*
I read an article a few years back that had some great ideas and construction details for pumphouses (in Alaska I think). Cant find the article and there’s nothing in the archives. While our climate here is not that severe, we do get the occasional arctic front that proves how inadequate our standard pumphouses are. Any ideas?
Thanks JonC
Self-installing an HVAC system requires a lot of thought and planning.
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Dig into cutting-edge approaches and decades of proven solutions with total access to our experts and tradespeople.
Start Free Trial NowGet instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.
Start Free Trial Now
Replies
*
Jon the best place for pump houses is in the ground.
*Bill, I'm afraid that isnt an option on either of the sites I'm dealing with. Too wet.JonC
*JonAre you talking water well, hand or electric pump??Protect it from the wind by careful siting. Keep it very small, super insulate and keep it warm with a light bulb. -pm
*I'm planning a submersible pump that will be situated inside a shop/garage/pumphouse in coastal British Columbia. We get the odd cold snap that could be a freezing hazard. Insulation is the prime strategy to save money and avoid the nasty consequences of frozen pipes.The building will probably be built with ICFs and heated (minimally) with electricity. The pump room will be very well insulated and will have a heater with a thermostat set just above freezing. Clearly, this is the most important concern. If I were building a simple pumphouse without any other purpose I would insulate it thoroughly to keep it cool in the Summer and warm in the Winter. It's pretty simple.Cheers,Scott.
*Patrick M. Another country heard from. Yes I'm talking water wells, both with submersible pumps. The detail I was really hoping to find was the method they used in the article to transition the buried pipes from the ground through the bottom of the pumphouse. I can remember thinking it was clever and simple and that I'd never seen it used around here, but I cant for the life of me remember what it was or where I read it. They warned me about this in the 60's. I think the construction details were provided by some govt. agency somewhere really cold.Drain bamaged,JonC
*Hey JonC - don't forget to put a hinged "hatch" in the roof directly above the well shaft. That way you can pull the pump when it needs replacement without tearing off the roof. Hey - what did you ever do with those fir 2 x 6s? - yb
*yb,How's life on the glacial till? I usually put a little tip out over the well head with a removable top. I backed out of the salvaged 2x6 deal. He wanted to build his two sheds first and I just didnt trust him to follow through on the labor exchange after he had his. Besides, I'm needing to get mine done as soon as I finish this spec house. I got a pre-sold out of this and I'll need to get the sand filter septic in this summer. Loved the house, just wanted it on a piece of land that they already have. Ought to have you wander through my old barns and outbuildings next time you're down this way. Sorry we didnt hook up last time but some of us actually have to work sometimes you know.JonC
*You might try contacting Swan Drilling Company in Fairbanks AK. Voice 907.457.6003 Fax 907.457.8910. They should be able to give you a sketch of how they hook up house feeds from their submersible pumps.
*JonC, man, it's rocky up here...and cold (low 50s today)...and woodsy...totally unlike the lush. fertile, gentle, beautiful Willamette Valley in Oregon! Why I'm thinkin' that central Oregon would be a virtual paradise for all those Californians who keep coming up here! That's IT! They can just stop in Oregon! Think of the work you'll have! And the neighbors! And they can Californicate YOUR state instead of OURS!...let's see now, if I just write to the Califiornia travel bureau...maybe make up some brochures...
*I'm a little confused by why a pump house is needed at all with submersible pumps. Here in Southern New England the standard set up is to case the well with steel pipe from grade down into solid rock (below that, it's just a hole in the rock, typically in the hundreds of feet to get reliable water); the head is exposed so the pump and water lines can be pulled; the water line taps off the casing below frostline - I think - and runs below frost line to the served structure.I suppose a pump house would protect the well head from heavy snow and keep it accessible for winter servicing, but temperature control would not be an issue.Are your conditions different? Maybe frost line too deep?
*Hi Jon,I think that the article, you may have seen, was in Mother Earth, I think in the early 70's.Try the agricultural extension office in your State, they would have access to plans for outbuildings such as you're describing.Failing that, why not buy a cheap garden shed, cut out the center of the floor and insulate the hell out of it. Rig a heater to a good thermostat and forget about that part of the problem.As long as the water line is below frost, you shouldn't have a problem there either.A little trick we do out here is we install a oversized plastic pipe in the ground and run the water line inside, just in case we ever have to change the line, for whatever reason, in the future. Saves digging it out.Gabe
*D Scotti Are your conditions different? Maybe frost line too deep? Naw. . . he's just from the left coast.Your detail is exactly how we do it in Ontario. . . feed to the house exits the casing through a special fitting called a . . . (cripes, can't remember) below ground frost line, otherwise a heat cable is wound around it if it's at or near ground level due to bedrock.-pm