Irrigation well. Questions about pressure tank and freezing.

[Michael In Tennessee]

I have an adjacent second property that has a well that used to be for a mobile home that has long ago been removed. The well pumps just fine. If I recall correctly, it is a 1 HP pump in a 300 ft well. Somewhere around here, I have the original well report with the specifics.

Unfortunately, when the mobile home got went, they took the power pole too. I installed an "RV" power pole and had the power company come out and hook it up. That got done just today. So, I got power.

Of course, the mobile home had the pressure tank underneath and the underpinning kept that space warm enough to avoid freezing. That doesn't exist now, so I need to figure out the best way to arrange for a proper irrigation well system.

I know the basics. I need a manifold, a pressure tank, a pressure switch, a disconnect box, and such. What I don't know is if there is a standard way to build this so it works without freezing or getting wet.

Being a retired Aerospace engineer (yes, a rocket scientist) I can easily come up with some elaborate, ridiculously ever-engineered solution. What I'm not good at is coming up with the minimum required installation. I'm envisioning pouring a 3' x 3' concrete pad next to the wellhead and placing the necessary equipment on it and then building a small insulated house over it that could be lifted off by tractor for servicing. Access door for minor servicing. I see no reason to make the building cover the well, however. This, of course, may be excessive and someone else may already know what I actually need to do.

Suggestions and pictures, please.

 

[Doofy]

Build a simple, insulated Dog House over the well that is large enough to accommodate the control and pressure tank. Add a light bulb or Heat-Tapes for warmth and a Winter Watchman that will turn on a exterior light if the temperature drops below a certain set point.

I even put my jet pump under mine to keep the pump noise out of the house. I'm also going on 4 years with the same light bulb.

 

[duffer]

While you don't get freezing weather for months at a time in TN, it can get down to where pipes would freeze. But the good news is that the line from the well head to the house should be below the frost line.

IF...you have a basement, put the pressure tank, control box and pressure switch down there, and you'll never have to worry about freezing, or building something. I have ours in our basement, and I don't even hear the pressure switch click on. And servicing the controls/tank is a piece of cake. If no basement, consider building an insulated closet in your garage perhaps.

If you want to cover the well head, get one of those plastic fake rocks the well drillers use. It provides more protection than you would think. I wouldn't use it in Chgo climate, but in your area it should be good to go.

 

[Diggin It]

IF...you have a basement, put the pressure tank, control box and pressure switch down there, and you'll never have to worry about freezing, or building something. I have ours in our basement, and I don't even hear the pressure switch click on. And servicing the controls/tank is a piece of cake. If no basement, consider building an insulated closet in your garage perhaps.

I didn't see any mention of any house. I understand this to be a vacant lot with the well being used for irrigation.


My question to the OP is why bother? Turn the power off and let it drain back down into the well so everything at the surface is dry. Build your doghouse to protect the works from the elements but don't worry about freezing.

 

[ponytug]

Mine is a 4'x4' concrete pad, with the well in one corner, and 6' walls. Various tanks, filters and electrical panels fill the space pretty quickly. The roof is designed to pop off in the case of any need well service, like replacing a pipe or pump. That came in really handy when the pump needed to be pulled. I would insulate the walls with foam to reduce vermin.

All the best,

Peter

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

Live east of the Casecade Mountains in Washington State, get freezing winter weather and snow. I just use the drain back method for the irrigation system. Water drains out of the pipe at 3 feet below grade, so there is no water in the irrigation pipe as it is all aranged to drain either at the well or at the lowest point in the system.
No pressure tank in the system.

 

[duffer]

I didn't see any mention of any house. I understand this to be a vacant lot with the well being used for irrigation.

I just re-read the OP post. I missed the irrigation part. Thanx for the correction. To the OP....never mind...

 

[LouNY]

Depending upon your climate and desires;
A well insulated and sealed well house would be one option.
Years ago when the dug wells around here were getting repurposed for more use,
many of the pump houses were dug down 6-8 ft and sometimes a slab was poured,
at times just a pour footer and then a block wall below grade structure was built with
an insulated roof for the pump and pressure tank.
With this being for irrigation just a shelter for the tank and pump controller would work,
if well drained in the fall.

 

[cqaigy2]

Live east of the Casecade Mountains in Washington State, get freezing winter weather and snow. I just use the drain back method for the irrigation system. Water drains out of the pipe at 3 feet below grade, so there is no water in the irrigation pipe as it is all aranged to drain either at the well or at the lowest point in the system.
No pressure tank in the system.

This is what i saw growing up on the "east" side of the Cascades. Your pump should be sized to handle the amount of water needed for irrigation and when you shut it off, the water drains back into the well. One thing that sometimes gets added is a pressure switch, that shut the pump off if you lose water for some reason, so the pump isn't run while it's dry.

 

[Egon]

There is really no need for a pressure tank. High - low shut off would be desirable And maybe a no flow shutdown.
Should be able to put the switches down the casing.

 

[quicksandfarmer]

Live east of the Casecade Mountains in Washington State, get freezing winter weather and snow. I just use the drain back method for the irrigation system. Water drains out of the pipe at 3 feet below grade, so there is no water in the irrigation pipe as it is all aranged to drain either at the well or at the lowest point in the system.
No pressure tank in the system.

How do you keep a prime in the pump without risking freezing?

 

[Michael In Tennessee]

Thanks for the ideas so far.

I must have a pressure tank. This is not for open irrigation. It will support hose bibs, drip irrigation and such.

I cannot bury anything. Here in east Tennessee, you hit rock quickly. For instance, my primary well is 5 ft of clay and 195 ft of limestone.

 

[turnkey4099]

While you don't get freezing weather for months at a time in TN, it can get down to where pipes would freeze. But the good news is that the line from the well head to the house should be below the frost line.

IF...you have a basement, put the pressure tank, control box and pressure switch down there, and you'll never have to worry about freezing, or building something. I have ours in our basement, and I don't even hear the pressure switch click on. And servicing the controls/tank is a piece of cake. If no basement, consider building an insulated closet in your garage perhaps.

If you want to cover the well head, get one of those plastic fake rocks the well drillers use. It provides more protection than you would think. I wouldn't use it in Chgo climate, but in your area it should be good to go.

This. I am surprised by how many people think the controls and pressure tank HAVE to be at the well head. They don't. Mine are all in a group, pressure and hot water tanks right next to each other and right by the breaker box.

 

[Michael In Tennessee]

This. I am surprised by how many people think the controls and pressure tank HAVE to be at the well head. They don't. Mine are all in a group, pressure and hot water tanks right next to each other and right by the breaker box.

Well, if there was a house nearby, you would have a point. There isn't.

 

[Egon]

With the new information consider a small well insulated fibreglass dome over the well head. Wrap some temperature activated heat tapes around exposed piping As well as insulation.


If the need for irrigation water is year around you might consider a small amount of water running all the time or on timed intervals. This may keep piping downstream of the well head from freezing.

 

[2manyrocks]

My Dad built a concrete block pump house above ground with an asphalt roof cover on top that could be removed for service. Every time he'd remove the cover, he'd find a black snake in there because it liked the warmth of the pump house. This was in Middle Tennessee.

He eventually relocated his pressure tank, etc. to the basement of his house.

 

[Michael In Tennessee]

With the new information consider a small well insulated fibreglass dome over the well head. Wrap some temperature activated heat tapes around exposed piping As well as insulation.


If the need for irrigation water is year around you might consider a small amount of water running all the time or on timed intervals. This may keep piping downstream of the well head from freezing.

Would you have a link to such a dome? The wellhead doesn't need insulation. Just the nearby equipment. Wellhead has a pitless adapter 18" below grade. We get overnight Temps as low as the mid-teens, but not for long as the day heats up usually above freezing. Not worried about the wellhead nor buried piping. Just the well-side equipment.

 

[cbg8670]

Just build a small simple insulated shed around equipment .
Put a 110 volt heat lamp on. Simple line volt tstat for added warmth below say 35. I would build it tall enough to get in and out comfortably. ( my personal experience)

 

[skipmarcy]

I simply built a little shed with 2x4 construction and R11 insulation in the walls and roof and bolted it down to the slab around my well. I added a single flood light with a 100w bulb with a switch for when it gets below 15 F for any length of time. If it stays above 15 F, just the use of the well keeps it from freezing. For your application where it won't be used as often as a home well you might need to run the light more often.

It's not a good idea to get your 120v from one leg of your 240v that runs the pump for your light, I ran a separate 12-2 just for the light and the switch is located in my utility shed about 30' from the wellhouse so I don't even have to open the wellhouse in cold weather. Has been working good for 16 years now and have had a few sub-zero spells over the years.

 

[ponytug]

Or use two bulbs in series to use 240, or buy a 240V bulb...

Insulating the pump house will get you a lot, and insulating the pipe helps even more.

All the best,

Peter