sisterpine
New Member
Lets see if i can give you all the info you need to help me solve this issue.
we live in southwest montana at 7100 feet elevation. winters include many days of -20 to -30 degrees F. Our well is 180 feet deep (is actually considered a dry well and just seeps water slowly from around the bedrock). We just installed a submersible 120 volt submersible pump "goulds" which is connected to a 1" poly pipe which comes up above the ground level 1 foot. the well head is enclosed in an uninsulated well house at the is time. we are not piped to the house (will have to blast bedrock to get deep enough) so we are using layflat hoses to pump twice weekly 200 gal's from this well into our large storage tanks. Obviously we must roll up and bring inside the hoses after each pumping exercise to prevent freezing. Our problem is that the poly tubing which has a faucet attached to it freezes in the well hole. The hole which is basically open with pipes and wires coming out gets very cold, being at ground level and everything is very frosty. I do not know how deep down into the hole the water in the poly pipe is frozen. Usually takes about 2 hours of running a hair blow dryer into the hole to defrost enough to pump (at least this is true when it is above zero outside). It seems to me we need to find a way to drain the water standing in the poly pipe back into the well at least down 10-15 feet where it wont just re-freeze after each time we pump? I have seen "drain back air valves" that are 3/4 inche and threaded which allow air to get into a pipe (i think) but i do not see how this would drain our pipe. Please advise what I need to get for this 1" poly pipe, where to install it etc. thanks so much , kathleen
we live in southwest montana at 7100 feet elevation. winters include many days of -20 to -30 degrees F. Our well is 180 feet deep (is actually considered a dry well and just seeps water slowly from around the bedrock). We just installed a submersible 120 volt submersible pump "goulds" which is connected to a 1" poly pipe which comes up above the ground level 1 foot. the well head is enclosed in an uninsulated well house at the is time. we are not piped to the house (will have to blast bedrock to get deep enough) so we are using layflat hoses to pump twice weekly 200 gal's from this well into our large storage tanks. Obviously we must roll up and bring inside the hoses after each pumping exercise to prevent freezing. Our problem is that the poly tubing which has a faucet attached to it freezes in the well hole. The hole which is basically open with pipes and wires coming out gets very cold, being at ground level and everything is very frosty. I do not know how deep down into the hole the water in the poly pipe is frozen. Usually takes about 2 hours of running a hair blow dryer into the hole to defrost enough to pump (at least this is true when it is above zero outside). It seems to me we need to find a way to drain the water standing in the poly pipe back into the well at least down 10-15 feet where it wont just re-freeze after each time we pump? I have seen "drain back air valves" that are 3/4 inche and threaded which allow air to get into a pipe (i think) but i do not see how this would drain our pipe. Please advise what I need to get for this 1" poly pipe, where to install it etc. thanks so much , kathleen