Insulated well covers that won’t need aux heat for zone 4?
BrunoF
| Posted in General Questions on
I am looking for recommendations on either a ready to use well head cover or specs on how to build one so that I won’t need a heater or light bulb in there in the winter.
i am in central NC, on the southern edge of zone 4. I have my pressure tank and filters in the crawlspace so they are safe; I just need to keep the water line in the well head and on its way into the ground from freezing.
any thoughts or suggestions on doing this without a heater are welcomed!
thx.
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Replies
Why do you need a heater? I've never seen that in CZ 5 and 6 where I work. The supply line is usually below the frost line, or covered with foam if not.
An inch of foam is worth a foot of dirt.
This is how your well should be built:
https://wellowner.org/resources/basics/well-system-components/
Like Michael said no need for heater
That isn’t how there are done in my neighborhood. The water line comes straight out the top the well which is 16” above grade.
How do your neighbors cope?
They all have well houses / covers with heaters or lightbulbs on a thermostat. I’m trying to avoid all of that and make / buy a structure that can trap enough heat from the ground and keep things from freezing without having to bury another wire.
I think it would be cheaper to dig down and install a pitless adapter.
To do what you want the line has to be buried, the warmth of the earth has to be what keeps it from freezing.
Weird. That sounds much more complicated than necessary.
Michael,
And much more vulnerable.
Which option is more complicated? Excavating and reconfiguring my well head or running power and a heater?
Are they buried or in conduit? If the are in conduit it is probably large enough to accommodate another 2-12 wires. Just pull a couple more wires and place an outlet for heat tape. Just build a very small doghouse like structure with lots insulation and the heat tape will probably come one very rarely if at all. Insulate the pipes themselves as well.
Bruno, while in the very short-term it may seem simpler to build a heated structure over your well head, it seems to me that a bit of digging and drilling wouldn't be much different and you would never have to worry about freezing if you lose power, etc..
You can buy a pitless adapter and casing head kit for like $200 so to Michael’s and dc point it is probably cheaper, as well as being a proper solution
I’ll check into the pit less adapter option. I need to check with the county and driller to see how deep the sticky grout is that they put around the well casing to be sure I won’t mess anything up when excavating.
+1 on pitiless and buried line. This is how it is done around me (zone 5 and 6).
The only time there are issues if the bedrock is near the surface and the pipes are not deep enough.