Frequently Asked Questions - Hydrants

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I don’t see my hydrant listed. Do you have traffic repair kits available for other models?

​​​​We offer traffic repair kits and extension kits for nearly any hydrant made in the last 30 years. We list only a sampling of the most popular hydrants currently in use. As with many of our products, we can only show a few of the literally hundreds of options that are available to our customers. We specialize in the hard-to-find. Call our tech support group for your hard-to-find kits. If it’s available, chances are we can get it.​​​​

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What color should my hydrant be?

​​​​Colors for hydrants as per AWWA:

Class AA:    Blue    1500 gpm or greater
Class A:    Green    1000 to 1500 gpm
Class B:    Orange    500 to 1000 gpm
Class C:    Red    Less than 500 gpm​​​​

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Why should I use a hydrant diffuser?

​​​​You use a hydrant diffuser to disperse the flow coming out of the hydrant to cut down on the ground erosion around the hydrant.​​​​

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Why do I have to use a discharge coefficient when I calculate my hydrant flows?

A discharge coefficient is used in the calculation of hydrant discharge flows because there are different outlet types and each type causes a different amount of turbulence which changes the flow calculation amount.

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Can USABluebook get city specific custom threaded hydrant adaptors?

​​​​Yes. Call and ask for our Hydrant Tech Support group for pricing and availability.​​​​

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Why is it important to flush your hydrant system?

​​​​Flushing helps improve the quality of the delivered water and reduces customer complaints. Flushing should be done at dead-end and low flow applications.​​​​

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When do I need to use a hydrant backflow preventer?

​​​​You need to use a hydrant backflow preventer any time you are drawing water from a hydrant that there is even a slight chance of contaminates getting back into your fresh water supply. Check you local codes for your area’s requirements.​​​​