# Pasture water pipe protection



## RacerBill (Jan 26, 2018)

Live in northern Florida with winter temps occasionally hitting 28-32 degrees. Would like to know what folks up north do to protect your pipes from freezing? I have mine wrapped and duck taped this year with those pool noodle things which are thicker than the regular black wraps from Lowes. I do leave the pipes slowly draining but that is a pain in the butt plus sometimes water is not dripping fast enough and pvc pipes will freeze, even busting and having to repair them. I heard to close main valve and open faucets to drain water? I sometimes travel for my job so looking to make it easier for wife while I am gone. Thanks


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Almost all of my water lines have about a 2/12 slope going from the middle out. That way, all I have to do is open the lines at both ends and they drain.

I used a quick disconnect on a short hose or a Y valve on the ends and at the hydrant to allow air in/water out,

Ralph


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## danwi (Mar 6, 2015)

Bury them 6 to8 feet deep here.


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## Aaroncboo (Sep 21, 2014)

We wrap most of ours and electric heat tape and then put pool noodles around for insulation. That seems to do the trick until it gets really really cold out


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## Hayjosh (Mar 24, 2016)

>4' of dirt on top is how it's done here.


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

Bury it below the frost line here ~ 6’ or so.


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

Hayjosh said:


> >4' of dirt on top is how it's done here.


+1

Larry


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## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

RacerBill

As others stated bury water line below frost line then correctly install frost free faucets. This works for me but I seriously doubt FF faucet will work way up North.


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## Aaroncboo (Sep 21, 2014)

Like I said we use the frost free hydrants buried below the frost line but we still sometimes have to heat them a bit with the tape. But it has to be like single digits plus a windchill to do it. I have had them freeze and get hard to turn on but never stop working.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Aaroncboo said:


> Like I said we use the frost free hydrants buried below the frost line but we still sometimes have to heat them a bit with the tape. But it has to be like single digits plus a windchill to do it. I have had them freeze and get hard to turn on but never stop working.


If it's outside, I put a 5 gallon bucket inside a Husky heavy duty black contractor garbage bag over it.

The black bag acts like a heat trap and the bucket acts like an air trap. This tends to keep the handle from freezing up. (All it takes is a couple of drops to freeze up the seal.)

Ralph


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## IHCman (Aug 27, 2011)

Tx Jim said:


> RacerBill
> 
> As others stated bury water line below frost line then correctly install frost free faucets. This works for me but I seriously doubt FF faucet will work way up North.


They do work way up North. Almost every house has one here. I'm sure most don't get used a lot in the winter but they do work. Hydrants work well also as long as its buried below frost line and the little weep hole has a place to drain the water back down below the frost line when it is shut off.

In our calving pastures we have hydrants to water the cattle. 1000 gallon fiberglass water tanks with a jobe valve installed. Hose from the hydrant to the jobe valve has to be disconnected at night if its gonna get real cold or else the hydrant will crack. Normally by the time we start using those its warm enough they can stay hooked up but not uncommon to get some cold nights and you sure don't want to forget to unhook that hose so the water can drain back down the hydrant.


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

Tx Jim said:


> RacerBill
> As others stated bury water line below frost line then correctly install frost free faucets. This works for me but I seriously doubt FF faucet will work way up North.


I have 3 Woodford's, wouldn't recommend anything else. BTW, I put a five gallon bucket, filled with 'pea stone' below my installations, for extra/better drainage.

Larry


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## Cozyacres (Jul 16, 2009)

RacerBill said:


> Live in northern Florida with winter temps occasionally hitting 28-32 degrees. Would like to know what folks up north do to protect your pipes from freezing? I have mine wrapped and duck taped this year with those pool noodle things which are thicker than the regular black wraps from Lowes. I do leave the pipes slowly draining but that is a pain in the butt plus sometimes water is not dripping fast enough and pvc pipes will freeze, even busting and having to repair them. I heard to close main valve and open faucets to drain water? I sometimes travel for my job so looking to make it easier for wife while I am gone. Thanks


up here in Wisconsin, I have all the water pipes that I use in winter buried 6 ft +, and I use a freeze-proof waterer,

http://jugwaterers.com/

is the only way we can get thru our -20F winters days /nights

this might be over kill for your climate, but your water will never freeze!


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

As I recall, every area in the country has an rated maximum freeze depth. Hereabouts, it is 3', meaning that the worst the ground will freeze to is 3' so we bury our pipes at 4'. Further north, the freeze depth will go to 5', so 6' would be the bury depth to be safe.

I doubt that the ground freezes more than 1' worst case in Florida, but check with your local USDA office, they'll know.

Ralph


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## Hayjosh (Mar 24, 2016)

Tx Jim said:


> RacerBill
> As others stated bury water line below frost line then correctly install frost free faucets. This works for me but I seriously doubt FF faucet will work way up North.


They work for me here. I have both a hot water and cold water hydrant


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## Aaroncboo (Sep 21, 2014)

Can't say I ever heard of or thought of a hot water hydrant....pretty cool idea


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## Ox76 (Oct 22, 2018)

Tx Jim said:


> RacerBill
> 
> As others stated bury water line below frost line then correctly install frost free faucets. This works for me but I seriously doubt FF faucet will work way up North.


I come from upstate NY originally, dairy farming background, and we had those around and they worked fine as long as plenty of gravel at the foot and was at least 4 foot deep. Used every day like we did I think is also a factor - keeps the "warmer" water moving around at least a little.


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## Ray 54 (Aug 2, 2014)

Kensuke said:


> I'm finding myself thinking more about how I can provide water to my snakes than whether or not humans should drink water.


So what is your favorite part of the snake, I like the tender loin off the BBQ.


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