Empty out lake water line in winter

HI..I have a lake home in Northern Ontario with an "in lake" water pump connected to the cottage with about 100 yds of pipe. The pipe is partially heated with a heat line for winter use to where the pipe goes below the lake freezing level...maybe 100ft (ice gets about 4 ft thick here!). The system works fine and I get good lake water all winter. But in order to save hydro costs (sometimes I feel like I am heating the whole lake!) I would like to be able to turn the heat line off when I am away from the cottage during extended times in the winter. It isn't practical for me to go out into the lake and lift the pump or anything like that. I would like a system that I can "charge up" when I am there in the winter and then turn off when I leave.
So...with an "in lake" pump, with the pump turned off,is there a way of blowing....or sucking the water out the pipe so that I can turn off the heating cable when I am not there?
Thanks!

I have done this many times. You can install a bleeder orifice under the freeze line out in the lake. Make sure the only check valve in the system is on the pump itself. The bleeder will stay closed as long as there is pressure in the system, like the regular 30/50 or 40/60. When you get ready to leave, turn off the power to the pump and open a faucet. The water from the pressure tank will come out of the faucet. Then when the tank is empty and there is no pressure in the system, the bleeder will open and drain all the water back to the lake. Leaving the faucet on lets it have air so the line can drain back. If it is less than about 15' in elevation from the house to the bleeder, a standard brass or rubber bleeder will work. If it is more than 15' of elevation difference, you will need a spring loaded bleeder.

When you come back to the house, just turn power on to the pump, wait for the air to get out of the open faucet, close the faucet, and you are back in business.

bleeder

Hi Valveman,

Will this bleeder also work on my setup which is a jet pump over a 15ft shallow well that is left over the winter at our cottage. I am tired of pulling the downpipe each fall. House is 30ft higher than well.

Rick.

Sorry but the bleeder won't work on a suction line. You could put a tee turning down to the drop pipe with a plug on top. Then you can remove the plug and displace the water with a stick or a smaller pipe with a cap on the end.

Thanks Valveman...now I just to find (and learn to install!) the bleeder valve....I'll probably do the springload since I am not sure of the drop...but would guess it is over 15ft.
Harpman

Hi...A further question about the bleeder valve. Won't this only drain down to the water level?? The ice on my lake freezes to 4ft deep so wouldn't I end up with 4 ft of frozen pipe? Will this break the pipe or is there enough "give" for this freezing to be OK?
Dave

Poy pipe, probably OK. Anything else, probably bust. Maybe you could just run your heater in that 4' area, or keep all pipe below 4' through the water.