Preventing water pipe freeze at lake

[MooseMan]

Hi - we have a camp in the Adirondacks which we use occasionally during the winter. When we leave, we drain it, and open the main supply valve to let the water drain back to the lake (the pump is a submersible in the lake). Last winter, we couldn't get the water back up to the camp again. So - it is most likely that the pipe froze at the waterline.

An end-to-end internal heat tape looks to be about $2k. But what I really think I need is to cover about a 10-15 foot span as the pipe enters the lake.

Some reading has suggested I can wrap the water line with an external heat tape, insulate it and protect that with a 4" PVC. Is that right?

What products would I look at for this application (submerged external heat tape) and how would I "insulate" the PVC surround? Is this the right way to go about this?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Terry]

I haven't used heat tape on pipe where I'm at. Normally we bury the piping low enough that it's below the freezing level.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[MooseMan]

Yeah - most of the piping is that way, but where it breaks through to enter the lake it is totally exposed.