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optimistic
Member
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# Posted: 11 Jun 2013 17:14
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I'm trying to figure out my water system.. I have three options (unless you have more suggestions) - dug well, diy sand point well, or rain collection.
Dug well - in my area is about 5-8k. So no way no how
Drive point - I'm in upstate NY and I'm afraid I'll hit rock and won't be able to get down.. Also, I'm not sure how do I then use it with solar power.. What kind of pump will work and not require a huge solar system.
Rain collection - main problem is freezing. I don't want to burry it - again, a lot of rocks so it will be crazy hard.. So not sure what else can I do to prevent it from freezing.
What do you do for water?
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bldginsp
Member
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# Posted: 11 Jun 2013 17:23
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I collect rain water, which is fairly easy. Google Texas Water Resources Board Rainwater Collection Manual. Excellent resource.
I'm at 4000 feet in the California Sierras, and the water in my 2500 gallon tank freezes but not solid throughout. It's above ground and I've wrapped it with R13 insulation.
Does everyone else in your area bury their tanks? Do they freeze solid if you don't?
I've done a little research on solar water pumps and you don't need a huge solar system. I think some of the systems work off of a single solar panel. Won't pump fast but enough to fill a tank. But now you are back to the freezing issue, I suppose.
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jjlrrw
Member
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# Posted: 12 Jun 2013 22:18
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how about a smaller storage tank and a 12v pump like a travel trailer would have?
As for driving a point I once had a neighbor help me. He had 5 pieces or 1" pipe about 5' long each that could be locked together and a tee handle, the first one had a 1.5" wood drill bit welded to it. Started hand drilling about 4" at a time removing the pipe and knocking the dirt off the bit. I only had to go 18' took an hour or so then dropped the point and pipe and connected a hand pump. If you hit a rock move and try again.
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creeky
Member
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# Posted: 13 Jun 2013 09:56
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http://www.drillyourownwell.com/
this guy has a good technique and he spells out the process. i'm thinking of trying one myself.
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groingo
Member
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# Posted: 13 Jun 2013 10:13
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If you have any neighbors close by, talk to them, see what they did.
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ICC
Member
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# Posted: 13 Jun 2013 18:24
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Rain water collection and an in ground tank or tanks workd for us. Drive points don't work here because of depth of water. The depth also makes a drilled well very expensive (600+ feet is the normal for here. So we went with rain and snow melt collection.
Dug back into a slope with a crawler tractor. Just like for a basement, it was formed and concrete poured. a poured concrete top was also poured. The inside was epoxy coated. The floor slopes slightly to one end and there are clean out / access hatches. All the dug dirt was pushed over the part on the down slope side. Have three of them now.
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optimistic
Member
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# Posted: 13 Jun 2013 20:06
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How do the pipe work?
Are you running them under the frost line and into your cabin?
I am trying to understand how can one prevent them from splitting...
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ICC
Member
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# Posted: 13 Jun 2013 22:16
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The pipes that carry water out go straight down and then travel horizontally at 30 inches blow grade. That's more than sufficient for the frosts we get. The piping enters up through the floor crawl space in a conditioned space. We have both active and passive solar space heating and can leave the systems to run themselves any time of year. There is enough internal mass with concrete floors and wall sections that in our sunny winter weather the inside temperature never gets close to the danger zone of freezing. That can be more of a problem with a small more Yor less normal cabin from a shed.
You would still have the same freeze protection problem with a drilled well or drive point well. The pipe from the well can be buried below frost depth but there is still the length from that deeper level up into the cabin. With no heat the best solution for a normal system is to drain and blow out with air, IMO.
Some cabin owners will carry in all the water in winter to avoid the task of draining.
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optimistic
Member
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# Posted: 14 Jun 2013 08:24
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Thanks ICC
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