ferrythecat
Extreme homeowner
I have been lurking here for a while and love the spirit in this community and the way folks have been sharing. I thought I would add my story and see if others had better suggestions.
Background
My parents live in NJ (where things freeze) and have a deep water well. I know the top of the well is 12-18" below the ground, and the water pipe comes out the top, makes a 90 and heads to the house. This was installed ~1960, pre-pitless days. The pipe in the well casing is galv (at least it was 20 years ago when I watched them change it once. It was changed again a few years ago and I don't know if it is galv or plastic now, probably doesn't matter much) and then it is black ABS or PE into the basement. The pipe is very close to the surface at 12-18" deep, and it runs a few feet under dirt, then under the paved driveway and into the basement.
25 years ago on a cold night when my mother was on vacation it was just my dad and I. 2 guys, no need for laundry, showers or cooking, and the pipe froze.
We pumped warm water from a bucket backwards into the line until it melted and things have been fine ever since.
My parents are now however thinking about going to Florida for the winter and are not sure how to frost proof this.
It is a modern pressure tank with bladder, and I am assuming a check valve right at the pump 1xx' feet in the ground.
From reading here and my own ideas I have:
1) Turn off circuit breaker to well pump, drain expansion tank, open faucets, drop house heat to 50, go to FL
2) In addition to above, open the line from the well to the tank and pump RV antifreeze into it for a while (it will overflow out yes, so circulate until convinced it is in the pipe and down the well shaft), set the heat down to 50, go to FL
3) Dig to the well head, pull 10' up/out of ground, install some kind of back bleed valve and re-seal it all up
4) Disconnect the power that comes into the pressure switch and re-wire through a home built box that is a combination of a timer and a relay. Set the timer to turn on for 1 minute every 6 hours, 24/7. Connect the boiler drain at the bottom of the pressure tank to a short hose into the sump pump pit.
#1 is the hope/prey method. It will certainly freeze and we are banking on it not bursting. It didn't burst 25 years ago, so maybe it will/maybe it won't.
#2 seems very messy and hard to determine if the antifreeze really made it down the well at least a few feet
#3 is interesting, but I haven't yet seen a valve setup I can remotely open to make this work
#4 is my own idea. It might waste some water, but seems relatively easy to build and safe to operate. It is susceptible to power failure. I could also rig it with a double pole double throw switch to move it from regular water mode to vacation mode. This would be good if my parents decide to go to FL every winter.
Any other ideas?
Thoughts on how to do #3?
Reasons #4 is stupid?
My parents are willing to pay for a valid solution, and I am willing to do stupid amounts of labor since I strangely find it fun. Note that digging down below the frost line for a new pipe is a good idea, but not practical with a finished driveway.
Feedback appreciated.
CK
Background
My parents live in NJ (where things freeze) and have a deep water well. I know the top of the well is 12-18" below the ground, and the water pipe comes out the top, makes a 90 and heads to the house. This was installed ~1960, pre-pitless days. The pipe in the well casing is galv (at least it was 20 years ago when I watched them change it once. It was changed again a few years ago and I don't know if it is galv or plastic now, probably doesn't matter much) and then it is black ABS or PE into the basement. The pipe is very close to the surface at 12-18" deep, and it runs a few feet under dirt, then under the paved driveway and into the basement.
25 years ago on a cold night when my mother was on vacation it was just my dad and I. 2 guys, no need for laundry, showers or cooking, and the pipe froze.
We pumped warm water from a bucket backwards into the line until it melted and things have been fine ever since.
My parents are now however thinking about going to Florida for the winter and are not sure how to frost proof this.
It is a modern pressure tank with bladder, and I am assuming a check valve right at the pump 1xx' feet in the ground.
From reading here and my own ideas I have:
1) Turn off circuit breaker to well pump, drain expansion tank, open faucets, drop house heat to 50, go to FL
2) In addition to above, open the line from the well to the tank and pump RV antifreeze into it for a while (it will overflow out yes, so circulate until convinced it is in the pipe and down the well shaft), set the heat down to 50, go to FL
3) Dig to the well head, pull 10' up/out of ground, install some kind of back bleed valve and re-seal it all up
4) Disconnect the power that comes into the pressure switch and re-wire through a home built box that is a combination of a timer and a relay. Set the timer to turn on for 1 minute every 6 hours, 24/7. Connect the boiler drain at the bottom of the pressure tank to a short hose into the sump pump pit.
#1 is the hope/prey method. It will certainly freeze and we are banking on it not bursting. It didn't burst 25 years ago, so maybe it will/maybe it won't.
#2 seems very messy and hard to determine if the antifreeze really made it down the well at least a few feet
#3 is interesting, but I haven't yet seen a valve setup I can remotely open to make this work
#4 is my own idea. It might waste some water, but seems relatively easy to build and safe to operate. It is susceptible to power failure. I could also rig it with a double pole double throw switch to move it from regular water mode to vacation mode. This would be good if my parents decide to go to FL every winter.
Any other ideas?
Thoughts on how to do #3?
Reasons #4 is stupid?
My parents are willing to pay for a valid solution, and I am willing to do stupid amounts of labor since I strangely find it fun. Note that digging down below the frost line for a new pipe is a good idea, but not practical with a finished driveway.
Feedback appreciated.
CK
