How to winterize water meter in open pit and street-side pipes

Users who are viewing this thread

Geoffre14

New Member
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
New York
I am located in NY and have a "seasonal" city water account. (The house is on well water; the city water is for irrigation/swimming pool only.)

The city turned off my water supply at a publicly-inaccessible valve at the street. After the valve, the water pipe--which is below frost depth--travels a distance of 10' into my front yard, then into the water meter which is located in an open pit and exposed to ambient temperatures. After the meter, there is a few more short lengths of elbows before there was a union that I could separate. Everything on my side of the union, including yard irrigation lines etc., has been blown empty.

I am worried about the 10' length of pipe and the meter which still has water in it. How am I supposed to winterize this length?
 

Reach4

Well-Known Member
Messages
38,798
Reaction score
4,412
Points
113
Location
IL
How deep is the open pit? How about filling the pit with insulation -- perhaps durable plastic bags filled with syrofoam beads or other suitable insulation?
 

Geoffre14

New Member
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
New York
How deep is the open pit? How about filling the pit with insulation -- perhaps durable plastic bags filled with syrofoam beads or other suitable insulation?

Thanks for the input, but I'd be skeptical if insulation will be able to stop freezing. It could maybe slow it but I don't think it would be effective in the event of 48hours or more of below freezing temps.

The bottom of the pit is maybe 3' or 4' down, but top of the meter is maybe 18" below grade (and open to ambient air, of course).
 

Reach4

Well-Known Member
Messages
38,798
Reaction score
4,412
Points
113
Location
IL
You would probably need to mound the insulation. Maybe you could cover that with a big fake rock. The ground and pipe buried in the ground serve as a heat source. So you need to slow the heat loss from the top enough to let the heat from below keep the pipes from freezing.
 

Craigpump

In the Trades
Messages
2,436
Reaction score
158
Points
63
Location
Connecticut
How was it winterized last year?
How big is the pit?
Is the top surface flat & level?

Buried well pits are similar and have been around for too long, so if you can put a concrete lid over the pit and seal the gaps, it won't freeze.
 
Top
Hey, wait a minute.

This is awkward, but...

It looks like you're using an ad blocker. We get it, but (1) terrylove.com can't live without ads, and (2) ad blockers can cause issues with videos and comments. If you'd like to support the site, please allow ads.

If any particular ad is your REASON for blocking ads, please let us know. We might be able to do something about it. Thanks.
I've Disabled AdBlock    No Thanks