Tulsa Plumbing Provides Frost Proof Hydrants
Tulsa plumbing customers commonly ask the question about frozen hydrants “what can we do to keep our hydrants from freezing? ” it takes a long time especially for pressurized water to freeze at or near 32 degrees. what you are worried about is the Wind. Wind compounds the cold even if it’s only 32 degrees it’s going to make it a lot colder.
Some precautions we advise our Tulsa plumbing customers to help prevent frozen hydrants is to cover the exterior parts of the hydrant. Either with a foam cap available at the local hardware store or some towels anything to block the wind Do not leave hydrant running. And do not leave a hose or any device connected to the hydrant
In an attempt to protect Tulsa plumbing customers. Most hydrant manufacturers have designed hydrants to be about 12 inches long. so you don’t actually shut the water off at the handle when you turn your hydrant off. it actually turns off the water about 12 inches back in the wall. This design allows the water to be further from the cold air back towards more of the heat in the homes of our Tulsa plumbing customers.
So to replace a hydrant you would actually usually cut a hole inside the house on the wall where the hydrant is located and unscrew it from there. the reason you do it this way is because usually the pipe in the wall is not strong enough to handle the force needed to remove the hydrant
There’s a myth that you’re supposed to leave your faucets dripping. This was a common practice when hydrants did not have the frost proof design. Moving water is harder to freeze Also most water piping was made of a galvanized metal pipe. This metal pipe was tough enough to handle most freezing temperatures Even though water is dripping from the hydrant and moving. I have experienced that the water freezes anyway and is not a recommended precaution for our Tulsa plumbing customers
Some hydrants do not connect in the wall some connections are under kitchen sinks and or lavatories. Opening cabinet doors during cold days and or leaving a light on near the water piping can help tremendously