Freeze-Free Wall Hydrant Mounting Device for Exterior Replacement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wall hydrants require difficult and costly interior access for replacement, and can cause water leakage and damage when they freeze or rupture, especially when located in crawl spaces or basement ceilings.
Innovation Solution
A wall hydrant mounting device with a linear hollow conduit, double internally threaded connector, and anchoring flange allows exterior disconnection and replacement of a freeze-free wall hydrant, featuring an adjustment cap and drain notch to prevent internal leakage and facilitate external access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the wall hydrant is installed with interior access required for replacement, then the hydrant can be properly connected to the water supply, but the replacement process becomes difficult and costly requiring interior access
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting device is divided into separate components: an exterior mounting body that remains fixed in the wall, and a hydrant assembly that can be independently removed and replaced. This segmentation allows the hydrant to be replaced without disturbing the water supply connection, eliminating the need for difficult interior access.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting device acts as an intermediary between the water supply system and the hydrant. It provides a standardized exterior interface that decouples the hydrant replacement process from the water supply connection, allowing hydrants to be changed without interior access while maintaining secure water supply attachment.
2Strength
If the hydrant tube is concealed in a wall or basement ceiling, then the hydrant is protected from external damage, but water leakage from tube rupture causes significant structural damage
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting device serves as an intermediary containment structure with built-in drainage capabilities. It intercepts water leakage from the hydrant tube before the water can reach concealed areas, and channels it through designated drainage paths to safe exterior discharge points, preventing structural damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting device extracts and redirects harmful water leakage away from the building structure. By providing external drainage paths and discharge points, it removes the water hazard from the concealed interior spaces where it would cause structural damage.
3Ease of repair
If the hydrant allows exterior replacement, then replacement becomes easier and less costly, but the device complexity increases with additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting device is designed as a universal interface that performs multiple functions: securing the hydrant to the water supply, enabling exterior removal and replacement, and providing drainage for water leakage. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require multiple separate components into a single integrated unit, reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting device merges the mounting mechanism, drainage system, and exterior interface into a single integrated component. This consolidation simplifies installation and maintenance compared to having separate mounting brackets, drainage channels, and sealing mechanisms, while still providing all necessary functions for easy exterior replacement.
Data Source
AI summary
A wall hydrant mounting device comprises a linear hollow conduit with a threaded connector at one end and an anchoring flange secured at the opposite end. The anchoring flange includes an anchoring section with an enlarged passageway connected to a hollow, cylindrical section. An adjustment cap fits within the enlarged passageway of the anchoring section. The adjustment cap contains a hollow cylindrical section in alignment with the hollow, cylindrical section of the anchoring flange. The wall hydrant mounting device is adapted for attachment of a water conduit to the threaded connector adjacent the end of the hollow conduit, and adapted for attachment of a wall hydrant to the threaded connector member. The wall hydrant is inserted through the adjustment cap, the hollow, cylindrical central section of the anchoring flange and through the hollow conduit fastened thereto.