant, can I simply tee off the main line between the well/house? Not sure how else a guy would do it but figured I would ask anyway

2. I read where folks recommend installing a shutoff for each hydrant leg.

a. Should these shutoff valve be located right at each tee or partway down the leg?

b. My water line is between 24-30" deep, what is a smart way to access these shutoff valves? I don't recall seeing valve boxes this deep.

3. Recommendation on hydrant brand?

Thanks for any advice! Very much appreciate hearing about lessons learned.

Drew

 

[WorthFlorida]

1) Yes tee off the main. Usually the main would be a larger pipe, say 1” and tee to 3/4” or 1/2”.

2) Shut offs allow to turn off legs or zones for maintenance and not impact the rest of the system. Where you place them is entirely up to you. You would want one on main feeding the yard but anymore are really not needed. Remember, it is only the great outdoors, not your home.

3) Do you have a frost line in NC? It must be just low the line. No boxes are made that deep. One reason only need one shut off at the well for the yard. It also allows you the drain the system for winter if you have too.

4) If these are to be standard hose spigots at about a foot or so above ground, the important part is support to anchor the spigots. Any brand will do. I like brass type over plastic.

5) If you must winterize whereby you need to drain the pipes there are a few things. Somewhere near the main at the well, fashion something to pump compressed air into the pipe to blow out the system. May only need to be a ball valve teed off after the shut off valve. If you have a slope to the yard, at the lowest point install a tee with a ball valve and extend the pipe pass the slope so it comes out of the ground (a hillside). Turning off the main shut off and opening the ball valve at the lowest point, the system will self drain.