FAQ

Q: Where can I purchase a Yard Hydrant Made Easy™ (YHME)?

A: YHME’s may be purchased from our online store or from a distributor.

Q: Will the initial cost of the YHME pay off in the long run?

A: Absolutely! The YHME can literally save thousands of dollars over its lifetime. One thing is certain: your hydrant will eventually need to be replaced. Replacing a yard hydrant can be very costly, especially if hiring it out. And for the DIY’er, it can become a project riddled with problems. If your hydrant is encased in concrete, the problems and expense only multiply.

Once installed, the YHME will eliminate problems that are commonly associated with replacing a yard hydrant by allowing a simple slide-out/slide-in replacement. You only need to pull out the old hydrant, unscrew the removable portion of the pitless adapter, screw it onto the new hydrant, and slide in the new hydrant, being sure to line it up properly on the fixed portion of the pitless adapter.

Q: How can I get a better understanding of how the YHME is installed?

A: Start by watching our videos. They are a great way to learn how our products are installed and the many benefits they provide. For more information, you can always give us a call at 618-740-0074.

Q: Will I have to thread the hydrant onto a pipe located at the bottom of the YHME casing?

A: No. One of the key features of our patented design is that the hydrant is easily removed/replaced by sliding the hydrant in/out. This is the beauty of the pitless adapter, a technology that has been used for decades in water wells. The hydrant does thread onto the removable portion of the pitless adapter, but this is done comfortably outside the casing. Once this removable piece is threaded onto the hydrant, it is slid back into place at the bottom of the casing, forming a water-tight seal.

Q: Won’t water pressure push the hydrant upward and off the pitless adapter?

A: No. A pressurized fluid exerts its pressure in all directions, not just upward. This means that the upward force on the hydrant is balanced by a downward force on the removable portion of the pitless adapter. The hydrant is screwed securely to this part of the pitless adapter, balancing all vertical forces due to water pressure. The lateral force acting on the pitless adapter is balanced by the tongue-and-groove mating of the two halves. The maximum operating water pressure should not exceed 100 psig.

Q: The YHME sleeve forms an air space around the hydrant pipe; won’t this allow the water line to freeze?

A: No. As long as the weep hole of the hydrant is below the frost line and the top cap is on the YHME, your water line will not freeze. Bear in mind that with the top cap installed, the air inside the YHME sleeve is not circulating. The ambient temperature of the soil below the frost line will prevent freezing. Just remember that the pitless adapter and (optional) backflow preventer add 4-10 inches to the hydrant elevation. So factor that in when setting the elevation of your water line.

Customers have been installing YHME’s all over the US, as for north as Alaska, since 2010, and we have never heard of a freezing issue. But if you are really concerned about extended cold temperatures or if you don’t think you have your unit buried deep enough, you can always pack some insulation into the YHME sleeve. Just make sure it will not come apart and allow debris to get into the pitless adapter the next time you pull out your hydrant.

Q: Do I need to install a fence post next to my frost-free yard hydrant?

A: We get asked this fairly often, as many people like to strap their yard hydrant to a fence post for added stability. If you install your hydrant in a Yard Hydrant Made Easy™, this is unnecessary. Whereas a hydrant strapped to a metal fence post has a combined width of 2.7”, the Yard Hydrant Made Easy™ casing is 4.5” wide, giving it 67% more stability than the hydrant-post combination. So no, you do not need to add a post for extra stability, unless you have an unusually shallow bury depth, an abnormally tall hydrant, or an increased risk of lateral forces acting on the hydrant (such as from animals or from regularly pulling hard on a hose attached to the hydrant).

Q: Can you pour concrete around the Yard Hydrant Made Easy™?

A: Yes, you can! A lot of our customers use the YHME in concrete barn or garage floors or outdoor paved areas. This is actually the most beneficial situation for the YHME because of the headache and expense of tearing out and repouring concrete whenever the hydrant fails. Just remember to have your hydrant installed in the YHME with the top cap on before backfilling and paving around it, as a precaution to maintain perfect alignment in the event of shifting soil loads. We also recommend placing 1” of foam or other soft or removable material around the YHME before pouring concrete. That way, if the slab shifts due to shrinkage and/or settlement, it will not affect the alignment of the YHME.

Q: How does the Yard Hydrant Made Easy™ seal? (Will it leak?)

A: The crux of the YHME design is its customized pitless adapter. This is what allows the hydrant to slide in and out of the casing without digging. Because the hydrant can be removed and replaced so easily, people sometimes assume there must be a drawback. Well, there is no drawback, only a host of advantages.

The pitless adapter is a tried-and-true concept that has been used in water wells for decades. Our pitless adapter seals in the same way but has the inlet/outlet orientation customized for installation on a hydrant.

The seal is formed by an o-ring installed in a groove on the removable part of the pitless adapter. When this part is slid into place, the tapered fit compresses the o-ring to create a watertight seal. Each pitless adapter is leak tested twice before the customer receives their YHME. The first is a factory test. Then, we perform a second leak test after we install the pitless adapter into the YHME.

Finally, IF the o-ring ever develops a leak (that's a big IF), it is super easy to replace. Since the o-ring comes out when you pull out the hydrant, it is easy to remove it and insert a new one. We ship a spare o-ring with each YHME.

To learn more about the advantages of our pitless adapter and the YHME in general, read this article on our website.