What are my options to keep a small section of exposed water line from freezing?

[JOE.G]

Hi, My Shop is fed from my home which is about a 100 FT Run of Black Plastic pipe I believe it's around 1 Inch ID, My issue is when I ran it I was not able to get it under ground easily from where it comes out of my home to where it goes under ground is 5 to 6 Feet, This part of the pipe is under my porch, Is there anything I can do to keep this from freezing? What I have been doing is shutting the water off and blowing the line out for the winter but I would like to have water out there year round., The ground is to rocky and to try and get it under ground would be very difficult. Thanks

P.S How forgiving is this pipe? I have had it freeze a couple times on me when i don't get it off in time.

[mike_belben]

Get some gutter melt heat tape and make absolutely certain you have the thermostat portion bonded well to the pipe with zip ties, or else these things can catch fire. Btdt.

Then find some 1" pipe foam, loose fiberglass insulation and a scrap of plastic drainage pipe.  Tape the icemelt cable to the water line, then put the foam insulation over it and tape in place.  Then use a sawzall to slit the corrugated plastic and slip that over the pipe.  rotate it so the slice it up like a taco.  Use a scrap of wood to hold it open hands-free, then with a paint stick or whatever, pack in cellulose, old gym socks, rags or even sawdust into into the 4" plastic pipe. 

 This will give it extra protection from temperature and the neighbors puppy who will love to shred the pipe foam.  


You can probably get by without the heat tape in shoulder season when days are above freezing but dead of winter id leave it on.   This is how i managed process water lines in unheated spaces at smith n wesson.  Same climate.


If you cant run power to it thru winter, bring in dirt by the bucket and cover the tube a good 6 inches.

[PoginyHill]

I have a gravity feed spring pipe that will freeze if I don't keep a trickle running all winter. But no pump involved, though.

[scsmith42]

What Mike said above.

Electric heat tape plus insulation.  Problem solved.

[Don P]

I've seen enough burned wood and melted pipe to go cautiously there... that said its on my list for the lines I just exposed at work. A sheet of 2" foam board with the pipe centered under it and then as much dirt as you can on top of the foam. If its not too severe there in winter even without electric the foam traps the ground heat and keeps the pipes above freezing. That's basically what a frost protected shallow foundation is doing as well.

[reride82]

Joe.G,

What is the frost line depth in your area? Here in the frigid northern Rockies, average frost depth is usually 4'+, but we bury water lines 6-6.5'. It never fails that I end up having a utility line cross a large culvert or have a shallow line so we end up specifying a closed cell foam board to separate the line from frost. Soil/dirt has an R factor of 0.125-0.25 per inch of soil depending on rock content, compaction, etc. Now, using 6' or 72" you would need an R factor of 18 usually. Most closed cell foam board is R-6.5, so you could layer (3) 1" sheets over your water line to get the R value you need. The key to keeping the frost out isn't just the thickness, but the width as well. In my area being a 6' bury, I'd want the foam board 6' either side of the pipe, so 12' wide. Tape and stagger the seams to keep it from frost bridging, then place a layer of soil over the foam to keep it in place and to keep the animals out of it.

Levi

[Greenie]

If the exposed line is under the porch why not lay some foam over it?  I've heard that anything sheltered from radiational cooling (roofs, unheated buildings) do not experience the cold temperature spikes one would expect. Another remedy would be to let the water run - (like a pencil lead sized stream) in the shop on those really cold times.
 

[WV Sawmiller]

   I was going to suggest just cover with several inches of dirt but the foam idea with dirt on top as Don P proposed would probably work best. You might lay bags of sawdust on top of it for insulation. I know some people who can provide you plenty of sawdust. :D

   Is the porch sealed? Could you close it in and if so would it freeze under there?

[firefighter ontheside]

Heat tape will work.  Just have to keep an eye on it.  Every winter we have mobile home fires that are started by heat tape that has gone bad after years of neglect. 

[Hilltop366]

Depending how your house is heated you could enclose the line in a insulated box and run some heat from the house to the box when it is cold. 

[mike_belben]

Man im reminded how fortunate i am to be fine with water lines 6 inches below grade.

[NE Woodburner]

Foam board or similar that won't absorb moisture is the best way to insulate. Anything that can absorb water will lose it's insulation value quickly.

[YellowHammer]

I use the heating cable from Lowe's or Amazon.  They plug into the wall and have a little LED indicator light at the outlet and built in thermostat that will turn them off when not needed.  I use them to keep pipes from my well pumps from freezing. $30 and problem solved.  They seem to last about 10 years.  I've never had a pipe freeze up with them on, and I don't use insulation, as it's not recommended, as per instructions.  

[WV Sawmiller]

  I have heat lamps in my well house and use the little thermostat controlled plug which fits in the outlet and does what Robert describes above. When it gets below freezing in the room they turn on the power to the lights and shuts it off when it gets about about 35 F* as I remember.