Conference noted::equitation

    Hi Gwen,
    
    I would have thought it were the water pump, but it doesn't sound
    like it since the water in the house is working.  I would start
    by calling a plumber, and maybe they can either help you or send
    you in the right direction for help.  Good Luck.
    
    Linda
    
    

    Are you sure it isn't frozen? Sometimes the portion of the hydrant
    that is above the ground (especially the handle) can freeze up.
    
    We have to wrap heat tape on our frost-free hydrant. If we don't,
    the upper portion freezes. When it does, it's not too hard to thaw
    it with a heat gun (a hair dryer would work too).  It's a lot
    easier to just keep the heat tape plugged in. 
    
   

    I would agree w/ .2 also.  Our hose is kept inside a heated office.
    If soneone leaves part of it out at night, the the water in that
    part freezes and we can't get any water from the hose.  After the
    pressure/heat builds up we then get some trickling water, and then
    the ice chunks fly into the water bucket.

    I also agree with .2 about the hair dryer to get things working
    again and then the heating tape to keep it that way.  We have heating
    tape on all of our pipes in the feed room.
    
    About who to call, how about starting where you bought the pump.
    If it isn't frozen maybe they have an idea of what it could possibly
    be. 
    
    I wish you the best of luck, hope that this weekend isn't longer
    in work than it need be.
    
    Lorna
    
    P.S.  Happy New Year!!!!!
    

	I just read your note, Gwen and I hope my reply is too late.  In
other words I hope it is fixed already, but in case it is not...

	I just put in on of those hydrants.  At the bottom there is a drain
plug.  If you can dig down to that plug you will be able to remove it and test
to see if the water is frozen between the water supply and the top of the
hydrant.  Be sure that you turn off the water before you remove the plug and
have somebody help you by standing at the shutoff to turn the water on and off.
	If you have water to that point, then the hair dryer all the way up
the hydrant pipe is what you need to do.  If you have no water at the drain
plug then call the plumber.

	About the digging, the hole will end up close to 4 feet deep, so make
sure you have enough room to dig the hole.  Also realize that if you cannot
fix the problem you have saved some money by cutting down on the time the
plumber will be working, and thoses guys are expensive.

	Good luck, and again I hope you advise is too late.

		Dave.

    I believe there's also a bolt on the back side of the head which
    causes the head to lift the valve.....make sure that's tight when
    the head is closed....

    
    My dad always insisted that when we used the frost free hydrants
    in COLD weather to gather ALL the buckets and fill them all at once
    without turning off the hydrant in between buckets.  
    
    He indicated that the hydrant will freeze easier if you keep turning it
    off and on (something about the water not draining correctly or too
    much water accumulating at the bottom or in the pipe or something like
    that...).
    
    All I know is, I still use that technique.  And when someone besides
    me did the watering and DIDn't use that technique, my hydrant froze
    and I had to get a plumber to thaw it out.   

    Well...dawn just broke in Harvard with a crash that should have
    registered on the Richter Scale!  
    
    I'm REAL embarassed but I feel like I owe all you nice people
    the answer to my water problem.  (God, why am I so dumb?)
    Anyway, you know those little attachments you get for the faucet
    so you can have two hoses hooked up at once?  Well, I use one
    so I can have a hose and a free spigot.  And this Fall I didn't
    take it off.  And so THAT'S what was freezing.  I took it off
    and like magic the water runs.
    
    (I fully expect to take a bunch of razzing for this)
    
    Thanks everyone for your responses!
    
    Gwen
    

    	Well Gwen,,we live and learn. At least it was a cheap fix.
    
    		George

    Gwen,  don't feel bad !  I did the same thing earlier this season,
    only I thought our well pump quit, boy, am I glad it was only that
    dumb little plastic attachment.
    
    Sorry, I didn't think of that when I replied last time...
    
    
    Lorna