Pipe from well to house / frost line

[Ken Tannenbaum1]

Bought a house with a 100ft pipe house to well, the previous owner told me could potentially freeze if unattended. He used the place weekends, we use it all the time. He had a heat tape buried for part of the way but tore it out before we bought the place. I had dirt delivered last week to build a berm over the pipe to "bury" it deeper, probably at least a foot, probably more. We're near Albany, NY...gets cold. Seem a decent solution?

 

[Reach4]

The frost line there is going to be a lot more than a foot.

http://sqfoot.com/pdf/US_Map_Frost_DepthAVG.pdf

You want to get a poly line trenched in.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Ken Tannenbaum1]

The frost line there is going to be a lot more than a foot.

http://sqfoot.com/pdf/US_Map_Frost_DepthAVG.pdf

Sorry, I didn't mean to mislead...the pipes buried well below a foot, been there since 1980 when the house was built. My question is whether adding dirt on top of the ground is a good idea to make the pipe "deeper" as a result.

 

[Ken Tannenbaum1]

Sorry, I didn't mean to mislead...the pipes buried well below a foot, been there since 1980 when the house was built. My question is whether adding dirt on top of the ground is a good idea to make the pipe "deeper" as a result.

Obviously, I can make the bern any height.

 

[Reach4]

Sorry, I didn't mean to mislead...the pipes buried well below a foot, been there since 1980 when the house was built. My question is whether adding dirt on top of the ground is a good idea to make the pipe "deeper" as a result.

Yes. Good idea. A berm will help a lot. I don't know how wide the berm would have to be, but I would think the berm if would have to be wide enough to keep the pipe farther from the air than the freeze line depth (45 or 48 inches maybe) at all angles -- not just straight vertical.

Note that you need to cover the dirt with topsoil if you want grass to grow successfully. I suspect black dirt could be clay dyed black.

I wonder what it would cost to get a new poly pipe trenched 4 ft down. How will that compare against 100 yards of dirt and topsoil added. I don't know.

 

[Ken Tannenbaum1]

Already heading in that direction...bought 4 yards of dirt for that and other purposes. I really appreciate your thoughts...thanks.

 

[Cacher_Chick]

Given your location, the pipe should be at least 4 feet below grade. You could get away with a bit less if there is a couple inches of EPS foamboard sandwiched between the pipe and the soil.