Question for plumbers

[BP in ME]

The hose bibb on the well casing burst while I was away and dumped untold thousands of gallons of water in the back yard. That's no big deal but today when I replaced it, I was surprised that there's nothing special about the set-up so I just replaced it with the same. It's about 1' off the ground and it's just black water line with a PVC 90 to the bibb. No anti-siphon or expansion capabilities that I can see. So why doesn't it freeze and burst every winter? That one was at least 6 years old and it's been exposed to temps at least -25

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[donpilot]

Plastic may have just enough give to absorb the expansion. Maybe six years worth.

[nc370v]

^^^^^ What he said

[Jim285pro]

Polyethylene (Black pipe) will expand alot like PEX (cross linked polyethylene) will.

[CatFan]

You were away. Nobody using water would be my guess.

[Perchpro]

Heat trace and insulate that thing bro!

[Gambler Bob]

Is there a way to isolate that water line from the rest of the house? If so, I would turn that water line off in the winter and blow the water out of the line with a compressor.

I don't completely understand what you have going on in this picture. Is that a hose bibb that is out in the middle of your yard somewhere?

[retiredmechanic]

It froze one too many times.

[BP in ME]

Is there a way to isolate that water line from the rest of the house? If so, I would turn that water line off in the winter and blow the water out of the line with a compressor.

I don't completely understand what you have going on in this picture. Is that a hose bibb that is out in the middle of your yard somewhere?

Yes, the first pic is of the well casing out in the yard. The line comes straight off the pump. Doesn't circulate with the rest of the system so there's no flow unless we hook the garden hose to it.

[188Musky]

You got lucky for six years, just like Tom Brady.

[billnorman1]

What's all that white stuff? That line should be drained or inside.

[brushsjigs]

Thats the first time I have seen a hose bib come right off the well. Insulate that thing.

[shortstick]

I think you need to build a well house and install a well house heater.

[Babe Winkleworm]

If you have electric build a well house and leave a light withincondecent bulb on all winter in there. It won't freeze again

[Gambler Bob]

Yes, the first pic is of the well casing out in the yard. The line comes straight off the pump. Doesn't circulate with the rest of the system so there's no flow unless we hook the garden hose to it.

Gotcha. Since isolating the line would be rather difficult in your case, this would be my suggestion. Google what a "Yard Hydrant" is. I occasionally see them on farm properties. A yard hydrant should take care of the issue with freezing.

[Lanierspook]

Yard hydrants are on almost all newer houses around here, so are freeze proof spigots. Plumb it underground about 2 ft., run it at unregulated pressure off a tee. Have 2 at our house and over a dozen at our farm, follow install instructions.

[lakefolk]

you're too far north for southern engineering..........

[BP in ME]

UPDATE: I got the fittings and bibb all replaced as it was before and everything was back to normal....for all of 24 hours. Then the pump quit apparently due to damage sustained in the effort to put the entire yard under 10' of water. Pulled the 225' of line and submersible out using the Kubota and installed a shut-off on the supply line to the hose bibb while the system was down. Unfortunately the plumber didn't have the right parts to also put in a drain at the same spot but we can do that later.

If we were planning to stay here long term, I'd replace the hose bibb with a yard hydrant this summer but that's a lot of digging for not much return on investment