Heating Well Pit

[daybreak1998]

Howdy,
My water works are located underground. Since it is totally underground, there is not a freeze issue. With your pictures, you need heat tape, and then pipe insulation over that.

Here is a picture of the 1000 gallon cement cistern tank in the ground with the 36" pipe showing with lid. You can also see my cross ventalation system. It keeps it from being musty, with a little airflow going thru.

 

[brokenknee]

Howdy,
My water works are located underground. Since it is totally underground, there is not a freeze issue. With your pictures, you need heat tape, and then pipe insulation over that.

Here is a picture of the 1000 gallon cement cistern tank in the ground with the 36" pipe showing with lid. You can also see my cross ventalation system. It keeps it from being musty, with a little airflow going thru.
View attachment 237499

daybreak1998, what part of the country are you located? Cistern tanks are not commom around here, not sure if anyone has one.

 

[daybreak1998]

daybreak1998, what part of the country are you located? Cistern tanks are not commom around here, not sure if anyone has one.

Howdy,
I am in northern Virginia. The tank is from a local pre-cast place. They make all kinds of cement stuff. Since they were making it, I had them put pipe couplers in the top for airflow, and pipes in the upper sides for the water line and electric. Since its in the ground, I do not have freezing problems. And it feeds cattle ball waterers. (4 ball freedom fountain and a 2 ball freedom fountain) Both installed with the thermal earth tubes. So energy free there too.

Septic tanks and cistern tanks are more or less the same. Usually the hole is tiny. I also had them make it 32" and used that 36" pipe piece for the entry. I have a 6' ladder in there to climb down. The ladder actually is totally down in the tank.

 

[megotatractor]

Howdy,
I am in southern Minnesota. Have a pressure tank in an old pit. My pit is 5 feet square and 5 feet deep with block walls. Not sure when the pit was dug, the farmhouse was built in 1900. This had an old stroker pump in it when we moved in 8 years ago, probably installed as soon as the place had electricity available in the 30's maybe. A small 10x24 shed was built over the pit and it looked like it originally had a cedar wood cover built over the pit with the electric motor and belt driven stroker out in the open on top of the cover. The stroker was worn and inadequate to our needs so we drilled a new well. However, since the old farmhouse has no practical place to put a pressure tank we left the pressure tank where it was in the pit. The top edges of the pit were crumbling so I built a supporting frame of treated 2x6 lumber and topped the hole with a new pressure treated 1" plywood hinged and insulated cover to replace the rotted and dangerous old one and the straw mess that kept it warm. I have been using a heat lamp reflector with a 40 watt bulb when it is ridiculously cold out, plugged into a new outlet inside the pit.. A thermostat would be a great idea. I also built a ladder to get down there for maintenance.

 

[brokenknee]

Howdy,
I am in southern Minnesota. Have a pressure tank in an old pit. My pit is 5 feet square and 5 feet deep with block walls. Not sure when the pit was dug, the farmhouse was built in 1900. This had an old stroker pump in it when we moved in 8 years ago, probably installed as soon as the place had electricity available in the 30's maybe. A small 10x24 shed was built over the pit and it looked like it originally had a cedar wood cover built over the pit with the electric motor and belt driven stroker out in the open on top of the cover. The stroker was worn and inadequate to our needs so we drilled a new well. However, since the old farmhouse has no practical place to put a pressure tank we left the pressure tank where it was in the pit. The top edges of the pit were crumbling so I built a supporting frame of treated 2x6 lumber and topped the hole with a new pressure treated 1" plywood hinged and insulated cover to replace the rotted and dangerous old one and the straw mess that kept it warm. I have been using a heat lamp reflector with a 40 watt bulb when it is ridiculously cold out, plugged into a new outlet inside the pit.. A thermostat would be a great idea. I also built a ladder to get down there for maintenance.

Yep, have to check on something with a thermostat. Will go to Menard's this weekend and price out heaters and a thermostat for a light. Looking for something cost effective.

 

[daybreak1998]

Yep, have to check on something with a thermostat. Will go to Menard's this weekend and price out heaters and a thermostat for a light. Looking for something cost effective.

Howdy,
They make a plug in thermostat called Easy Heat EH-38, which turns on its circuit when it gets cold. This might work well with a light attached to it. That way it comes on when its colder. And you could go one step further with what has been said here. Daisy chain another lightbulb thru a daylight/dusk switch to have 2 bulbs ready to go if the first should burn out.
Amazon.com: Easy Heat EH-38 Freeze Thermostatically Controlled

Amazon.com: Light Socket Photocell

outlet = easyheat eh38 unit = light bulb = lightbulb in photocell socket

OR
using heat tapes.

 

[daybreak1998]

Howdy,

I guess you have a OPEN well pit. I also have an older well pit which is solid. It has a 6 inch cement roof with a big manhole cover for the entrance.

Inside are two pressure tanks, a chemical feeder and pump switches.


My ag well in another location is a well cap with pitless adaptor which then feeds into the cistern tank which has the switch and pressure tank is in the ground to protect from freezing.

 

[triptester]

I use a Eventherm thermostat control. They are made for high humidity conditions and are very accurite. I found that the humidity in pump houses causes control failures. I had one where the thermostat failed to turn heat on, frozen pump, and another where it would not turn the heat off , melting anything plastic including pump seals.

Portable Heating Thermostat With Piggyback Plug | QC Supply