“Freeze proof” faucet freeze protection

[Ouachita]

I've some exterior water hydrants for when my kids, friends, customers and family bring their Rv camper to visit. We all know if the faucet is off and hose disconnected, it should not freeze.

We all also know some peoples kids are fruitloops, so I'm curious about the best way to "freeze proof", in the case where some nit-whit forgets to do what they're sposed to do.

I do have electricity real close, but imagining a heat tape being not much good with zero degrees and a north wind.

Thought about a couple traffic cones over the top and fill them with expando- foam. My wife doesn't like that idea, though I think she'll love it after she has to fix the first ice breach.

 

[4hfarms]

Get a well pump cover. It can be found in "rock/boulder" look alike.
Or the old square galvanized cover. Maybe a deck box?

 

[Ouachita]

Wife would probably like the boulder look better than the traffic cone look.
I'm going to tell her if she stops wearing the old lady panties, and starts wearing those shoestring models, or nothing at all, then we can talk.

Thanks for the tip.

 

[tcolvin]

I've some exterior water hydrants for when my kids, friends, customers and family bring their Rv camper to visit. We all know if the faucet is off and hose disconnected, it should not freeze.

We all also know some peoples kids are fruitloops, so I'm curious about the best way to "freeze proof", in the case where some nit-whit forgets to do what they're sposed to do.

I do have electricity real close, but imagining a heat tape being not much good with zero degrees and a north wind.

Thought about a couple traffic cones over the top and fill them with expando- foam. My wife doesn't like that idea, though I think she'll love it after she has to fix the first ice breach.
View attachment 37784

Get you the faucet head and check valve built together, I think Ace Hardware can get them. You turn the water on and check valve closes and it works like a faucet , turn it off and check valve opens letting water drain out leaving nothing but an empty pipe and spicot above ground. I have thought about getting 2-3 for my cattle corral but haven't yet.

 

[tcolvin]

Get you the faucet head and check valve built together, I think Ace Hardware can get them. You turn the water on and check valve closes and it works like a faucet , turn it off and check valve opens letting water drain out leaving nothing but an empty pipe and spicot above ground. I have thought about getting 2-3 for my cattle corral but haven't yet.

 

[Ouachita]

Get you the faucet head and check valve built together, I think Ace Hardware can get them. You turn the water on and check valve closes and it works like a faucet , turn it off and check valve opens letting water drain out leaving nothing but an empty pipe and spicot above ground. I have thought about getting 2-3 for my cattle corral but haven't yet.

Thank you for the suggestion, but these faucets already do that, except when they are in use.
These are not for intelligent cattle. These are for stupid humans with a hose and a desire to avoid going outside to unhook it when the weather is cold

 

[tcolvin]

View attachment 37786

Ok. I get it now. You just need a bag of "common sense" to hand out when needed. Lol

 

[wbvs58]

They must have a few screws loose anyhow wanting to camp in your winters.

Ken

 

[Ouachita]

They must have a few screws loose anyhow wanting to camp in your winters.

Ken

Anyone that wants to stay anywhere on my place has more than a screw loose. I'd hazard a guess that they are wormy, malnourished, and very homely folks.
If I can get them into the chute, I'll fix them.

 

[Silver]

Heat trace wrapped with bubble wrap insulation will take you to -40.

Edit: if you don't like the look of the bubble wrap they make a styrofoam insulation like a pool noodle that will cover the heat trace and does a good job.

 

[4hfarms]

Use treats, most humans react kindly to treats.

 

[sstterry]

If you are just worried about the occasional freezing problem, check out the Freeze Miser.

https://www.freezemiser.com/

 

[Mountaintown Creek Ranch]

If you are just worried about the occasional freezing problem, check out the Freeze Miser.

https://www.freezemiser.com/

I have a whole bunch of these and never had a problem they work great they start dripping at just above freezing. Only issue is you will get a big amount of ice from all of the drips that freezes. We put old protein tubs underneath them.

 

[TexasRancher]

I've some exterior water hydrants for when my kids, friends, customers and family bring their Rv camper to visit. We all know if the faucet is off and hose disconnected, it should not freeze.

We all also know some peoples kids are fruitloops, so I'm curious about the best way to "freeze proof", in the case where some nit-whit forgets to do what they're sposed to do.

I do have electricity real close, but imagining a heat tape being not much good with zero degrees and a north wind.

Thought about a couple traffic cones over the top and fill them with expando- foam. My wife doesn't like that idea, though I think she'll love it after she has to fix the first ice breach.
View attachment 37784

Got to love the useful convenient height of those water lines...nice. If it were mine in cold climates... I would only have them sticking out 6" from the ground. In any event, either way, tall or small....I'd just build a quick framed..light-weight enclosure box with trap hinged door on top- for access to hose connections. and insulate the inside (w/foam-reflective aluminum)...then add a small enclosure electric thermo-stat heater @ base (heat rises) 100 to 150 watts...turns on below 32 degrees. One small hole for power-cordage caulked. Slip that heater-box with access door over the pipes. You have convenient 120vac power 3 feet away. In spring time you just remove the box altogether and store it for next winter.

 

[SBMF 2015]

Any new hydrant we put in has a 4 inch pvc pipe around it that goes in the ground as well. Take an end cap drill a hole in the center large enough for the water pipe then cut it in two pieces so you can cap the top . Hold the cap on with a hose clamp. The heat you get from the ground helps until it gets super cold.

 

[1982vett]

Wife would probably like the boulder look better than the traffic cone look.
I'm going to tell her if she stops wearing the old lady panties, and starts wearing those shoestring models, or nothing at all, then we can talk.

Thanks for the tip.

On the order of the boulder...I have an old 100 gal. Rubbermaid trough covering my wellhead and another covering my cutoff valves to various waterlines. I put a heat lamp on the wellhead and just let the ground heat/daytime sun take care of the cut offs. However I am a few hundred miles south of you.

I run a 1500w space heater in a 32 square foot insulated room for the pressure tank.

 

[rnh2]

If you are just worried about the occasional freezing problem, check out the Freeze Miser.

https://www.freezemiser.com/

I've used them. Work great in Arkansas