Preventing small Well pump house frome freezing

[bandaidmd]

I use small thermostatically controled ceramic heaters, usually get a couple seasons out of them cheap and effective.
I also have a 110 plug split off of the 220 to run the heater.

 

[TheGoose]

You guys need to remember that we are in TX which has a much different climate than most of the posters. We rarely freeze where I am and when we do it's about a 3-4 hour deal at 29-32*F. No need to go overboard with freeze protection.

BTW: a lot of our wells are out in the open. No well house or anything and they do just fine.

One thing that has always bugged me. Why do people even use well/pit houses? Put the pressure tank and all pump controls in a heated space to begin with. Doesn't ake much room for the tank and pressure switch and everything is right there for easy maintenance. I can see a well house if using a 'top of the well' pump but not with submersibles. I maintained my folks systems (2 different residences and was the unpaid maintenance man on a community well. Cussed every time I had to get at the pump/tank in all of them...of course the community well had to be that way but the others didn't.

The topper was when my neighbor drilled a new well. Put it right next to an outbuilding, installed tank and switchwork in the outbuilding and then spent lots of money making that room well insulated with a heater. Odd thing was that he went to the trouble of doing that to replace a small pressure tank THAT WAS ALREADY IN HIS BASEMENT!.

Harry K

 

[dmccarty]

One thing that has always bugged me. Why do people even use well/pit houses? Put the pressure tank and all pump controls in a heated space to begin with. Doesn't ake much room for the tank and pressure switch and everything is right there for easy maintenance. I can see a well house if using a 'top of the well' pump but not with submersibles. I maintained my folks systems (2 different residences and was the unpaid maintenance man on a community well. Cussed every time I had to get at the pump/tank in all of them...of course the community well had to be that way but the others didn't.
Harry K

We do not have a crawl space or a basement. Where else would we put the tank? The well still has to be covered by something, or at least that is what everyone/most people do here abouts. I sure do not want the tank in my living space which is my only other option besides a well house. Space is expensive and in short supply in the house and I sure do not want to hear the tank operate. So we have to have a well house.

Everyone I know that does not have a crawlspace, or basement, has a well house.

Later,
Dan

 

[bcp]

Well is 100 ft from the house. Pressure switch and tank are under the stairs in the house.

Bruce

 

[buickanddeere]

Light bulbs as a heat source are not a good idea. They have a short limited life span which will leave your pump house without heat.
Heat trace with a built in thermostat is a waste of time as the stats burn out in 1-2 years.

 

[hslogger]

Previous poster mentioned get a 220 lamp. They are a little spendier than regular stuff but that is what I did. I put in a 240 bulb in a ceramic base that is designed for it. My pump house is well insulated on a concrete slab with solid core door.

I would say to others that I don't recommend heat tape anyplace you have pvc pipe. On Galvo ok, but not near or on pvc.

 

[Soundguy]

incandescent do have a finite life. but it's usually a decent number of hours.

can always get a ceramic cased IR emitter with a lamp bulb base...

 

[buickanddeere]

One thing that has always bugged me. Why do people even use well/pit houses? Put the pressure tank and all pump controls in a heated space to begin with. Doesn't ake much room for the tank and pressure switch and everything is right there for easy maintenance. I can see a well house if using a 'top of the well' pump but not with submersibles. I maintained my folks systems (2 different residences and was the unpaid maintenance man on a community well. Cussed every time I had to get at the pump/tank in all of them...of course the community well had to be that way but the others didn't.

The topper was when my neighbor drilled a new well. Put it right next to an outbuilding, installed tank and switchwork in the outbuilding and then spent lots of money making that room well insulated with a heater. Odd thing was that he went to the trouble of doing that to replace a small pressure tank THAT WAS ALREADY IN HIS BASEMENT!.

Harry K

When in the US. I was shocked that most homes lacked a full basement. Beats me where they put the utilities, laundry room, freezer , barn washroom/shower, junk room and man's den without a basement ?

 

[buickanddeere]

I use small thermostatically controled ceramic heaters, usually get a couple seasons out of them cheap and effective.
I also have a 110 plug split off of the 220 to run the heater.

Assuming that 240 line has a black, red, white insulated wires and a bare ground ?

 

[bandaidmd]

In this instance it was 12-3 with ground. But I will admit to cheating before with the groud being used as the neutral to split off a 110 plug, not ideal but it works.
I always look at it that the white and ground go back under the same busbar in the breaker box