Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations well pumps freezing

Dave:

Our horse barn is unheated and has it's own well. I put all the above-ground stuff (P-tank, P-switch, assorted pipes, and a hot water tank) in an enclosure inside the room we keep feed in. Hot and cold water freeze-out hydrants go out one side of the enclosure into the wash stall (those horse people truly love hot water to wash with in the Winter!). We cover the hose bibs on the outside of the hydrants with styrofoam filled covers when its real cold so we don't have to thaw the knobs (even when frozen, there is no permanant damage).

The walls of the enclosure are 2"x4" frame with the 3.5" spaces filled with assorted insulation remnants (fiberglass, foam, etc.) and a minimum of 1/2" plywood on each side of the frame. The floor is a 4" thick concrete slab that sets on 2" of foam insulation and has a 3.5" thick layer of foam on top; there is a 4" PVC conduit through the slab for the water pipe to enter the enclosure. All cracks and holes for wiring were filled with silicone bathtub sealer to eliminate cold air (or vermin) coming in from the outside. We keep the "pump house" in the 50 to 60 degree range in the Winter with a 1350/1500 Watt milkhouse heater (fairly low air temp, fairly high air flow compared with many 1500W heaters, to lessen the temp of hot spots and try to eliminate fire risk).

Milkhouse heaters have a built in thermostat that usually works pretty good for 2 or 3 years (when the pumphouse heater gets flakey we buy a new one and move the old one to another application, like heating my wife's bathroom to about 400 degrees). The waste heat off the 30A hotwater tank is also inside the pumphouse and if the door is sealed well (with 2-3 layers of the "foam rope" window insulation available for older houses) the milkhouse heater only runs when it is really cold (teens or lower).

I installed an indoor/outdoor dual thermometer outside the pumphouse with the "outdoor" sensor near the floor inside so we can monitor the pumphouse temperature. Switches for the heater and hot water tank are external so they can be turned on/off as needed/desired without unsealing the door. This setup does a good job of keeping the water system thawed with a minimum of electricity expense.

P.S. Ahia ain't "really cold" compared to where Wood lives, but we are farther North than the great state of Texas.