What is a good brand of frost free hydrants?

[MG84]

Just wanted to get everyone’s opinion on who makes a good frost free hydrant these days? I have always used the blue made in USA Simmons brand hydrants and had good luck, but I think they’ve changed something about them lately. I used to get 10-15yrs out of one before having any trouble with it, now in 1-2 years the handle gets really hard to operate. Had similar results with Woodford IOWA hydrants, used to last a lot longer. It’s almost like the plunger seals aren’t as good and deteriorate making it hard to operate. Has anyone had similar results? What brand are you using?

 

[1693TA]

Mueller was always good also. I always took them apart when new and removed the original grease replacing it with a silicone based electric motor grease and really haven't had any problems. A couple of the hydrants are over 20 years old and have never been apart again.

 

[skyking1]

proper installation helps a lot. Be sure to put an elbow and a nipple on the drain port, and wrap it in a screen if you don't have a bunch of drain rock around it.
Dirt does find it's way back in that port.

 

[MG84]

Indeed, I always bed them in a good base of clean pea gravel, #57s, or some other free draining rock. Never thought about putting an elbow on the drain port, couldn’t hurt.

I’ll look for the Mueller brand hydrants, not sure if that’s a brand we have around here but I’ll check.

 

[skyking1]

It is not that it couldn't hurt. It is right in the installation instructions on the hydrants I have installed.
A couple of grains of sand back in the valve will ruin your day.

 

[cfherrman]

Don't get one at a box store. I think I have a wood house or maybe it's a Woodford I got at a HVAC store and so far it's gtg. I can't be much help after that.

 

[Jimbo]

Don't get one at a box store.

Can't stress this enough. Find either a domestic (USA) made hydrant, or I have seen a German made hydrant of high quality, but can't remember the MFR name.

 

[1693TA]

Merrill is the brand I installed at our property in a 1" size. I feed a distributor box with up to four hoses feeding RV's so the large size.

 

[Jimbo]

Merrill is good
Campbell is Asian junk

 

[colson04]

Keep in mind, any of the newer ones can all be serviced without digging up the entire hydrant. I have a Chinese made one at my place. It gets used daily for watering cattle and chickens. After 6 years of daily cycling, the seat ruptured and started seeping all the time. A trip to Home Depot and $18 got me a complete rebuild kit. Shut off water, a couple wrenches and some thread sealer, and about 20 minutes of my time had it back to good as new. We have Woodfords, Everbilt, and a couple of ancient ones at the farm. Some have lasted a long time, others don't make it near long enough. Anymore, I shop for one that can be rebuilt without digging it up because they all fail eventually. Just depends on how frequently you use it.

 

[MG84]

I’ve rebuilt a few over the years, especially if its in concrete. Out in the field its often easier to dig it up and replace. Our frost depth is only 18” now, some older ones are 3’ bury depth, most installed in the last 10-15yrs are only 2’ bury depth, so replacing them isn’t as big of a deal as up north.

I try not to buy much of anything from the big box stores, all of my hydrants come from either the local lumberyard or plumbing supply house. Like I said Simmons is what i have been using. Whats puzzling is how some hydrants here at the home farm I put in 12 yrs ago still work fine, whereas ones I put in 1-2 yrs ago have already gone bad. Same brand, on the same water system, with roughly the same daily usage, IDK