I'll make this short and sweet.
Leaking yard hydrant finally got me frustrated enough to repair.
Part c-35 packing in assemble below. Easy-peasy right?
No markings on casting so I spent some time on the webs and came up with this one as a match:
(Notice the threads where the head attaches to C60. and part number C-31 exploded view. There will be a quiz later.)
Okay, order repair kit:
Says to self: "Ya, that's a brand new unit on a bench. It ain't gonna be that easy" no truer thoughts were thought.
Shuts off well pump.
Heads out to barn with tools and repair kit.
Drains system.
Starts to disassemble.
Notes parts are plastic.
Okay, plastic doesn't rust, that's good but go easy.
Gets to part C-31.... tight.... easy... twisting and ....... the hex breaks off. FUCK!
Now I have the threaded body inside the casting with the C-57 draw bar in the way. Fuckity fuck.
Grab small chisel and screw driver pick away at it.
Not much room to work. The hydrant is near a wall and under a shelf.
Tick tock goes the clock....
Bzzzz go mosquitos....
WTF.. I'll just take the head off.
Grab pipe wrenches. DO NOT WANT TO BREAK THE JOINT 6Ft IN THE GROUND.
Set up... easy... easy ... twist... breaks free. Yay!.
Twist.... starts to get hand free loose.
Start unscrewing and unscrewing and unscr...wtf it ain't moving? Pull up and it pops off!
I turn around...."WHO THE FUCK EPOXIES THE HEAD OF A BURIED HYDRANT TO THE RISER TUBE??" I ask the horse looking at me.
Now I have a long face too.
6:43 tick tock.... No shut off to this side of the well.(that will be remedied)
No water in house if this doesn't get fixed.
SHIT! the hardware store closes at 7:00
Grabs Devon 2600psi epoxy..
Preps parts.
Assembles unit.
Adds epoxy.
Puts the head casting back on tube.
16-24 hour cure.
Ok,,,,,,,,, now I need to make sure it does't blow off over night and run the well for hours.
Macguyver something.
To be continued.......................................
OR
I don't have much faith in epoxy glue, I hope it works for you.
ReplyDeleteBut I have been through similar plumbing challenges myself.
Famous last words "Oh this won't take long..."
So many repairs that should be easy turn out to be marathons. This is why after many life experiences, before I begin a home repair project I usually procrastinate for quite a while. And while procrastinating, the little wheels in my head are turning and usually come up with a good approach.
ReplyDeleteSteve the Engineer
I call that letting the hindbrain think about it. It usually works.
DeleteHey Irish, the trick is to stay calm with some mellow music in your head. Try it with me now. "She's a good girl; loves her llama..."
ReplyDeleteMaybe some Kenny g or Yanni.
DeleteI'm sorry, "I feel your pain", but thats funny as hell.
ReplyDeleteI've never understood why in the original installation people don't put in shut off valves on everything. It's been the bane of almost all of my plumbing projects.
ReplyDelete-rightwingterrorist
That will be remedied soon 😬
DeleteI work in a industrial facility the size of a small town. We have double isolation valves everywhere. Our facility is also barely 5 years old. Sounds great?
DeleteSo far this year we've changed 28 pairs of isolation valves. These are cases where ops went to use one and it leaked so the tried the spare and it leaked as well. Of course each valve is welded in as well.
If you don't cycle them regularily isolation valves will fail.
Exile1981
Rule 1 of plumbing: when you replace a part you will have to replace the part it is connected to.
ReplyDeleteThe bathroom remodel started when trying to replace odd sized washers on a faucet no one makes anymore nor has parts for. No new faucet would match the hole pattern on the sink so a new sink had to be gotten. And if I'm going to remodel the bathroom, I might as well relocate the utility closet. That meant running new water and gas lines. That new bathroom required the whole house be upgraded to match. True story.
DeleteRick
Rube Goldberg got nothin' on you Irish ;^)). Kidding.
ReplyDeleteNemo
Judging by the condition of the unit, I'd likely have just replaced the entire thing and been done with it. Sometimes replacing makes more sense than trying to fix.
ReplyDeleteUsually fastest and best. If I'd have broken off the guts, I would have capped the pipe so pressure could be restored. And no shutoff just flat sucks. I have helped with replacing faucets, etc. on old houses that have no shutoff, and needless to say I install one (or two!) as a matter of course.
DeleteReplace the existing unit. Repair it on the bench to keep as a spare.
DeleteRick
Yeah, at the point where the part broke off I'd have replaced the whole thing as well.
DeleteAnd Irish? When you put the valve in, then remember to move it occasionally. I do mine on the solstices and equinoxes so they get moved at least 4 times a year. Otherwise they either leak or get stuck with calcium.
Your wooden valve control device is oddly reminiscent of the damage control shoring I learned in the Navy. Well done.
ReplyDeleteANYbody that uses epoxy for plumbing repairs should be taken out back and SHOT!! JMHO
ReplyDeleteIt was the manufacturer back 25-30 years ago.
DeleteThe 13 year old pump on my pressure washer let go this past weekend on a Honda powered Craftsman 2500 PSI unit. I took the pump off and started disassembling it on my workbench. Nothing obvious and I didn't go as far as pulling out the valves. My Asst. Fire Chief is a good go to guy for fixing stuff. I wanted his opinion about whether to try and get rebuild kits, or just replace the whole unit. His recommendation was on smaller household type units like mine, just replace the pump. A large high pressure commercial unit is worth rebuilding, but not mine. I got a brand new direct replacement pump off eBay for $111. I paid over $300 for the whole unit and it has a Honda engine, so worth replacing for another 13 years of service, with no aggravation.
ReplyDeleteYou're a funny guy. This was a humerous description of what everyone I know has gone through at one time or another.
ReplyDeleteI just want to say, good luck, we're all counting on you.
Rick
Ah, the things you uncover/discover when attempting to repair or replace something around the house. Sounds like a typical home repair or remodel project.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe it only took one trip to the hardware store.
ReplyDeleteIt is written in stone somewhere that if Phil ever attempts anything even remotely related to a plumbing project there will be a three trip penalty assessed automatically.
Ha!
DeleteEvery single time.
-rightwingterrorist
Ha!
DeleteEvery single time.
-rightwingterrorist
Is the water on yet? Got to go to the bathroom......
ReplyDeletefunny - not funny. the speeding truck to the store is a typical for me. + it's at least 5 trips.
ReplyDeleteYou mean to tell me you don't have JB Weld in the garage?
ReplyDeleteLeigh
Whitehall, NY