Light in The Well House.........

fordy · #1 11/30/04, 11:54 PM

..............The temp's here tonite are going Down into the low to mid 20's so I put a sixty watt bulb in a work lite and placed it beside the PVC pipe that comes out of my water well that is about 20 inches high and has one of those Round cement protectors with the LID . Some folks around me don't seem to worry about the cold weather freezing their water well but it sure scares me enough to do all I can to keep it from freezing . There Must be some positive effect in terms of lowering the freezing temperature due too the pressure inside the pipe which will very from 40 to 60 . I've not had anyone beable to tell me what that factor might be . I can't afford a busted water well this time of year or anytime for that matter , fordy...

uncle Will in In. · #2 12/01/04, 02:30 AM

Is this a drilled well with a submersable pump? If so, the water line leaving the large round casing is below freeze level in the ground isn't it? Have you taken the lid off the casing and looked down inside the well?

wjoerob · #3 12/01/04, 04:21 AM

We have put a light AND a heater in our well house for years. In central Indiana, the temps get below freezing for long periods. Our cement block well house has a jet pump, water storage tank, and the pipes coming up out of the ground and back down into the ground. It has just a single layer wooden door, and this is at the back of our pasture, about 150 yards from the house. We put insulation around the inside of the building, and we've still had it freeze once. It's easier to take the precautions ahead of time than to thaw out frozen pipes. In fact, I wonder if a 60-watt bulb is enough

big rockpile · #4 12/01/04, 05:07 AM

I put Heat Light in my Well house,plus its packed with Insulation.

big rockpile

Jo · #5 12/01/04, 05:54 AM

We live where it can below freezing all winter......we got a special adapter or plug you put in the plug in.... before plugging the heater and the heater only comes on when the temperture goes below 32*.....that way we don't have to run the heater day and night. The bill for the electric goes up some but it not bad. We worth it. No frozen pipes.

AnnaS · #6 12/01/04, 07:04 AM

Here in MN where it can and will get to -25 below (or worse!) actual temp in the winter...
My water pump is in my outside root cellar. I built a wooden box about 5 x 3 to go around it and lined it with styrofoam. Two work lights are hung right by the pump (two in case one burns out) and the extension cords that run them plug into an outlet outside the root cellar so I don't have to go down to plug them in.
Used this set-up all last winter with no problems.

fordy · #7 12/01/04, 07:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by uncle Will in In.

Is this a drilled well with a submersable pump? If so, the water line leaving the large round casing is below freeze level in the ground isn't it? Have you taken the lid off the casing and looked down inside the well?

...............Will , here in my area of Texas when the driller finishes a well , they add a "well head" which is about 6 inches in diameter and top it off about 16 inches above ground level . Then , they plumb in the pressure tank right next to the well head . It is UP to the land owner to resituate the pressure tank into an insulated structure to prevent from it freezing . All , I have at my well head is a 20 inch round cement enclosure with a lid...that is where I put the light bulb to keep it from freezing . My 100 gallon pressure tank is INside my building which is fully insulated so it will never freeze . This one instance where I'm GLAD to have a connection to the "Grid" . ...fordy...

joan from zone six · #8 12/01/04, 07:57 AM

the double light bulbs are a good idea - in case of burnout - don't forget the heat in the water - around here it is about 55 year-round so it helps a lot to keep the water running slowly during freeze periods -

rambler · #9 12/01/04, 10:59 AM

Also in Minesota, was minus 28 for a couple of nights last year.....

My well head is about 8 feet deep in a concrete pit. The 80 gallon pressure water tank is also in that pit. All water lines are about 6' deep. The top of the tank is really only a few feet below the surface, but the water itself, if you use it, keep pulling more heat into the pit area. Has never frozen - yet.

--->Paul

Bob_W_in_NM · #10 12/01/04, 11:15 AM

I have a specialty well house heater in my pump house. Works really well and has a thermostat that just keeps the place above freezing. It doesn't need to be 68 degrees in there.

Here's a link to the product information bulletin (PDF file):

http://www.marleymeh.com/develop/pro.../ZBL-BPHTB.pdf

caroline00 · #11 12/01/04, 12:06 PM

we have a 250 watt heat lamp. My husband and I had a discussion about whether we buy a new bulb for this year or continue using last years...

since I was the one at the store with the checkbook, I won! and we are starting with a new bulb. I cannot see taking the risk of the bulb going out during the night and having water frozen over $5.

flutemandolin · #12 12/01/04, 12:08 PM

We have an above ground, insulated well house (new this year). Dh put a portable ceramic heater in there on a timer, so it runs for two hours twice a day. I think it's overkill; I'm tired of warm water coming out of the faucet when I want cold!

deberosa · #13 12/01/04, 02:55 PM

I just put a new 100 watt bulb in the old lamp I have sitting on the floor of my well house. That is plenty for here, but getting a night or two of 15 degrees is about as cold as it will ever get here.

sisterpine · #14 12/01/04, 03:21 PM

You are all very fortunate, I just want a well to put a well house around!

SteveD(TX) · #15 12/01/04, 04:01 PM

I tried the 100w bulb once. Didn't work - pipes froze since the bulb apparently burned out one time without my knowledge. The other time I don't know what happened. So I've replumbed my well pipes twice due to the bulb thing. What does work for me: I bought a heat plug that activates at 35 degrees, with a little ceramic space heater placed near the pipes. That has worked great for the last three years.

Vera · #16 12/01/04, 07:43 PM

My well pipe froze a few weeks back when we had a 10-degree night... blocked the gap under the door (duh!), put a blanket on the pipe where it comes out of the well casing, and turned on the light which is a 40W bulb under the roof. That took care of it so well that nothing froze since, even during the last two nights which were 4 below and 9 below zero.
The well guy who'll fix my pressure setup one of these days recommends a little space heater that's hooked up to a thermostat and kicks on when the temps get too close to freezing. He also said that it'd be a good idea to wrap any exposed pipes with those foam sleeves you get at the hardwood store... my version of that is old blankets/comforters or layers of newspaper taped around the pipes, which works just fine and dandy in my crawl space.

P.S.: good insulation of pipes and building is a must if you live in an area where the power tends to go out after most snow storms... when the power's out, no bulb or heater is going to keep your pipes safe.

Bob_W_in_NM · #17 12/01/04, 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vera

My well pipe froze a few weeks back when we had a 10-degree night... blocked the gap under the door (duh!), put a blanket on the pipe where it comes out of the well casing, and turned on the light which is a 40W bulb under the roof. That took care of it so well that nothing froze since, even during the last two nights which were 4 below and 9 below zero.
The well guy who'll fix my pressure setup one of these days recommends a little space heater that's hooked up to a thermostat and kicks on when the temps get too close to freezing. He also said that it'd be a good idea to wrap any exposed pipes with those foam sleeves you get at the hardwood store... my version of that is old blankets/comforters or layers of newspaper taped around the pipes, which works just fine and dandy in my crawl space.

P.S.: good insulation of pipes and building is a must if you live in an area where the power tends to go out after most snow storms... when the power's out, no bulb or heater is going to keep your pipes safe.

Vera, Check out my post in this thread. Follow the URL. It's just what you need. I bought mine a few years ago and it was about 50 bucks back then.
Any of the Crescent Electric Supply Co. branches in Arizona (www.cesco.com) will be able to get you one. As long as the power doesn't fail, it works great. If the power is out, no water anyway here.
Bob

Shagbarkmtcatle · #18 12/02/04, 07:05 AM

Fordy, you have me puzzled. My dh and I own a plumbing business and we install well systems. It sounds like you have a submersible pump which means the pump itself is located way down in your well in the water itself so it can pump up the water. If this is your case, then it will not freeze since it is most likely 30" or further below the ground. The ground temp is 55 here and yours is probably close to that.
When we do a well system, the pump is dropped down into the well casing by saftey rope and it hangs there in the water so it can pump up the water. The water line runs into the house, usually into the basement where the pressure tank is located. This keeps the tank from freezing. But if you are in a trailer, it is sometimes put into a pump house located near the well.
If this is the case, you won't have to worry about keeping the pump warm, the water does that. Water that far below the ground never freezes.
However, if you have a jet pump, well that's an animal of another type. Do you have a jet pump?

Laura Lynn