heck, since so many other guys have asked about freezing pipes and whatnot i
am assuming i won't get my head bit off here if i ask you guys about... i'd
like to install a well and water pressure tank (with submersible pump) for
seasonal use in a "campground". i can imagine i am going to have to drain
the tank and pipes in the fall but the thing that has me puzzled is, if the
poly pipe coming up from the pump has a foot valve on it what am i supposed
to do / how do i drain the water down the poly pipe to below frost level? i
mean, without digging an insulated underground "pump house". i had hoped to
use a "hydrant" but the water has to come up to the surface first anyhow to
get to the pressure tank. i haven't ever seen a underground valve, i
suppose with a LONG handle stem to drain the water to below frost level.

A submersable pump will often be installed with a "pitless". this is an
assembly set into the main well casing about 6' underground. Wiring
keeps going up, water heads off horizonally to the tank and controls.
Keeps things from freezing.

If you don't have one of these, the next best thing is a sharader valve
(think tubeless tire valve) in the outlet water line BETWEEN the pump
and the check valve. As long as there is water pressure, the thing holds
pressure. As soon as you turn off the pump and drain the tank, the
pressure goes negative, the valve opens and the top end of the
submersible pump drains back through the pump. If you ahve a check valve
(foot valve) at the bottom of the hole, it is likely that it leaks
enough to drian back a few feet. Not real certain but it usually works.

I have a setup like this on my irrigation pump. No tank, just straight
though. I can fire it up in the middle of winter, run it for whatever
time I want, it drains right back down. But it doesn't have to be
holding water at the -25F temps we get around here.

William Wixon wrote:

heck, since so many other guys have asked about freezing pipes and whatnot i
am assuming i won't get my head bit off here if i ask you guys about... i'd
like to install a well and water pressure tank (with submersible pump) for
seasonal use in a "campground". i can imagine i am going to have to drain
the tank and pipes in the fall but the thing that has me puzzled is, if the
poly pipe coming up from the pump has a foot valve on it what am i supposed
to do / how do i drain the water down the poly pipe to below frost level? i
mean, without digging an insulated underground "pump house". i had hoped to
use a "hydrant" but the water has to come up to the surface first anyhow to
get to the pressure tank. i haven't ever seen a underground valve, i
suppose with a LONG handle stem to drain the water to below frost level.

"RoyJ" (clip) If you ahve a check valve
(foot valve) at the bottom of the hole, it is likely that it leaks enough
to drian back a few feet. Not real certain but it usually works. (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
If you want to make certain, you could drill a little hole.

If a foot valve drans back its not working.... Don't drill a hole in
it...
Just dig a hole big enough and deep enough to put the pump and tank
under ground... Then you don't need to worry about it...

In article ,
"William Wixon" wrote:

heck, since so many other guys have asked about freezing pipes and whatnot i
am assuming i won't get my head bit off here if i ask you guys about... i'd
like to install a well and water pressure tank (with submersible pump) for
seasonal use in a "campground". i can imagine i am going to have to drain
the tank and pipes in the fall but the thing that has me puzzled is, if the
poly pipe coming up from the pump has a foot valve on it what am i supposed
to do / how do i drain the water down the poly pipe to below frost level? i
mean, without digging an insulated underground "pump house". i had hoped to
use a "hydrant" but the water has to come up to the surface first anyhow to
get to the pressure tank. i haven't ever seen a underground valve, i
suppose with a LONG handle stem to drain the water to below frost level.



Assuming the plumbing is on the surface, I would have a Tee on the top.
To winterize, take off the plug on the top of the tee and stick a long
thin copper tube in and give it a blast of compressed air. It should
blast enough water out to eliminate worries about freezing.

Sucking the water out the tube would also work but is not as easy.

--
Free men own guns, slaves don't
www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/5357/

On Mon, 03 Jan 2005 06:40:54 -0500, Nick Hull
wrote:
In article ,
"William Wixon" wrote:

heck, since so many other guys have asked about freezing pipes and whatnot i
am assuming i won't get my head bit off here if i ask you guys about... i'd
like to install a well and water pressure tank (with submersible pump) for
seasonal use in a "campground". i can imagine i am going to have to drain
the tank and pipes in the fall but the thing that has me puzzled is, if the
poly pipe coming up from the pump has a foot valve on it what am i supposed
to do / how do i drain the water down the poly pipe to below frost level? i
mean, without digging an insulated underground "pump house". i had hoped to
use a "hydrant" but the water has to come up to the surface first anyhow to
get to the pressure tank. i haven't ever seen a underground valve, i
suppose with a LONG handle stem to drain the water to below frost level.



Assuming the plumbing is on the surface, I would have a Tee on the top.
To winterize, take off the plug on the top of the tee and stick a long
thin copper tube in and give it a blast of compressed air. It should
blast enough water out to eliminate worries about freezing.

Sucking the water out the tube would also work but is not as easy.

If I was rigging the well again, I'd put a tee right above the foot
valve (or submersible pump) and run a small 1/4" or 3/8" poly tube up
to the top of the wellhead with a Schrader valve. Place a drain valve
at the pump inlet, and you can push some air in to displace the water
above the frost line without disassembling everything.

-- Bruce --
--
Bruce L. Bergman, Woodland Hills (Los Angeles) CA - Desktop
Electrician for Westend Electric - CA726700
5737 Kanan Rd. #359, Agoura CA 91301 (818) 889-9545
Spamtrapped address: Remove the python and the invalid, and use a net.

William Wixon wrote:

heck, since so many other guys have asked about freezing pipes and whatnot i
am assuming i won't get my head bit off here if i ask you guys about... i'd
like to install a well and water pressure tank (with submersible pump) for
seasonal use in a "campground".

Back in the mid '50s my inlaws bought property for a summer place. This
is in British Columbia, Canada where it can get fairly cold in winter.
In the '60s they built a summer cabin on it and put in a well with a
submersible pump. In the cabin was a pressure tank and the plumbing and
fixtures. Each fall we shut down the system, drained the tank,
appliances and pipes in the cabin. We then pressurised the tank to
about 30psi with air. By spring the system had leaked down and we were
advised to re pressurise it to 25psi before turning on.

My wife and I bought the place from them, built our retirement home and
moved here in '95. That pump was still doing fine and went onto full
time duty. In fact it worked until last year when it just plain wore
out.

Ted

6' down around here! Better to make a small chamber in the ground and
cover with heavy insulated and weather sealed cover. but the tanks don't
usually like all the moisture when installed like that. Keep in mind
that you will need access to the tank for maintenance.

wrote:

If a foot valve drans back its not working.... Don't drill a hole in
it...
Just dig a hole big enough and deep enough to put the pump and tank
under ground... Then you don't need to worry about it...

On Sun, 02 Jan 2005 22:32:00 -0500, William Wixon wrote:

heck, since so many other guys have asked about freezing pipes and whatnot
i am assuming i won't get my head bit off here if i ask you guys about...
i'd like to install a well and water pressure tank (with submersible pump)
for seasonal use in a "campground". i can imagine i am going to have to
drain the tank and pipes in the fall but the thing that has me puzzled is,
if the poly pipe coming up from the pump has a foot valve on it what am i
supposed to do / how do i drain the water down the poly pipe to below
frost level? i mean, without digging an insulated underground "pump
house". i had hoped to use a "hydrant" but the water has to come up to
the surface first anyhow to get to the pressure tank. i haven't ever seen
a underground valve, i suppose with a LONG handle stem to drain the water
to below frost level.

I think what I'd do is to place a tee in the discharge pipe below frost
level. From the tee run a 1/4-3/8" vent line back to the top and terminate
it with a ball valve or plug. In the line between the well and the pump
install a schrader valve just before the tank shutoff. To winterize, drain
the tank, close the shutoff, and open the valve on the tubing from the
discharge tee. Then pressurize through the schrader until only air comes
out of vent line. A small portable air tank should be all that's needed.

--
The instructions said to use Windows 98 or better, so I installed RedHat.