Running waterline into a barn

I have a yard hydrant about 40 ft away from a barn. Every winter its the same fight with garden hoses freezing up. I need to fill a water tank in the barn for a few horses about every 2 days.

This hydrant is uphill from the barn, and there is a pole right near that hydrant. My thought is to run a piece of stainless steel cable from that pole to the barn. Then attach the hose to the cable with wire-ties.

The hose then runs into the barn, and to the stock tank. It will slope downhill all the way, so as soon as the tank is filled, I will remove the female hose end from the hydrant and the water inside the hose will drain into the tank, so the hose can not freeze.

However, I must make sure there are no sags in the hose, where water will collect and freeze.

The other problem I see, is that where the hose enters the barn wall, rain water will run down the outside of the hose and into the barn. I cant put a drip loop in the hose, because that spot would freeze in winter. I'm thinking I'll have to put some silicone caulk where it enters the wall.

Anyhow, I thought I'd ask if anyone on here has tried something like this? I am also thinking of using some other material, instead of a hose. I'm aware that a hose exposed to sunlight wont last real long, so I could also use that black polyurathane pipe that's made for underground use, or some of that PEX pipe. That Poly pipe is kind of stiff, so I dont know if I could get all the sags out of it. And being black, how well will that pipe hold up in sunlight?

So, what about that PEX pipe? How does that hold up in sunlight? I've never used it, but have felt it in stores, and it seems rather stiff also. I know it needs a special tool to attach fittings, and I will need to attach a fitting on the one end by the hydrant, so I can run a short hose from that pipe to the hydrant. I'm not too worried about needing that tool, because I can get the hardware store to clamp that fitting for a buck, before I hang the pipe.

Anyhow, what would be the best material to use? Poly pipe, PEX pipe, or just a garden hose?

Reply to
Roxopop
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Seems to me rather than the Rube Goldberg approach 40' is no biggie to carry a couple of buckets, especially downhill to your barn... have you considered a wagon with a few of 5 gallon buckets... should be a walk in the park to lug a couple empty buckets back uphill. Anyway that's how I water shrubs and trees that're too far from a hose bib, by pulling a cart full of buckets with my tractor, better than dragging a few hundred feet of garden hose filled with water. My barn is 350' from a hose bib so I lug two 1 gallon milk jugs of water every day for watering the feral cats... I have electric in the barn but no water, heated water bowls work fine in winter. I thought of a water line when I had the electric cable buried but water can present freeze-up problems in winter no matter how well thought out. It's a lot simpler to just carry water or haul water with a cart. If you have a small garden tractor and a cart with a bunch of five gallon plastic contractor's buckets your problem is solved. This is all you need, that cart will hold 10 five gallon buckets:

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I even have a driver:
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Reply to
Brooklyn1

This dont answer my question.

What you're saying is what I do NOW. Much of the time using a hose is just too much trouble, so I carry buckets. Being 66 years old, this is not easy anymore. Using a cart and /or tractor is not an option. There are 2 concrete steps between the barn and hydrant. As winter goes on, those steps tend to ice up and eventually becomes a ramp. I have fallen several times there already. Those steps would ice up much less if I was not splashing water on them while carrying buckets of water.

This is not a matter of carrying a couple gallon jugs, it's at least 12 five gallon pails every other day, and doing that this past weekend with windchills at around 40 deg. below zero was no fun.

Installing something as I suggest, is not a major job and not costly, I'm just trying to determine what would be the best materials to use.

Reply to
Roxopop
< snips >

Just curious - how do you prevent the " yard hydrant " from freezing up ? John T.

Reply to
hubops

They are made to not freeze. They sit above the ground, but are about 9 feet long. At least 6 feet is in the ground. The water in that 9' piece (pipe) drains down into the ground as soon as they are turned off. They work quite well, but in the extreme cold, they do get stiff. I always apply vaseline around the shaft that's under the handle. That keeps that shaft from sticking to the seals in there, and lubes the seals too.

To learn more about them, Go to:

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One point, they MUST be adjusted properly or the water dont drain down, and if that happens, it's a real pain to unthaw them. I always check them before winter to make sure they are working properly....

Reply to
Roxopop

I'm older than you (73) and I carry water buckets all the time... perhaps you are too old to have horses. From my experience living in the northern Catskills where it gets very cold in winter I have learned that the best way to transport water in winter is in buckets by cart... hoses/pipes are very problematic in winter. And you don't have far to go, 40' is nothing, I can pee 40'. LOL

Reply to
Brooklyn1

I already answered you, and explained my situation. Perhaps you are too old to comprehend what you read on a newsgroup.

If you wish to carry pails, feel free to do so.

I don't care to carry buckets of water.

Brains are always stronger than muscles. I'll use my brains to design this hose method, and prevent pulled muscles, falls on the ice, and soaked pants legs.

If anyone on here can stick to the question, please let me know what materials would work best for this project.

Reply to
Roxopop

Water hose will work just fine . But instead of using zip ties , use some tie wire , spiral it around both the hose and support cable to keep the hose from sagging . At the bottom instead of a drip loop tie a rag or something around the hose and let the tag end hang free , the water will run down that instead of into the barn . Still a good idea to caulk the hole too though . Have you considered just leaving it running slowly ? Depending on how cold you get , that might be enough to keep it from freezing , but you'd have to match the flow rate to the usage ...or have it overflow to the outside . That also comes with it's own set of problems , if the overflow freezes (and the supply doesn't) you could have quite a mess inside . Another thing you might consider is a vacuum break at the faucet connection , lets air in but seals against pressure . That will save you having to unhook and drain the hose and standpipe after every use .

Reply to
Terry Coombs

Normal PEX is not UV resistant. There exists specialty PEX that, apparently, is

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Why not just use an old garden hose ? John T.

Reply to
hubops

This is the reason I posted this question in the first place. To learn the pros and cons of what material will work best. Thanks to you, I can see where the standard PEX will not work real well. Buying that special stuff will probably not be feasible, or cheap, and I'm guessing I'd have to buy a lot more than I need.

Their 2014 PDF shows 1/2" at $.76 per foot and 3/4" at $1.38 per foot. But it dont say roll sizes, or shipping (from Canada)....

I think I am going to just use a garden hose. Even if it only lasts a few years, hoses are cheap enough and wont be hard to replace.

Reply to
Roxopop

I used to get a lot of useful info from the newsgroups. Today it's just mostly abuse and rubbish, and off topic politics and crap. Some of the groups I once read the most, I recently unsubscribed from. It's sad. I began using newsgroups before the www even existed. Web based groups are slow and hard to manuver, and most of the time you cant filter out the garbage.

I never even heard of Yammer, but if it's like Facebook, I dont want it. I dont use Facebook, Twitter, or any of that stuff. I've actually been thinking of getting rid of the internet at home. I'll save money. On the rare occasions I buy online, I can go to a WIFI, and I can email my friends on my phone (not a smartphone).

The internet used to be both fun and useful. That is no longer the case.

Reply to
Roxopop

Perhaps the 3/4 inch size would suit your purpose - and could be free if you locate someone, like me, who has discarded it < donated to thrift store > because it's heavy & awkward for everyday use. I certainly don't need the additional size - over 5/8 - but it might be an advantage to you. John T.

Reply to
hubops

Why not use a garden hose???

Well, the last hose I bought had a warning on it not to drink from it. It said the hose leaches toxic agents into the water.

Normally I discount these kinds of warnings as some company trying to avoid a lawsuit but Google seems to confirm.

Perhaps real underground water pipe is the best answer.

Reply to
Dan Espen

The original post had the hose being drained after each use, to prevent freezing ; and it was being used for livestock. If anyone is seriously worried about the toxins for this scenario -

- be my guest - it must be a nice life, when you have nothing more-serious than that to worry about ! John T.

Reply to
hubops

Potable hoses aren't that much more expensive if it is of concern:

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Reply to
Leon Fisk

Pretty sure the OP isn't draining those same hoses in the summer. Another pointer mentioned potable water hoses. If they were my animals and they were getting all their water through hoses, I'd do something about it.

As for your concern about my life, thanks, but I don't worry about much. Just try to make good decisions.

Reply to
Dan Espen

Garden type water hose is color coded to indicate potability, typically white or blue but each manufactures has their own coding (check their web site). I'd not use non potable water hoses for live stock, and as hose ages more and more toxins leach out.

That's what I'd use, irrigation tubing is very inexpensive and it's non toxic. Just this past summer I had my vegetable garden irrigation well re-plumbed with a new self-draining pressure tank fitted. I don't use that well in winter so I don't heat the room containing the pressure tank, I shut it down and all the water drains back down into the well so no freeze ups. The run from the well to the well shed coincidently happens to be forty feet, that line is buried past the freeze line which is five feet here. The water line is 3/4" poly irrigation tubing encased in 4" PVC... done so in case the poly springs a leak it would be easy to replace without digging. In this farming community well water used for livestock is regularly inspected for toxins and microbes by the health department. If that water is for horses I strongly recommend a professional installation, not some mickey mouse DIY old garden hose. Trench being dug to well:

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Laying in the water line, notice the level to check that it pitches back to the well:
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Nicely graded with lots of added topsoil and grass seed planted:
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New self draining pressure tank supplies a hose bib for watering my garden, etc:
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That's a a very good well, supplies nearly 20 GPM, twice what my house well supplies. Living with well water for most of my life I've learned a lot about wells and piping water. An ordinary garden hose is fine for watering a lawn, a pumpkin patch, and washing a car, but not for watering valuable livestock. Many people drink water raw from their tap and then 20-30 years later die from cancers... mine goes through an RO filter and is treated with a UV lamp... even my feral cats are watered with RO water. Those in-line filters people use at their kitchen tap are worse than fish tank filters, they remove little more than odor and add lots of bacteria/viruses... anyone who drinks water from those paper filter elements for months between changes changes their underware no more often. Anyway I have trouble imagining someone who keeps horses can't afford to water them properly, horses are very expensive to maintain, watering is the least of it... I live in horse country, famous race horses are raised, bred, and stabled here. Most every teenage girl owns a horse, I know very well what it costs to keep horses, my daughter had a horse here from six years old until she married and moved. I lived near this hupoops miser I'd definitely report him to the authorities for animal abuse.

Reply to
Brooklyn1

What kind of sicko thinks it's no big deal to poison livestock... anyone who would poison their horses would poison their children.

Reply to
Brooklyn1

Bok bok bok bok bok bok bok ... just stfu and post the stupid pretty pictures already.

Reply to
Amos Nomore

You might want to take a look at .

Note that AL-PEX is not freeze resistant, it's the regular kind that is freeze resistant.

Reply to
J. Clarke

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