Need to keep water pipes from freezing help
Had a new well pump installed and had to tear down the old well house, I'm in the process of framing a new one with a shed attached but no roof on it yet and we are supposed to get to single digits in the next couple of days... what is the best way to keep the exposed pipes from freezing?
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Mr. Perfect: 30415424100891/comments/30415452446235
https://forums.gunbroker.com/discussion/comment/11369524#Comment_11369524
A regular old 60 watt light bulb kept my pump house from freezing for decades. Those standard bulbs put out 60 Watts (but I went to public school). Look at any heater and you will see how many watts it puts out. Watts are watts.
Watts are NOT watts. A 60 watt heater uses those watts to produce heat. A 60 watt bulb uses the watts to produce light, a small amount of heat is a by-product.
Apples and oranges.
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mike55: 30415424100891/comments/30415425208475
https://forums.gunbroker.com/discussion/comment/11369536#Comment_11369536
Watts are NOT watts. A 60 watt heater uses those watts to produce heat. A 60 watt bulb uses the watts to produce light, a small amount of heat is a by-product.
Apples and oranges.
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Big pile of loose hay and a tarp
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TIMING IS EVERYTHING🤔
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Been using old style incandescent light bulbs all of my life. As long as th e bulbs didn't burn out we never lost a pump Those that did freeze I could usually repair them by brazing the parts back together. We always kept one or two pumps in the barn as spares just in case. Electric spce heaters work well when wired thru a thermostat.
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What's a electrichester?🤔
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Fat fingered typing ..... electric heater .
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That is what I figured, you must have been thinking Winchester at the same time.
Winchesteritus is terminal at the least.
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mike55: 30415424100891/comments/30415442130331
Ummm, I hope everyone's light bulb suggestions were for actual heat lamps and bulbs! A regular light bulb will not heat any structure nor keep pipes from freezing.
Wrap the pipes, tightly, with pipe insulation. If you have it enclosed, then by all means install a heat lamp near the pipes.
If it gets down to single digits, I would also let a sink run with a small stream of water during the coldest periods.
Try holding on to one for a while and see how "small" the heat they produce is.
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I think I would try a combination of all of these. Cover them with dirt, heat lamp/engine heater, tarp and then water running.
Put a couple bales around everything, then to try to keep the wind from blowing away the heat. Check as often as you can to make sure it is OK.
It is going to get really cold.
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OK to answer a few questions, Pressure tank was installed by the original well folks before I bought the place and there was no house at the time to place it in, also in North Texas (or most of Texas) we don't have many basements to place them there so it is very common to have them in the well house.
Yes my timing is not the best, I couldn't get the cement poured two months ago like I wanted, so had to put off the build until I could finally get it poured ( about 2 weeks ago). I still have a couple days before it gets to single digits temps and I am building in about 40 degrees yesterday and today while I can... I'm hoping to get some OSB sheeting up on some of it today as I did more framing yesterday and picked up a few tarps and a heat lamp so will have that at least.
We didn't get any square bales this year and to buy some for this would be more than the lumber...the round bales I have are to big to be of any use, but the idea was a good one.
@susie we also have a bunch of water jugs we keep for emergency usage, have been without before and now stayed prepared.
I'll see about posting a pic later to show my progress if I get around to it, I need to head out shortly to see about getting the sheeting and probably another tarp or two.
Thanks again for all the suggestions.
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that foam board insulation is cheaper than osb you might build small box around the vitals with it till the weather breaks and you can then use it inside on the well house walls later on. I built two tree stands and boxed them in with the foam board insulation on 2x4's and they are still standing almost 4 years later.....
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pulsarnc: 30415424100891/comments/30415442702235
Fat fingered typing ..... electric heater .
Oh, like cow orker?😉
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I have kept the water from freezing many years in my pump house and where the water enters my shop. Never frozen to date. Regular light bulb, not LED, will burn a house down. Just keeps the area near pipes above freezing.
Ruger if you can get what ever you have covered air tight the light bulb should work, place it near the small pressure tank and gauge lines. Even with water left running the small lines do not flow water unless pump is running.
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Down in Florida the water table is about 1 foot down, so if you made an 8 foot basement, you would have 7 feet of water in it. They all build on slabs in Florida.
Y'all don't have that problem with a high water table in north Texas, do you?
Basements sure do come in handy, you can store lots of stuff in a basement, plus makes it easy to get to the water pipes or furnace for repairs and maintenance.
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Maybe I should keep all my lights on in the winter, I could save a LOT on heating fuel.
A 100 watt bulb WILL be hot to the touch, but move your hand 12 inches away and nothing! It will NOT heat a space the size of a utility shed(say 10x10).
I have a 125 watt heat bulb right now on some reptiles in the back room. My house temp is 70, and I have to place the 125 watt heat lamp(with metal heat shield) 10 inches above the ground level just to raise it 10 degrees to 80f.
I understand people leave a 60 watt bulb on in the utility room and the pipes don't freeze, BUT they wouldn't have frozen if that ight was off either!
There is no way possible that a 60 watt, nor even a 100 watt regular light bulb can raise the temp of a 10x10 room from 9 degrees F to 32 degrees F, simply impossible.
To each their own, but I'd hate to see 100s of dollars in frozen pipe damage because someone relied on a 60 watt light bulb 6 feet above a pipe!
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No one said a light bulb would heat a 10 by 10.
But they will keep pipes from freezing.
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I made some progress yesterday on the framing and wrapped some tarps, plastic and a little insulation boards around the well, pipes and tank area and put in one heat lamp 250 watt bulb. It won't be below freezing until tonight so will do a little more today and will add a second heat lamp I picked up and another tarp. Here is a couple pics, it's slow going working by myself, but not real bad for an old computer nerd...
sorry about the side ways pics, I started sheeting the north side.
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You should be good to go with that!
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I think your heat lamp will create a sauna in there ☺️. Just don't get it too close to the wires, etc. A second lamp is good insurance.
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mike55: 30415424100891/comments/30415442871707
Maybe I should keep all my lights on in the winter, I could save a LOT on heating fuel.
A 100 watt bulb WILL be hot to the touch, but move your hand 12 inches away and nothing! It will NOT heat a space the size of a utility shed(say 10x10).
I have a 125 watt heat bulb right now on some reptiles in the back room. My house temp is 70, and I have to place the 125 watt heat lamp(with metal heat shield) 10 inches above the ground level just to raise it 10 degrees to 80f.
I understand people leave a 60 watt bulb on in the utility room and the pipes don't freeze, BUT they wouldn't have frozen if that ight was off either!
There is no way possible that a 60 watt, nor even a 100 watt regular light bulb can raise the temp of a 10x10 room from 9 degrees F to 32 degrees F, simply impossible.
To each their own, but I'd hate to see 100s of dollars in frozen pipe damage because someone relied on a 60 watt light bulb 6 feet above a pipe!
Don Quixote is that you? https://tinyurl.com/d484pysz
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When you get the pump house finished get a good thermostat controlled electric space heater. Should be all you need . I would also buy one of the remote read wireless thermometers to put in the pump house . That way you can monitor things.
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Thanks for the assist with the pics @susie !
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Mr. Perfect: 30415424100891/comments/30415453407131
https://forums.gunbroker.com/discussion/comment/11369767#Comment_11369767
Don Quixote is that you? https://tinyurl.com/d484pysz
I am making the argument that everyone's pipes WILL freeze IF you are depending on 2 or 3 incandescent bulbs to keep a pump house warm. Most pump houses, including the one in question, are 10x10.
There is no way to raise the temp of an area of any size from 9F to 32F with 3 60watt or 3 100 watt regular bulbs.
The house heating was in green font(without green font access).
Just sayin'
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My pump houses were / are very small . Typically they have been about 4x4 x4 or smaller and very well insulated . 3 one hundred watt bulbs usually suffice . The other part of thst is our average lows are nowhere near what you guys up north and out west get( eastern NC )
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One final word. You don't have to heat the whole darn pump house, just the area around where pipes are exposed. My "pump" house is 6 by 8 by 7. Insulated all the way around with fiberglass, 3/4 foam board, and wood siding. Pump is deep well and controls, pressure tank, and acid neutralizer inside the pump house. If temp drops below 20* for a couple days the small pump control lines will freeze for sure. Been there done that. A 100 watt bulb in a drop cord placed near the tank tee has kept mine from freezing to as much a 20 below for days.
By the way, merry Christmas to all.
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Yep, those all make sense. Placing a 100 watt bulb next to a pipe in a well insulated shelter!
My point was toward that simply installing a few bulbs is not enough! It seems as some folks(esp around my area) think that a bulb in the ceiling will keep the space warm enough to prevent freezing, and it will not.
Stay warm everyone.
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Now I will agree with that.
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We'll find out here pretty soon,,,
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