Water filtering system that can withstand freezing

[DrRod]

Greetings,

Just returned from the local home show looking for a water filtering system that met my specs but all I found was salesmen who had to check with a real technician and get back to me later. So here's my situation.

We do not keep power [and thus heat] in our cabin when we aren't there. The well water comes into the dirt basement, which stays pretty constant temperature but in the depths of winter can hit the freezing mark.

We have a simple canister filter in place now but it is just not up to the job. The water has a Sulphur smell unless you are using a lot of it and it carries some fine particles of black shale. We also have a fairly high bacteria count.

We don't need it pure enough to drink but we should get it much cleaner. We would generally leave it all hooked up and functional except for the winter months. We don't use it much in cold weather so it would be ok if we had to decommission it, drain it, etc. each December. We plan on installing a runaround so that we could have the original water should we need it in the winter without having to turn it on and turn it off repeatedly.

I've seen systems that will drain but that will still leave the tank full of wet sand or whatever, which can freeze and break the tank [I think]. So can anyone recommend a system that might meet our needs. We can't be the only ones with this sort of problem.

Thanks

 

[quicksandfarmer]

I think your best bet is to build an insulated enclosure in your basement that is exposed to the ground on the bottom. If it is below the frost line the warmth of the earth should keep it above freezing.

I have a shallow well pump in an unheated well house. It is uninsulated below and insulated above. For extra protection I have an incandescent bulb on a thermostatic switch: Amazon.com : Farm Innovators Model TC-3 Cold Weather Thermo Cube Thermostatically Controlled Outlet - On at 35-Degrees/Off at 45-Degrees : Electrical Multi Outlets : Patio, Lawn & Garden

So far it keeps from freezing in sub-zero weather.

 

[DrRod]

That's an interesting idea. Our basement isn't very deep and sometimes a puddle on the floor will get a skim of ice on it but typically not a hard freeze. Given the cost of such systems, it makes me think that I should get a tracking thermometer and do some research on the temperature ranges down there.

 

[RNeumann]

If you found one that self drains I don't see how that can break- unless I'm not understanding what you are describing. Insulation isn't the answer unless water is moving through the system. Since you describe shutting power off I'm assuming this is weekend/seasonal type use- and thus water isn't moving.

 

[fried1765]

I think your best bet is to build an insulated enclosure in your basement that is exposed to the ground on the bottom. If it is below the frost line the warmth of the earth should keep it below freezing.

I have a shallow well pump in an unheated well house. It is uninsulated below and insulated above. For extra protection I have an incandescent bulb on a thermostatic switch: Amazon.com : Farm Innovators Model TC-3 Cold Weather Thermo Cube Thermostatically Controlled Outlet - On at 35-Degrees/Off at 45-Degrees : Electrical Multi Outlets : Patio, Lawn & Garden

So far it keeps from freezing in sub-zero weather.

My family home is about 90 miles East of you.
I have a shallow well pump there, in a 10' pit.
The pit cover has 2" of styrofoam insulation.
I had also used a light bulb, but found it to be not necessary.
I leave for Fl. in Nov. and return in Apr.
Been doing that for 20+years.

 

[DrRod]

If you found one that self drains I don't see how that can break- unless I'm not understanding what you are describing. Insulation isn't the answer unless water is moving through the system. Since you describe shutting power off I'm assuming this is weekend/seasonal type use- and thus water isn't moving.

As I understand it, the tank is filled with sand or some other aggregate. So even if you drain it, the sand will still be wet and thus prone to expansion if the water freezes. And this would break the tank. If I am wrong, then maybe the whole thing is a non-problem.

Thanks

 

[newbury]

Could you put in a thermostatically controlled pump to cycle the water back to the well?
Then run some heat tape along the pipe, also thermostatically controlled. And wrap the entire thing with foam pipe wrap.
Sort of a mini-just above freezing water heater loop.

I'm in the process of building a run of 100' of 3/4" PEX for water that must be outside. I've got the "sticks" of foam pipe insulation and I'm probably getting Easy Heat 2102 100' Freeze Free Cable with a thermal controller. I'm going to put the PEX and cable in the foam then run the combo in drain pipe for UV protection.

 

[RNeumann]

As I understand it, the tank is filled with sand or some other aggregate. So even if you drain it, the sand will still be wet and thus prone to expansion if the water freezes. And this would break the tank. If I am wrong, then maybe the whole thing is a non-problem.

Thanks

Impossible to say for sure if the wet sand would expand enough to crack the unit. It's worth a call to the manufacturer.
The filter sorta sounds like a pool filter. I'd check with someone who does pool filters- their are thousands of those that get winterized every year.