# Supporting exterior free standing PVC pipe with Faucet



## Rory Read (Feb 9, 2010)

*Frost Free Yard Hydrant?*

b_c,

Is there a reason you can't use a frost free yard hydrant? (You can google the term.)

Rory

RDG Read Development LLC
Portland, OR


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## blue_can (Aug 18, 2009)

Rory - no reason although I cannot ever recall seeing anything like that around here. I'm in San Diego where freezing temps are rarely an issue. Today for example high at about 75 and low around 50.


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## vsheetz (Sep 28, 2008)

I am in SD as well (Escondido). I have a hose bib in the midst of the back yard similar as you describe, made of PVC, etc. I simply drove two 2' pieces of rebar into the ground on either side, and secured the rebar and PVC pipe together with a couple three heavy plastic tie-wraps.

Home Depot has short pieces of rebar ready cut - I find them handy to have around.


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## blue_can (Aug 18, 2009)

Thanks vsheetz - I'm south of you in Scripps Ranch. Regarding the rebar have you had any corrosion on them. That's one reason I'm a bit reluctant to use steel for this. If I were using steel I would probably go to a steel yard (there is one in Escondido in fact) and get some steel pipe. Galvanized would probably resist corrosion. I have a metal 4x6 bandsaw which is great for cutting all kinds of metal including rebar. I have plenty of rebar sitting around as I needed them for other parts of the project. It is much cheaper to get the long pieces and cut them yourself - the pre-cut small pieces are very expensive in proportion to the size.


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## HooKooDooKu (Jan 7, 2008)

You don't want PVC coming up out of the ground. PVC will degrade over time in sun light, plus it would be suceptable to physical damage (kicking, tripping, weed whacker, etc).

While still underground, transition to copper. 


For protection (both physical damage and any once in a blue moon freeze), you should have the PVC pipe burried 10" to 12" deep. While still at that depth, use a standard male threaded PVC adapter and a female threaded copper adapter. Continue the run of copper for 6" to 12", then use a copper elbow to turn and come up out of the ground. 

If there is ever a chance you might get freezing temperature, you could stop short of coming up out of the ground and instead use a quick connect installed underground in a 6" or 8" round valve box.
http://www.rainbird.com/landscape/products/valves/quickcoupling.htm
http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

To install a valve box, simply dig a hole the depth of the valve box plus 4 more inches. Line the bottom of the hole with 4" of gravel. Place the box on top of the gravel, and add enough gravel around any opening (to avoid loose soil from entering while backfilling the hole).

If you NEVER have to worry about a freeze, then just extend the copper above ground. 10" to 12" depth soil packed tight around the copper pipe will hold it in place very nicely. By transitioning to copper well before the 90 degree elbow, the PVC to copper connection will be protected from damage should someone accidently hit the copper pipe.

Yes, this will mean that you will either need to learn to sweat copper pipe (not a difficult thing to do) or find a friend that knows how to sweat copper pipe to assymbol the copper pieces for you ahead of time. If you assymbol all the copper ahead of time.


IMHO, this is more of a lawn care or irrigation question.
This web site had a lawn care forum:
http://www.diychatroom.com/f16/
A good forum for DIYer with irrigation questions is here:
http://www.sprinklertalk.com/wbb/index.php


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## blue_can (Aug 18, 2009)

Thanks for the detailed reply and links. You're correct that it is more of a irrigation question and in fact the hose bib is part of an irrigation system that does include valves and 3 different zones for irrigation. The hose bib is a side branch of the main irrigation system - just something that could be useful in certain situations. 

I guess I could use copper instead of PVC for the reasons mentioned. I've done plenty of projects that involve sweating copper and so using copper is not an issue.


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## vsheetz (Sep 28, 2008)

Yeah, rebar stuck in the ground will probably eventually rust some years in the future. When that happens I'll pound in a couple new ones.

My hose bib has been in place for maybe 20 years. I did have to redo the PVC several years ago, because it was run over by a truck - copper or any other pipe would not have survived either... (and would have been more work to repair).


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## blue_can (Aug 18, 2009)

Also I thought that there was some kind of paint for PVC pipe to prevent it from degrading in the sun.


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## Rory Read (Feb 9, 2010)

*hydrant?*

I get it that the "frost free" part is more or less useless where you live, but wouldn't a hydrant just be the easy one step way to go?


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## vsheetz (Sep 28, 2008)

If there was a need to go below the frost line, I agree a frost free yard hydrant would be a good way to go - but in SoCal it is not a need and the frost free yard hydrant cost in the $50-$100 range. I think the simplest and cheapest and easiest is as hose bib on a piece of PVC as the OP proposed, anchored to a couple metal or wooden stakes - or if more secure and lasting is desired drop a bag of ready-mix concrete around it. Alternatively use galvanized pipe to come out of the ground if exposing PVC to sunlight or damage from a weed-wacker is thought to be an issue.


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## AndrewF (Dec 29, 2008)

In regards to PVC and sunlight damage, I think we are talking many years here, like 15-20+ years.

MY parents have PVC faucets above ground and it has yet to break or become unusable.

We do drain it each year, but it has been installed since I was living there.


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## Rory Read (Feb 9, 2010)

*yard hydrant*

Ok. Apparently I can't let this go. 

If a pre-fab yard hydrant is too extravangant (less than $50), build a simple one with length of galvanized threaded pipe, spigot/hose bib valve on top, buried elbow connecting to whatever you are running the water with underground. Pipe is cheap, rigid, and will take multiple whacks with the lawn mower, etc., without falling over. And it won't look like a duct tape job when you are done.

Yes it will corrode in 20 years.


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## blue_can (Aug 18, 2009)

I guess I'm not clear on how a hydrant works and what it offers over the hose bib.

Anyway I went ahead and just used PVC as originally planned. I will probably do something along the lines of what vsheetz has done for supporting the pipe. I will either encase the last run of the pipe and elbow as well as the supports in either concrete or some sand mixed with portland cement (and then wet for hardening).

btw I was in Escondido today at the Harborfreight to buy one of their rotary hammer SDS drills.


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## vsheetz (Sep 28, 2008)

blue_can said:


> I guess I'm not clear on how a hydrant works and what it offers over the hose bib.


Primarily it extends the actual water shut off valve to the bottom of the shaft of the hydrant - and thus below the frost line to prevent water line freezing and freeze pipe breakage. They are available in differing lengths/depths - 2', 4', etc.


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## COLDIRON (Mar 15, 2009)

blue_can said:


> I guess I'm not clear on how a hydrant works and what it offers over the hose bib.
> 
> Anyway I went ahead and just used PVC as originally planned. I will probably do something along the lines of what vsheetz has done for supporting the pipe. I will either encase the last run of the pipe and elbow as well as the supports in either concrete or some sand mixed with portland cement (and then wet for hardening).
> 
> btw I was in Escondido today at the Harborfreight to buy one of their rotary hammer SDS drills.


Sounds like the way to go don't want to complicate a simple spigot issue.
It's not like you are piping a house or in a freezing area.
Certain area's of the States require much more thought and work to install a spigot outside.


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