New install pressure tank on temporary mobile home -need advice please

[MTGreen]

Hello all,
Hoping to get some advice on a pressure tank setup.
Well is 160' deep with an in-well 3/4hp 5gpm pump and pitless adapter installed 6' beneath grade with electric and poly stubouts.
Pad is located downhill of the well about 270 horizontal feet away.
Initially need to plumb in a small mobile home (400 sqft) which will transition to a house with a full foundation/crawlspace later on. Trench/line comes up under the mobile location and in the middle of the future crawlspace.
Frost line is about 48" here.

I'm looking at a 6' trench and the electric and poly stubouts from the well.
I've got 1" 250psi poly tubing, 10/3 NM-B wire, and 1 1/4 schedule 40 conduit.

I need to plumb in a pressure tank that will work with the mobile. I will buy a real tank later to install in the crawl space.

Internet shows small pressure tank under mobile with heavy insulation and some kind of heating device (tape or heat lamp setup) -I have concerns about the heating device failing/freezing.
I'm also seeing tanks designed for burying which seem to be a bit more expensive.

I need some advice on a simple setup with the knowledge that it needs to be reliable but only needs to last 2 winters at most
-how big?
-where to install?
-if I do a buried tank do I install at house or at well if well is uphill of tank?
-what kind of insulation/heater/etc.?
-do I need a check valve outside of the well itself?

Thanks much for any feedback

 

[oldnslo]

When I purchased my current home the pressure tank was buried next to the well since the house was just sitting on slab and previous owner was cheap.. this lasted around 9 years since there was no way to check air pressure in the tank.

Do you have the option or funds to build a small well pit to put the tank in? Two or three junk tractor tires stacked up should work and be rot resistant for a few years.

 

[3Ts]

Personally, I try to avoid a temporary solution. It means I have to do it at least twice and have to pay twice. I like the idea of a well pit. You're running electricity to the well and down the bore hole, so no reason you can't run it into the well pit and then to the pump. That way you can use it to provide some heat in the well pit if you need some. The risk is that if there is a leak the well pit could fill with water and your electrical box. However, since you're downhill, I'd install a "drain to daylight" which would prevent any flooding concerns. While I'm building it, I'd also insulate it so very little heat is needed to keep it from freezing.

Note: I'm in the south and have an above ground pump house. It is insulated and I don't need to heat it very often. We do get below freezing temps here, but unless it gets into the low 20's I won't need to heat it. I use one of those 120v electric room heaters from a big box store.

 

[MTGreen]

Thanks to you both. I did some more research and talked to a few more folks and I think the pit with the pressure tank next to the pump is the way to go. I just need to expand the trench to fit concrete rings for the pit. I didn't think about the drain to daylight for flooding that's an excellent idea

 

[steve tym]

Make sure the pit is big enough to get in and work. A 4' well tile would work nicely.
Screen the end of the drain to keep out the rodents.
While it may seem convienent to have the well in the pit, it makes it more difficult to service.

 

[Carl_NH]

Dig below the pitless adapter then install the drain pipe then 8-10" crushed stone for drainage to daylight downhill. You can add an heat tape around the tank tee and tank too that turns on at 34*.

 

[MattB4]

You can not use NM-B wire for burial. You will have to either use UF (Underground feeder) or conduit with THHW rated wire.

 

[MTGreen]

The pit will be located about 6-10ft from the well and is either 5' or 6' outside diameter my excavator couldn't remember which. I'm using NM-B in conduit. The direct burial types of wire do not survive the rodents here.

 

[ponytug]

The pit will be located about 6-10ft from the well and is either 5' or 6' outside diameter my excavator couldn't remember which. I'm using NM-B in conduit. The direct burial types of wire do not survive the rodents here.

That sounds great. 5-6' will give you the elbow room you need for service.

If you drain to daylight with rock, I would suggest lining the trench with geotextile and then folding it over on top of the rocks. It will help keep soil out of your drain rock.

All the best,

Peter

 

[LouNY]

The bigger the better for the pit, with a daylight drain and #10 wire going to the pit I'd put a small lighting panel in, say 60 amp rated with 8 spaces plus a 30 amp 2 pole main breaker. Then my pump controls and starter are there also along with an outlet or two for power and some lighting for when not if you need to access ot some night to work on something.
A nice large pressure tank to reduce the number of pump starts and your ready for a mobile or the house or even a couple of outside hydrants.
Also I would not go with a crawl space it may save a bit of money but not much. A full height basement with a good vapor barrier under gravel would be much nicer working in then a crawl space, wiring plumbing, duct work, any kind of maintenance were you can stand and walk. My home has a half basement and half crawl space, the "crawl" space is over 4 ft tall but it's not enough to walk around in now for me. When I was younger it was no problem to crawl or duck walk or even just bend over and crouch and move around, now I have an extremely difficult time getting or out of there and end up having to hire someone to do the simplest things in there, such as just stringing a cat 5 cable in there.