Hello, my husband and I recently purchased a home with a barn for our 2 horses. The barn is from the early 1900’s and there is only 1 water spigot in the basement of the barn where we store the tractor. We want to get a spigot on the second floor where the horses stay at night and be able to use the water all winter without freezing.
I’m wondering…who do I call for this? A plumber? General contractor?
Thank you!
to me this would be more of do-it-yourself type of project…but if not a plumber
be sure to photograph how the installation is done for reference
Clanter is far more qualified to comment on this than I am, but putting a freeze-proof water supply on the second floor of an antique barn = some major electrical and plumbing expertise. There could be a very good reason why this hasn’t been done before. Whatever you work out, it will have to drain back below the frost line reliably and that’s the part I can’t quite envision. Do you know any old farmers in your area who could recommend a plumber with experience in projects like this?
I have the same thought as you do @betsyk .
Trying to picture how the piping would be routed in a way that would work (with out adding a conditioned space in the basement).
I would start by calling a plumber, but make sure they explain exactly what they are going to do, so you are sure you are getting what you want (a spigot that will work when it is below freezing).
a simple method would use pex water line but route it though a larger pipe such as a 4 inch drain pipe …center the pex then fill with either loose insulation or spray foam .other wise standard water pipe can be wrapped with foam or even have a heat tape attached
install a shutoff on both ends of the feed to isolate the upper faucet
pex is pretty hardy and can survive if frozen
We moved to where it usually does not freeze.
Well yes.
I was thinking along the lines of using an actual non-freeze hydrant of some style. Clearly there are ways with heat.
Depending on where the OP is I doubt just a cover pipe with insulation will keep things from freezing, though Pex will make things less likely to burst.
I’d start with a well guy for this sort of thing. If he doesn’t do it, I bet he’d know who would.
Ok, good ideas, thank you all. I will get a quote from a plumber and a well guy to start. We’re in Massachusetts so we get some pretty cold winters.
Thank you!!
Flutter valve, if what you are talking about is really a spigot or faucet, and not a hydrant?? We had one in MA when I was a kid. We always forgot to flip the little thing that drained it, and burst the pipe.
I think you’d need to insulate the barn and/or insulate and heat the plumbing for this to work. I have never heard of a flutter valve, but was thinking there is probably a way to drain the line going to the 2nd floor - but the chances that someone will forget and it will freeze are really too great to chance it.
Bury the water line deeper than recommended if you will be driving over it regularly. Sounds odd, but the dirt packs down harder under vehicles, so driving over water line pushes frost deeper. Enough so a “normal freeze” depth might not be deep enough under compressed dirt and frost.
Locally, frost will freeze down 6ft in cold winters, so water lines have to be buried deeply. Taking water out to a barn with a driveway crossing it, means water PROBABLY should get buried deeper. Building an insulated box around hydrant or putting a self draining hydrant inside the barn, should help keep that end unfrozen.
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