Not sure if this is a project or not but I have to get it done. I have an in well pump with a pressure tank above ground. With winter coming on how do I protect this thing from freezing? Of course it wont be used during the winter as the house has city water. Next spring I have plans for a pump house that will solve this problem. Thanks for any help
Well pump winterizing?
- Thread starter Butch2112
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smstonypoint
Super Member
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Turn off the pump and drain the tank?
Steve
Steve
Kays Supply
Veteran Member
Do the pipes come out of the top of the well cap or up from the ouside with a pitless adapter? If they come up out of the top of the well cap you are going to have a project draining them. If there is a pitless adapter, you can break the seal down in the well and it will drain down into the well enough to keep it from freezing.
PILOON
Super Star Member
If no pitless adaptor, you can extract perhaps 4 ft or so of pipe, insert a "T" in the line and add a ball valve on the side leg of the "T".
The ball valve having only 90 deg rotation for open/close can then be opened for fall drainage and closed for spring start up.
If you carefully drill a hole at the end of the ball lever you can then use a rod with hook to operate the ball valve as required.
With the valve opened gravity will do the work for you.
I have numerous installations that operate that way, many pumping from lakeside with submerged pumps in which case my valve is just a couple of feet from the shore.
In a couple of wells I simply leave the operating rod in place year round.
For those I use a length of copper pipe split at the end and a cotter pin that links everything.
Works great!
The ball valve having only 90 deg rotation for open/close can then be opened for fall drainage and closed for spring start up.
If you carefully drill a hole at the end of the ball lever you can then use a rod with hook to operate the ball valve as required.
With the valve opened gravity will do the work for you.
I have numerous installations that operate that way, many pumping from lakeside with submerged pumps in which case my valve is just a couple of feet from the shore.
In a couple of wells I simply leave the operating rod in place year round.
For those I use a length of copper pipe split at the end and a cotter pin that links everything.
Works great!
Kays Supply
Veteran Member
I started out servicing pumps many years ago under my father in law. He has retired and brought me a pile of his old plumbing and pump " stuff ". One item that comes to mind is a fitting that is made just for this. It is a scew in fitting that has a " check " valve that the tail is exposed. That is the best way I can decribe it. The " Tail " sticks out with a spring holding the "check " closed. You put it in the line like descibed above. You can take a stick and push the " tail " , letting the check unload and the pipe above this fitting drains. It is the only one I have ever seen. It would be perfect for this project.
nickel plate
Veteran Member
I drain the bladder tank and all of the above ground PVC as good as I can, then open the well's in-line hose bibs and attach an adjustable brass spray nozzle that is also open on each hose bib. This allows for any air in the line that might compress due to any frozen trapped water to escape and not break the PVC. The open brass spray nozzels also keeps the ground pests out of the open hose bibs.
We don't get too many freezing days at 2500 feet here in California but since we only visit this property a couple times a month, it makes me feel more at ease.
We don't get too many freezing days at 2500 feet here in California but since we only visit this property a couple times a month, it makes me feel more at ease.
