Trickling water in winter

[turnkey4099]

With a well pump, trickling is not usually enough. Depending on the size of your pressure tank it may take a long time for the trickle to make the pump come on. During the time you are tricking water, the little 1/4" nipple to the pressure switch will freeze, as that is the smallest pipe in the system. When that nipple freezes, the pump will not come on and everything freezes. You have to trickle enough to make the pump come back on before the pressure switch freezes.

When the pump system is controlled by a Cycle Stop Valve, tricking more than 1 GPM will keep the pump running continuously. Running continuously is good for the pump. I have one feeding a stock tank that hasn't shut off since 1999. Using a CSV and tricking more than 1 GPM will make the water and the pump run continuously, which will keep everything in the system from freezing.

That's not a "trickle" in any language, it's a flood. 60 gal/hr

 

[Valveman]

Like I said, a trickle is not enough. Say you have a 44 gallon size pressure tank that holds 10 gallons of water. If you trickle a 1/4 of a GPM it will take 40 minutes for the tank to empty and the pump to come on. In 40 minutes the line from the well to the tank and the line to the pressure switch can easily freeze. When using a CSV it is best to trickle enough to keep the pump running continuously, so none of the lines will freeze.

Yes, that is 60 gallons an hour. But do you want the lines to freeze or not? You would also be surprised that trickling a little water from 2 or more faucets can easily add up to 1 GPM. Remember also that even trickling a 1/4 GPM can add 360 gallons a day to the septic system. It is best to trickle outside faucets or those that do not connect to the septic system if possible.