We have a difficult site in Colorado at 9,000 feet in the rocky(and I mean rocky) mountains. Excavation below 3 feet is not possible without blasting. Frost line is a nominal 30″. Water lines here are normally buried at 5 to 6 feet. Has anyone out there had any experience with insulating lines to prevent freeze up. We need to go about 400 feet from well to house.
Thanks,
Dave N
Replies
I can help but am too tired right now. Where in CO? I am also in CO.
In the mountains about 25 miles west of Colorado Springs, near Divide, CO.
Dave N
There is a product you can get custom made. It consists of PEX with a heat trace, a foam insulation and all is covered by a plastic cover.
WHW-
Would a looped system with a low velocity pump and appropriate valves suffice? Keeping the water moving works for ducks on a pond. For severe cold a mixing valve to add hot water could be used. No problems, only opportunities.
A friend of mine had constant water pipe freeze up on a 200 ft run from the house to a horse barn. After several years she asked me to tackle the problem. I trenched a new line down to rock 2 ft. deep, then I ran a 4 inch schdule 30 drain pipe from basement of house to the barn, the run was continuous and open on both ends. I covered the pipe with sand and set a layer of 1 in, styro over the pipe. After filling the trench I pushed the 1 inch poly through the bigger pipe and made my connections. On the house end I installed a Y on the 4 inch pipe so if need be the owner could force warm air into the pipe duct and unthaw the water line. It's been umteen years and the pipe froze only once, and it was a simple matter with a section of dryer hose to force warm air from the house furnace through the pipe duct and get it unthawed within the hour. When not used for heating, both ends are screened off to prevent rodents from using the tunnel. Sounds crazy but it works.
Most excellent.
"Keeping the water moving works for ducks on a pond. "
I remember one winter morning in Montrose going out to find three of my ducks frozen in. Boy, were they pissed! There was maybe an inch of ice so they could paddle their feet all they wanted but the ice had their breast and fanny feathers locked in tight.
There had been a big blizzard the night before. The geese took shelter in the brush.
Excellence is its own reward!
Process piping in chemical plants frequently needs to be strictly temperature controlled. Thinking about what they do, if I were in your situation, I'd consider putting an electrical heat tape, like those used to deice gutters, inside a layer of pipe insulation. Alternatively, how about the driveway snow-melting systems? They have been around long enough to be a reliable and trouble-free technology. A few years ago, I spoke to some of the folks at Heatway, and I'd be inclined to pass this one on to them.
Good luck!
Water mains in Leadville at what, 11,000 feet have frozen at ten feet deep.
It depends somewhat on the soils (do they hold water?), the depth of snow cover (a cleared driveway with no insulating blanket of snow and hard packed soil will trnsfer cold quicker and freexe the lines sooner than lines passing under garden soil with three feet of powder on it. Do you sit on a south slope or north?
I would want mine down four feet at your location or use foam or other wrap to buffer the temps. 400' is a long way for water to set without freezing in temps twenty below.
Somewhere I have heard of a heating cable designed for the inside of the pipe. I can't remember much about it; expensive, reliable. If you are interested I'll ask around.
Yes, sounds interesting please check. Thanks!
Dave N