Preventing small Well pump house frome freezing

[Midniteoyl]

no you cant. theres no neutral. using the ground as a neutral is inviting disaster.

do the right thing, either get a 220 volt lamp (they do sell these) or get a 250 watt , 240 volt heater and insulate the building. This set up even works here in north idaho.

this is the unit i see used alot up here

King U2425 250-Watt 240-Volt/62W 120-Volt Utility Heater - Amazon.com

I'm thinking he has a 3 wire w/ ground...

 

[C4Ranch]

I would avoid using an extension cord. Underground conduit would be safer. They make heaters specifically for well houses.

Amazon.com: Fahrenheat/Marley WHT500 Utility Well House Heater: Home Improvement

Thanks for all the replies! I think this is my plan:

Wiring; have 3 wires (white, black, copper). Gonna wire up duel 220v outlets (maybe switched). Put plugs on the well pump and heater so I can unplug the heater in the summer, unplug pump when I leave to prevent flooding if pipe in house bursts and plug pump into generator if power ever goes out.

Heater; I'm thinking about the above vs the king (ul rated vs Etl, longer warranty, convection seems safer, price is same). I prefer the heater vs the tape/cable as it's more likely to save my pump and pressure tank (most expensive components).

Insulation; house has foam board but want to find some sort of spray foam for the cracks and just an additional layer.

For the cabin, I'm thinking about just getting a couple of electric oil based radiators and leaving the cabinets open with additional insulation (only source of heat now is wood stove). I have cisterns (no well yet) so I don't want to leave the faucets dripping.

Thoughts? Thanks for everyone's input!

J

 

[SPYDERLK]

Convection heat in the wellhouse will waste a ton of heat. Radiant, less. Contact heating from a good self regulating tape installation, much less.
larry

 

[TheGoose]

I have seen many, many well houses that are heated with a simple incandescent bulb. Remember, the water coming out of the ground is in the 60* range year round. You only need to keep the temp above 32* to keep it from freezing. The most important thing is to keep the 1/4" line between the pressure switch and the pump from freezing.

If your pump is a 1/2 HP (common for shallow well jet) then you should just switch the motor to 110V and switch the circuit to 110V, add an additional outlet for a bulb (or two) and be done with it. My area is a little bit more warmer than yours but I bet that it would be enough.

 

[atgreene]

A simple bulb will work. Pick up TWO cheap thermostats and two lights. Set one for 45, one for 35 or 40. When one blows, or it gets real cold, the second one will snap on. Done numerous of these set-ups, always have a back-up. For the lack of a 30 dollar thermostat, you could loose your pump and plumbing.

Here's a nice one: DuroStat™ NEMA 4 Thermostat - TekSupply

Another cheap version: http://www.enasco.com/product/C31103N

 

[Midniteoyl]

If he does indeed have only a 2-wire w/ground, I wouldn't switch it to 110v. You need a neutral and a bare ground is not one..

 

[TheGoose]

I mean switch the entire circuit to 110V. If he's got 220 he should easily be able to convert to 110V and have a spare breaker to boot when it's all over. Only thing to watch for is to make sure that you've got at least #12 wire (depending on the distance to the breaker). A 1-HP pump will pull about 18-19 amps on 110V, a 1/2 HP will pull about 9-9.5 which is why I would only do it if it's a 1/2 HP pump.

 

[TheGoose]

That's a nice solution, I may try that also.

A simple bulb will work. Pick up TWO cheap thermostats and two lights. Set one for 45, one for 35 or 40. When one blows, or it gets real cold, the second one will snap on. Done numerous of these set-ups, always have a back-up. For the lack of a 30 dollar thermostat, you could loose your pump and plumbing.

Here's a nice one: DuroStat™ NEMA 4 Thermostat - TekSupply

Another cheap version: Temperature Controlled Outlet ~ Heaters ~ Heaters & De-Icers

 

[Jstpssng]

Also if you put a small window in, you could easily tell from a distance if your bulb burnt out. However, you're still looking at $60.00 just for two plugins...for that price I can buy one heavier thermostat that will also run my 100K BTU space heater if I so desire. The link which Reekees4300 gave Iists this unit Amazon.com : Farm Innovators TC-3 Cold Weather Thermo Cube Thermostatically Controlled Outlet - On at 35-Degrees/Off at 45-Degrees : Programmable Household Thermostats : Patio, Lawn & Garden for much less money.

Also keep in mind that you thermostat should be farther from your heat source than what you are trying to prevent from freezing. It wouldn't do much good to keep your receptacle at 40 if your waterline gets down to 28.

 

[PILOON]

Also keep in mind that you thermostat should be farther from your heat source than what you are trying to prevent from freezing. It wouldn't do much good to keep your receptacle at 40 if your waterline gets down to 28.

Thermostat should be at lowest coldest furthest from heater but not in direct line for good sensing..

Today's local fliers show 1000 watt cermamic heaters on sale for $20.00 c/w 2 speed fan and built in thermostat.
My 2 cents says "ideal for pump house. Foolproof and all in one!