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.

 

[Bannerman]

Electric heat cable and insulation.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Valveman]

Yeah they make heat tape or wire that is self regulating. They even make a wire that goes inside the pipe. Something like that with some insulation around the pipe will work in most cases.

 

[CenterTree]

Yeah, heat cable may work. Just be mindful that you will need a GFCI outlet nearby as most of those cable manufacturers say to not use extension cords. (though I suspect a thick enough gauge cord would be fine,,,say 12g).

Get a cable that has a power indicator so you can eyeball that it is working. The "thermostat" on most cables is only about 2-3' from the heated portion, so plan accordingly. The Tstat must be located in ambient air to trigger the cable to come on.

Some of the better (more pricey) brands permit wrapping and overlapping the cable over itself. Others you cannot.

Also, be aware during any power outage you will be vulnerable if that line is exposed for several hours. I think water lines actually don't freeze until about 22 degrees, not 32 as one would assume.

I think black poly pipe is a bit more forgiving than say PVC, but not enough to split hairs over.

And yes, you will need to wrap the whole pipe with some sort of insulation. If you need it to be water/weather proof you can build a "sleeve"
using 1"-2" foamboard sealed with canned spray foam or caulking.