Frost proof hydrant hook up

[r8f1k]

Ok, I have a point well 192 feet down and right now it comes out of the ground with a 1" pipe, makes a 90 degree turn and flows right into a pressure tank. During the warmer months of SE Wisconsin, there is no problem using the well. When it gets quite cold, the well obviously freezes. Typically we can get through the year without too much issue. This year we had trouble having enough water for our livestock and we had to bring water from another location. I want to add a frost proof hydrant. On our other farm, the hydrant comes right out of the ground where the point well is. I can live with doing something like that, but I would prefer to locate it closer to our animals.

My assumptions are this: 1) I need to bury the hydrant at least 4 feet down, probably 5 feet. 2) The line that feeds the hydrant needs to be to the same depth.

I'm lost as to how to do this. When we winterize the pump house, we drain the pressure tank and flip off the breaker. In the winter when we use the well, we have a valve that prevents water from refilling the pressure tank.

Any help in this matter is appreciated. Diagrams would be awesome too!

 

[Fxfymn413]

As I understand this the water supply pipe comes directly out of the well pipe without the use of a pitless connector??

If so, and it will be a bit of a pia, you can dig down beside the well pipe to the desired depth of the hydrant's supply line, pull the pump line up the five feet or so and put a pitless connector on the line while ensuring the line does not fall back into the well, drill a hole in the well casing at the pipe depth and then work the pitless connector into the hole and secure it with the supplied nut.

The pitless connector is held with a piece of 1 inch threaded pipe with a "T" screwed onto the other end and short pipes in the "T" to make a handle so you can move the connector around. The handle is then threaded off so you can close up the well.

You will need to "T" the line in the trench and add enough line to join your pump line.

 

[LouNY]

My suggestion would be to winterize the well house to prevent freezing inside it,
trench your line from the pressure to where you want the frost free hydrant or winterized waters.

 

[r8f1k]

No pit-less adapter. Not sure how I would do the digging, there is a 4" concrete slab around the well head. The edge of slab is about 2 feet from the well, so not a terrible tunnel to dig. I have a friend who has a mini-excavator so digging isn't an issue. Just not sure how to install a pit-less adapter.

 

[r8f1k]

Are you saying to insulate and heat the well house?

 

[Doughknob]

Yeah, we’d need a diagram from You. Can’t picture what u describe……

 

[LouNY]

Yes, insulate and heat the well house.
Depending upon your ground conditions several options.

Around here most drilled wells are fitted with a pitless adapter, bore a hole in the well casing raise the pump up a bit connect the pitless adapter to the pump piping lower the unit to the bored hole set it through the hole and install the retaining ring then pipe to the pressure tank usually located in a structure with heat.

Many pump houses around here where under ground except for the roof and maybe a foot of the walls, 6 ft in the ground it takes minimal external heat to prevent freezing.

Above ground pump houses take very good construction, insulation and wind blockage with more external heat required.

 

[r8f1k]

Any thoughts on raising the pump up? I have a skid steer and a fork lift. Don't want to break anything.....

 

[r8f1k]

I'll see if I can get a photo in the next couple of days

 

[Citydude]

No pit-less adapter. Not sure how I would do the digging, there is a 4" concrete slab around the well head. The edge of slab is about 2 feet from the well, so not a terrible tunnel to dig. I have a friend who has a mini-excavator so digging isn't an issue. Just not sure how to install a pit-less adapter.

Go to YouTube and do a search for "pitless adapter" there are numerous videos on installing them.

 

[etpm]

Ok, I have a point well 192 feet down and right now it comes out of the ground with a 1" pipe, makes a 90 degree turn and flows right into a pressure tank. During the warmer months of SE Wisconsin, there is no problem using the well. When it gets quite cold, the well obviously freezes. Typically we can get through the year without too much issue. This year we had trouble having enough water for our livestock and we had to bring water from another location. I want to add a frost proof hydrant. On our other farm, the hydrant comes right out of the ground where the point well is. I can live with doing something like that, but I would prefer to locate it closer to our animals.

My assumptions are this: 1) I need to bury the hydrant at least 4 feet down, probably 5 feet. 2) The line that feeds the hydrant needs to be to the same depth.

I'm lost as to how to do this. When we winterize the pump house, we drain the pressure tank and flip off the breaker. In the winter when we use the well, we have a valve that prevents water from refilling the pressure tank.

Any help in this matter is appreciated. Diagrams would be awesome too!

I don't quite understand your well setup. I thought a point well was the type where a point was driven into the ground. The point has a screen attached and as the point is driven deeper more sections of pipe are added. But these can only be shallow wells because the water must be sucked up the pipe.
Your well is 192 feet deep. So the only way to get water out is to force it up with either a pump down the well or with a surface jet pump. And I don't think jet pumps can be used for wells 192 feet deep. So I'm thinking you must have a pump down the well. This means you must have a well casing.
You state that the water comes out of the ground with a 1" pipe. Does that mean that no well casing is visible? As you can see I don't understand exactly what you have.
If you do have a well casing then the way to get water out below ground is with a device called a "Pitless Adapter" Here is a link to one:

https://www.menards.com/main/plumbing/pumps-tanks/pump-well-tank-accessories/water-source-1-1-4-brass-pitless-adapter/pa125/p-1444446041550.htm

To install one a hole is cut through the well casing. The device has thick rubber gaskets that seal against the inside and outside of the well casing. In your situation a hole would need to be dug along side your well casing and the hole cut through. The pipe coming from the pump will need to shortened so that when the adapter is threaded onto the pipe and then lowered back into the casing until it meets the hole cut in the casing the pump will be at the proper depth. So you will need to pull the pipe and pump up, unscrew a length of sections, get one section cut and threaded to the proper length, thread it back onto the pipe, screw on the pitless adapter, lower the pipe, pump, and adapter back down into the casing, poke the adapter through the casing, and then slip the outer rubber gasket over the end of the adapter sticking out of the casing, then slip on the flange, then tighten the nut against the flange and gasket.
After all that you will have water coming out below ground level and at the depth you want. Then you can run pipe wherever.
Eric

 

[jjeff]

How are you not deadheading the pump when you use it in the winter? is the pressure switch before the valve you shut off which fills the tank? I pulled my pump up with good old manual labor it was a 40 yr old 100' well. I then replaced the old line with 1" pex which I recommend to anyone who asks. I think you will definitely need a pitless connector run a stub out of it and tee off it to get your line below the frost line. I'm not a well driller or plumber though.

 

[ponytug]

+1 on insulating the pump house. Insulate the heck out of it and water flow should help keep it warm enough.

All the best,

Peter

 

[repete]

There are a lot of things to consider here. How many GPM is your well capable of. If you place the yard hydrant in line prior to the flow restriction device that keeps you from over pumping your well then you may have an issue when you open the hydrant of over pumping the well. If you control the GPM of the well as it comes out of the casing before the yard hydrant you are more likely to not over pump the well.

If you build an enclosure remember the casing "breathes". If the resting level of the water is say at 30' down but your pump is at 185' then it will want to empty the casing creating a negative pressure in the casing. When you stop pumping, the casing will fill back up to the 30' level pressurizing the casing. This causes air to go in and out of the casing.

The use of the pitless adaptor is the best route to go for wells subject to freezing. In the long run it may be worth the effort to take the time to jackhammer the concrete away, start over and do not give the cold a second thought.

 

[Fxfymn413]

Any thoughts on raising the pump up? I have a skid steer and a fork lift. Don't want to break anything.....

I use the tractor's FEL. Like the other responders I'm having a hard time picturing what your set up is like. If the water line just comes out of the ground with no casing I have no idea how you will access it to pull it, especially if it is embedded in the concrete surrounding the well.

 

[Doughknob]

Any thoughts on raising the pump up? I have a skid steer and a fork lift. Don't want to break anything.....

Raise it up -why? To do what?

 

[jjeff]

Raise it up -why? To do what?

I think to install a pitless adapter in the casing? per YouTube lol, the only point wells I've seen have the pump mounted on the surface and don't use a submersible pump. although I cant imagine how difficult it would be to prime a pump on the surface when the line goes down 200'.

 

[Fxfymn413]

although I cant imagine how difficult it would be to prime a pump on the surface when the line goes down 200'.

Not difficult; impossible. The only way water rises in a column is by atmospheric air pressure "pushing" it down. In a perfect world that works out to about 30 feet; in reality you are lucky to get 25 feet.

 

[thclimer]

Here is a diagram of a typical well installation where the structure enclosing the pressure tank would be heated and insulated. Using a pitless adapter allows the pump to be pulled from the casing and keeps the delivery of water below the frost level.