frozen water lines

[winterh]

I draw my winter water from the lake but looks like its frozen. Never happened in the 10 plus years I have been here and especially surprising given this year I have been living here so heat always on and water never sitting for long. It seems fine where it leaves the basement so problem must be between house and lake. I am guessing it's right where pipe enters lake and ice has frozen down to lake bed. Moved my bubbler over there to try to clear surrounding ice. Any other ideas???? Unsure what else can be done at this point besides waiting for spring.

[TomC]

Another (temporary) pipe placed elsewhere in open water?

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by winterh

I draw my winter water from the lake but looks like its frozen. Never happened in the 10 plus years I have been here and especially surprising given this year I have been living here so heat always on and water never sitting for long. It seems fine where it leaves the basement so problem must be between house and lake. I am guessing it's right where pipe enters lake and ice has frozen down to lake bed. Moved my bubbler over there to try to clear surrounding ice. Any other ideas???? Unsure what else can be done at this point besides waiting for spring.

You don’t heat that line?? When I wanted to use my camp in the winter I was told / warned that the line drawing water from the lake would have to be heated. I believe they put in some kind of heated cable in the black pipe to accomplish this. I never ended up doing it….

Dan

[John Mercier]

I've only seen one other one that was a supply line.
They inserted a small pipe and jetted it with hot water to release.
Not sure that is even plausible for you situation.

[TiltonBB]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

You don’t heat that line?? When I wanted to use my camp in the winter I was told / warned that the line drawing water from the lake would have to be heated. I believe they put in some kind of heated cable in the black pipe to accomplish this. I never ended up doing it….

Dan

I have a house in Gilford that runs on lake water all year. The water line is not heated and it has never frozen in the 22 years I have owned the house. The line is underground and comes up from the where it is buried under the lake bed about 50 feet from shore. I asked the former owner how they got the line that deep. He said it was initially put in back in the days when you could put a backhoe into the lake. Hope it never needs to be replaced!

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by TiltonBB

I have a house in Gilford that runs on lake water all year. The water line is not heated and it has never frozen in the 22 years I have owned the house. The line is underground and comes up from the where it is buried under the lake bed about 50 feet from shore. I asked the former owner how they got the line that deep. He said it was initially put in back in the days when you could put a backhoe into the lake. Hope it never needs to be replaced!

I think since your lines run underground it’s not an issue. I am on an island so a lot of my water line runs right under my breakwater dock so totally exposed to the elements. Probably why I need a heated line….

Dan

[winterh]

Originally Posted by TiltonBB

I have a house in Gilford that runs on lake water all year. The water line is not heated and it has never frozen in the 22 years I have owned the house. The line is underground and comes up from the where it is buried under the lake bed about 50 feet from shore. I asked the former owner how they got the line that deep. He said it was initially put in back in the days when you could put a backhoe into the lake. Hope it never needs to be replaced!

My line was also installed a long time ago and draws from lake about 50 ft out about 1 ft off the lake bed in what is now probably about 3 ft of depth. It enters the lake in about a foot of depth this time of year. Again, never frozen in past. My guess is solid ice right to where it draws and/or where it enters. I may change my ice out guess to July

[winterh]

My first thought upon having no water was frozen lines. Made sense given the temps. I had a very slow drip that continued thru the night and I wondered why. Turns out issue was in my filtration system. Bypassed my filters and water flowed. I change the filters every month but for whatever reason they clogged up quick and almost completely stopped the flow.

[John Mercier]

Glad it was something easy.

[TheTimeTraveler]

Originally Posted by winterh

My first thought upon having no water was frozen lines. Made sense given the temps. I had a very slow drip that continued thru the night and I wondered why. Turns out issue was in my filtration system. Bypassed my filters and water flowed. I change the filters every month but for whatever reason they clogged up quick and almost completely stopped the flow.

Sounds like you really lucked out!