Iowa Hydrant Leaking Underground

big a · May 21, 2014

Got an Iowa hydrant that seems to be leaking underground, but only when it's on. Use it almost daily, year around, and never had a problem. Hooked it up to the float valve on stock tank, and the ground starts getting muddy, and water starts welling up in the hole in the concrete that the hydrant goes through. Turn it off, and the ground dries out.
I'm wondering if the seals are letting it leak out of the drain, when the float is shutting off? Is this possible?
What are my repair options?

Anonymous-0 · May 21, 2014

I'm betting the pipe coming up out of the ground is rusted out in a spot, with the back pressure from the float shutting off the water starts leaking out more than when the float is open. Start busting concrete and start digging. chris

W_B · May 21, 2014

(quoted from post at 15:44:22 05/21/14) I'm betting the pipe coming up out of the ground is rusted out in a spot, with the back pressure from the float shutting off the water starts leaking out more than when the float is open. Start busting concrete and start digging. chris

Yep, had a similar problem. Mine was buried under concrete inside the barn. Luckily the waterer that the line was also connected to was on a slab separate from the rest of the floor. Was able to remove the waterer, crack the slab in half, pry it up and dig down to the leak. My leak was in the line so it flowed all the time. I just eliminated the hydrant and left the waterer hooked up. Put a faucet out the side of the waterer to hook a hose up to if needed. Good luck.

Tequila · May 21, 2014

Couple big pipe wrenches. Remove the pin on the handle,
remove the head and the control rod. Check the seal pads at
the bottom of rod. They are replaceable. If they seem to be
good then the whole unit will need replaced.

cole in mo · May 21, 2014

Those hydrants have a weep hole in the valve to let water drain back when shut off. When turned on, it bleeds back all the time, so if you're using a float to stop the flow, its leaking from that weep hole just like it should.

rrlund · May 21, 2014

I think you're just out of adjustment. When you pull the handle up,the rod pulls the plunger up above the drain hole. When you push it down,it shuts the water off and pushes down below the drain hole. Loosen the set screw under the handle,move that collar down on the rod just a little bit and re tighten it. Maybe that'll pull it up above the drain hole.

1130Leo · May 21, 2014

I just had to dig mine up, the pipe going into the
elbow feeding the hydrant cracked and broke, at
least it was an easy dig... Yours sounds like
either the rubber stopper in the valve is shot, or
it could possibly have a hole rusted thru the
vertical pipe, when the water is on that part is
under pressure and could leak. The one I just dug
up had been there for at least 35 years, the stem or
vertical pipe has some pretty good pitts on it as
well, that hydrant will not be re-used.

farmerwithmutt · May 21, 2014

We had one go bad lucky it was next to the wall and we
didnt have to break concrete we dug outside the wall with
backhoe and then under the slab

IaGary · May 21, 2014

I ran floats on Iowas for years. Never had a weep hole leak while it was on.

Two were turned on in April and shut off in November.

They do not weep when on if they are working right.

The weep hole only allows water to drain out of the hydrant when the handle is off if working as they should be.

Gary

big a · May 21, 2014

Thanks for the advice guys! Home too late to adjust tonight. Got nothing to lose by trying, I guess.
We used Iowa ones with floats too , and don't ever recall this problem before.
If worse comes to worse, can this valve be replaced from the topside?

IaGary · May 21, 2014

Yes the plunger and rod can be replaced from the top.

Remove the head and pull the rod up. After shutting off the water of course.

Gary

MarkB_MI · May 22, 2014

If it's necessary to replace the entire hydrant, it is possible to do so without digging it up. The trick is to leave the water ON and unscrew the hydrant from above. The flowing water will keep the hole from filling in, making it possible to insert a new hydrant in the hole. I haven't done it myself, and I assume it's not easy to do. But it beats digging holes and breaking up concrete.

caterpillar guy · May 23, 2014

Well if you do have to dig it up. Put a piece of 4 inch PVC pipe over the hydrant. Then screw it in the water line. Then if you have problems in the future you can just turn it out and the new back in. We do that with a wood plug that fits the pipe for the hydrant to come through. Holds the hydrant still and helps with the temperature for not freezing. Though we have never had a problem with that.

Iowa Hydrant Leaking Underground

big a

Member

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member

W_B

Well-known Member

Tequila

Member

cole in mo

Member

rrlund

Well-known Member

1130Leo

Member

farmerwithmutt

Well-known Member

IaGary

Well-known Member

big a

Member

IaGary

Well-known Member

MarkB_MI

Well-known Member

caterpillar guy

Well-known Member

Similar threads