Does antone know of a product to keep a septic pump chamber discharge pipe from freezing? Cottage location so used in the winter once in a while. The pump chamber is located under the cottage and is ok but the problem is that the discharge pipe is exposed on the rock up to the septic tank and field.There is a check valve at the pump that holds water and waste in the pipe ( about 75′ ) and is subject to freezing when the pump is not cycling ie when no one is there.
Is there a heated wire product like pyrotenixs that can be installed in the pipe? If the pipe is covered with spray foam insulation and then sand, how much to protect it from freezing?
Replies
I believe you can use the same heat wrap that you'd use on regular water pipes.
In our area pump systems are designed to drain back into the tank to avoid freezing and to eliminate the strain of starting the pump against head pressure. This is done simply by drilling a 1/4 inch hole in the bottom of the discharge pipe before it leaves the pump tank.
Rich
Thanks Rich
Are you saying that the discharge pipe will slowly drain back into the pump chamber?We installed a check valve in the line just outside of the tank lid because without the check valve the pipe would empty back into the chamber and only leave about 2" of fillable space before the pump came on again.Seemed like the pump would be running too much.
These are large pump tanks, so the drainback from even a long discharge line won't make much of a difference. what size is your pump tank/pit?
You have 75' of pipe exposed to the elements... full of sewage?
Aren't you afraid of it splitting when it freezes?