I have the pipe insulated, and one of those electrical cord pipe warmer things that goes the full length. Burying in dirt is not feasible yet, but what I may be able to do is concrete it in, or build a concrete form along both sides of the pipe and fill that with dirt maybe. I'm on a rock, and it's very steep in the 30' between my cabin and cistern. Everyone up here says you need to bury 5' deep to keep from freezing. There's no way I could build a form that high and pour that much concrete though. (Getting large amounts of materials or large heavy items up the hill from where I park is a nightmare. I have a winch on a tree hooked to a gorilla cart to get it most of the way, and then I have to carry it the rest.) I'd need a hydraulic hammer on an excavator, or dynamite to get 5' depth. I will probably go the hydraulic hammer route next year because I need to get a driveway put in the goes all the way up to my cabin anyways, and I'm going back to work very soon and will be able to afford it.

I like the idea of going with a larger plastic tank! My water is very clean and pure, just had it tested, but I can taste rust, bleh!! So I filter it with a Berkey, but the downside with Berkeys is they also strip all of the good minerals out. I think I could get a couple of those IBC's up here. Looks like they are 275 gal. I could rig a small pump and make a loop to keep the flow going like you're saying. I have seen a bunch of youtube videos where people take those IBC's and cut them in half for aquaponics to raise fish and grow vegetables. I'd like to do that some day, but Tilapia wouldn't survive the cold, would need to do Trout instead.

Thx for the ideas.

Kel

P.S.: I wish I could show you folks how brutal the terrain is up here. When the F-18 Hornets fly by my cabin I am looking down at the cockpit! LOL!