For people who have below grade vaults for your water meter or backflow assemblies, you can make them (almost) freeze proof by:
Dig out the extra dirt at least a foot below the meter/assembly
Fill to the bottom of meter/assembly with CEDAR (not pine) chips.
The Cedar keeps out the bugs, and therefore the moles that fill up your vault with dirt.
The heat generated by decomposing cedar chips will keep your vault toasty, assuming you have a tight lid on the vault.
Happy Freezing Weather, Y'all (BTW, I'm a water professional, and this is good info, not something I read on the 'net)
OT: Protect Your Water Meter & BackFlow Assemblies
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OT: Protect Your Water Meter & BackFlow Assemblies
The Rotten Fruit Always Hits The Ground First
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- AJMD429
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Re: OT: Protect Your Water Meter & BackFlow Assemblies
That got me thinking (...always somewhat dangerous, in itself...).
We have one yard-hydrant that we just replaced due to a slow leak filling the riser with water and it kept freezing. Unfortunately, the buried line going to it had to rise over an electric (in plastic conduit) line, and to go under it would require a backhoe and pickaxe, due to the brick-scraps-in-clay terrain, so the water line is maybe 20" deep in waterlogged clay soil. I'm afraid it may still freeze, even if the valve is now operating properly, and I put four, five-gallon buckets of coarse gravel below the bleed pipe, covered in woven-plastic feedbags to keep soil out, to facilitate keeping the riser empty.
I thought about putting a 55-gallon plastic drum around it, and filling it with something, but didn't know if it would help. I suppose any 'heat' would have to come from the ground, so maybe if I cut the bottom out of the drum and mounded up soil in a cone around the pipe, then filled the rest with styrofoam or something insulating, that could keep the pipe a bit warmer than the air temperature, or is there a better way...? I honestly don't know our "frost depth" here just south of Indianapolis, but I measured pond ice almost 14" thick one year.
We have one yard-hydrant that we just replaced due to a slow leak filling the riser with water and it kept freezing. Unfortunately, the buried line going to it had to rise over an electric (in plastic conduit) line, and to go under it would require a backhoe and pickaxe, due to the brick-scraps-in-clay terrain, so the water line is maybe 20" deep in waterlogged clay soil. I'm afraid it may still freeze, even if the valve is now operating properly, and I put four, five-gallon buckets of coarse gravel below the bleed pipe, covered in woven-plastic feedbags to keep soil out, to facilitate keeping the riser empty.
I thought about putting a 55-gallon plastic drum around it, and filling it with something, but didn't know if it would help. I suppose any 'heat' would have to come from the ground, so maybe if I cut the bottom out of the drum and mounded up soil in a cone around the pipe, then filled the rest with styrofoam or something insulating, that could keep the pipe a bit warmer than the air temperature, or is there a better way...? I honestly don't know our "frost depth" here just south of Indianapolis, but I measured pond ice almost 14" thick one year.
Doctors for Sensible Gun Laws
"first do no harm" - gun control LAWS lead to far more deaths than 'easy access' ever could.
Want REAL change? . . . . . "Boortz/Nugent in 2012 . . . ! "
"first do no harm" - gun control LAWS lead to far more deaths than 'easy access' ever could.
Want REAL change? . . . . . "Boortz/Nugent in 2012 . . . ! "
Re: OT: Protect Your Water Meter & BackFlow Assemblies
I put a large terra cotta planter with a hole cut in the bottom filled with dirt on my two yard hydrants. Wood chips with dirt on top to seal it will generate heat from the decaying chips.AJMD429 wrote:That got me thinking (...always somewhat dangerous, in itself...).
We have one yard-hydrant that we just replaced due to a slow leak filling the riser with water and it kept freezing. Unfortunately, the buried line going to it had to rise over an electric (in plastic conduit) line, and to go under it would require a backhoe and pickaxe, due to the brick-scraps-in-clay terrain, so the water line is maybe 20" deep in waterlogged clay soil. I'm afraid it may still freeze, even if the valve is now operating properly, and I put four, five-gallon buckets of coarse gravel below the bleed pipe, covered in woven-plastic feedbags to keep soil out, to facilitate keeping the riser empty.
I thought about putting a 55-gallon plastic drum around it, and filling it with something, but didn't know if it would help. I suppose any 'heat' would have to come from the ground, so maybe if I cut the bottom out of the drum and mounded up soil in a cone around the pipe, then filled the rest with styrofoam or something insulating, that could keep the pipe a bit warmer than the air temperature, or is there a better way...? I honestly don't know our "frost depth" here just south of Indianapolis, but I measured pond ice almost 14" thick one year.
The Rotten Fruit Always Hits The Ground First
Proud Life Member Of:
NRA
Second Amendment Foundation
Citizens Committee For The Right To Keep And Bear Arms
DAV
Proud Life Member Of:
NRA
Second Amendment Foundation
Citizens Committee For The Right To Keep And Bear Arms
DAV
- AJMD429
- Posting leader...
- Posts: 32245
- Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2007 10:03 am
- Location: Hoosierland
- Contact:
Re: OT: Protect Your Water Meter & BackFlow Assemblies
Maybe we'll just move one of the compost (just weeds, etc; 'kitchen' stuff goes to chickens) piles, come to think of it...
Thanks.
Thanks.
Doctors for Sensible Gun Laws
"first do no harm" - gun control LAWS lead to far more deaths than 'easy access' ever could.
Want REAL change? . . . . . "Boortz/Nugent in 2012 . . . ! "
"first do no harm" - gun control LAWS lead to far more deaths than 'easy access' ever could.
Want REAL change? . . . . . "Boortz/Nugent in 2012 . . . ! "
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- Levergunner 3.0
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Re: OT: Protect Your Water Meter & BackFlow Assemblies
Huh.....I learn something new everytime I log on here!
Thanks, Tom
Thanks, Tom
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I Am An American! Fighting for our Country and our way of life.
Fourth Generation Veteran and Proud !!
Re: OT: Protect Your Water Meter & BackFlow Assemblies
Yup, if it decomposes, it gets warmAJMD429 wrote:Maybe we'll just move one of the compost (just weeds, etc; 'kitchen' stuff goes to chickens) piles, come to think of it...
Thanks.
Hey: They opened Bach's crypt and he was there with an eraser and a big pile of music, erasing the notes. Decomposing
The Rotten Fruit Always Hits The Ground First
Proud Life Member Of:
NRA
Second Amendment Foundation
Citizens Committee For The Right To Keep And Bear Arms
DAV
Proud Life Member Of:
NRA
Second Amendment Foundation
Citizens Committee For The Right To Keep And Bear Arms
DAV
Re: OT: Protect Your Water Meter & BackFlow Assemblies
Sheesh, all you have to worry about is freezing and moles? Down here they were just hooking a chain from a car to the meters or backflow preventers and driving off. Cops finally started coming down on the recycle outfits, and it's slowed down, but still happens.BlaineG wrote:For people who have below grade vaults for your water meter or backflow assemblies, you can make them (almost) freeze proof by:
Dig out the extra dirt at least a foot below the meter/assembly
Fill to the bottom of meter/assembly with CEDAR (not pine) chips.
The Cedar keeps out the bugs, and therefore the moles that fill up your vault with dirt.
The heat generated by decomposing cedar chips will keep your vault toasty, assuming you have a tight lid on the vault.
Happy Freezing Weather, Y'all (BTW, I'm a water professional, and this is good info, not something I read on the 'net)
Jeepnik AKA "Old Eyes"
"Go low, go slow and preferably in the dark" The old Sarge (he was maybe 24.
"Freedom is never more that a generation from extinction" Ronald Reagan
"Every man should have at least one good rifle and know how to use it" Dad
"Go low, go slow and preferably in the dark" The old Sarge (he was maybe 24.
"Freedom is never more that a generation from extinction" Ronald Reagan
"Every man should have at least one good rifle and know how to use it" Dad