Freezeless Residential Wall Hydrant

Q. "How do these hydrants provide freeze protection?"
A. The Prier freezeless wall hydrants include an anti-siphon vacuum breaker and pitched drainage angle that allows the water to drain out of the hydrant head when the valve stem is closed. This ensures there is no standing water inside of the hydrant supply line, thus preventing water from freezing inside of the hydrant body. Please be sure to remove any items that are attached to the hydrant male hose threads to ensure the proper drainage of the unit during freezing conditions.

Q. "I already have one of the wheel handle hydrants and want to switch to a vandal proof hydrant. Is this possible?"
A. Yes, if you have one of the above Prier wall hydrants, we offer a conversion kit for both the wheel handle hydrant and the vandal proof hydrant that will allow you to change styles of your current unit depending upon your application.

Q. "Do you offer mounting brackets for these hydrants?"
A. There is no need for an additional mounting bracket. The wall flange is pre-drilled with mounting screw holes to make installation quick and easy.

Q. "What kind of threads do the outlets of these faucets have? What can I attach to them?"
A. The outlets of these faucets have 3/4" male hose threads (MHT). Most standard household garden hoses have one 3/4" male-hose-threaded (MHT) end and one 3/4" female-hose-threaded (FHT) end, and so you can attach the FHT end of such a hose to the outlet of these faucets. Actually, you can thread almost any fitting that has 3/4" female hose threads onto the outlet of these faucets, as long as space allows.

Q. "In the different inlet options above, what do the abbreviations (such as "1/2-inch MPT x 1/2-inch SWT") mean?"
A. Each faucet is available with different inlet options, and the abbreviations refer to the way the faucet inlets connect to your water supply piping. We show two different inlets designations for each because the faucets conveniently offer two different ways to connect to your water supply. Here are detailed definitions and explanations:

• 1/2" MPT x 1/2" SWT: The inlet has 1/2" male iron pipe (IPS) threads on the outside and is sized to accept 1/2" nominal (5/8"OD) copper pipe on the inside. This means you have the option of either threading the inlet into a 1/2" female IPS fitting OR sweating 1/2"N copper into the inlet itself. ("Sweating" is the same as "soldering".)

• 3/4" Sweat: The inlet has a 3/4" sweat fitting for nominal (7/8"OD) copper pipe to fit on the inside. You sweat/solder 3/4"N copper into the inlet itself.

• 3/4" MPT x 1/2" FPT: The inlet has 3/4" male iron pipe (IPS) threads on the outside and 1/2" female iron pipe (IPS) threads on the inside. You can either thread the inlet into a 3/4" female IPS fitting OR you can thread a piece of 1/2" IPS pipe or a 1/2" male IPS-threaded fitting into it.

Q. "Specifically, what do some of the other terms (such as "MPT", "SWT", "IPS") mean?"
A. Many common plumbing abbreviations are used on this page and in the FAQs (as well as all over our site, really). Definitions for some of the more common plumbing terms are:

• IPS: This means "iron pipe size", which is the basic term of measurement for common plumbing pipe thread. IPS threads seal on the threads themselves (and not on the rim of the pipe), which is why PTFE tape and/or pipe dope should be used to make an adequate seal against leaking.
• MPT: "Male pipe thread", which is the same as male IPS threads (also known as "MIPS").
• FPT: "Female pipe thread", which is the same as female IPS threads (also known as "FIPS").
• FHT: This is "female hose thread", and commonly refers specifically to the 3/4" female hose thread that's found on most household garden hoses. FHT fittings and hoses don't seal on the threads themselves; the seal is made with a washer that's at the "top" of the female hose threads.
• MHT: This refers to "male hose thread", or specifically the 3/4" male hose thread that's found on most household garden hoses. Male hose threads seal between the rim of the MHT end and the rubber washer in a female-hose-threaded fitting.
• SWT: This stands for "sweat", which is another term for "solder". Unthreaded copper pipe is connected to copper fittings by sweating -- or soldering -- them together using a torch with solder and flux. Some of the faucets above have SWT ends to allow for easier connection to copper pipe or fittings.
• "Nominal": This is a term used to describe the sizing of copper pipe (among other things), and is abbreviated as "N". The "nominal size" of a piece of copper pipe is actually one-eighth of an inch (1/8") less than the actual outside diameter of the pipe itself; for instance, a piece 1/2"N (nominal) copper pipe would have an outside diameter of 5/8". Nominally-sized copper fittings with hub ends are sized to allow copper pipe to sweat inside the hubbed ends of the fittings.
• "Hub": The end of a fitting that allows pipe to be inserted into it is a "hub end". Some of the faucets above allow you to sweat a piece of copper pipe inside, and so would be referred to as having a "hub end".
• "Spigot": Also abbreviated as "SPIG", this is an end of a fitting that's sized the same as copper pipe. The spigot end of a fitting can be sweated into a hub end of another fitting. Some of the inlets of the faucets above can be sweated inside the hub of a copper fitting, and so would be referred to as a "spigot end".