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Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Wells allow homeowners to control their own water supply and literally tap into some of the best tasting, highest quality water available anywhere. But, with a great gift comes great responsibility. Regular maintenance, especially a pre-winter checkup, won't happen if the well owner doesn't make it happen.

Without maintenance and system checkups, there's a chance you may go home to find no running water in your household! Broken pipes and plumbing fixtures will not only cost you the replacement parts, they can cost you serious downtime and significant damage to your home.

Why pumps freeze?

Frozen pumps cause more than the inconvenience of losing water; it also means burst pipes, cracked water pumps and flooding once the pipe warms up.

When surrounding air drops below freezing, any heat in the water will transfer to the air and cause the water to freeze. Smaller pipes will freeze first due to larger relative surface area. Therefore, the pressure switch to turn the pump on and off will freeze first. When the pressure switch freezes, the pump will not start. Placing a small heat source (like a heat lamp or heater) directed at the pressure switch will remedy this. NOTE: Always follow manufacturer's instructions.

With El Nino weather a threat and colder than normal winters predicted, now is the time well owners should "button up" before the cold nights start to settle in.

What to do if you won't be using your well over winter:

  • Shut down the control system
  • Drain and open all lines and valves. Be sure to have an opening at the lowest point in the system.
  • Fill toilets on the system with plumber's antifreeze.

What to do if you will be using your well over winter:

  1. Make sure any plumbing that is exposed and un-insulated is wrapped with heat tape. Some folks use a light bulb or flood light to heat their well houses. This works until there is an electrical problem.
  2. Pumps that have a small well house should have either a baseboard heater or insulation in the walls and ceiling. Make sure all openings and doors are closed properly, keeping heat in and wind out.
  3. If your pressure tank is in the garage, make sure it is heated and insulated from the cold and keep the garage door closed.
  4. All outdoor faucets should be covered with insulated coverings to protect from freezing.
  5. Use your water. Keeping it moving will help prevent freezing inside your pipes. If the weatherman is predicting an exceptionally hard freeze, turn your taps on to a drip.

Winter doesn't have to mean trouble for your water system. These steps will help protect your system from the harsh weather and keep you in fresh water. Don't get left in the cold, winterize your well water pump before the weather turns cold & care for it as you would the family car.