Okay, here’s my blog post about keeping my well from freezing, written in a casual, first-person style:
So, this winter has been a real pain. We had a cold snap that was way worse than usual, and I started to get really worried about my well freezing up. I mean, no water means no showers, no flushing, no nothing! I definitely didn’t want to deal with that, so I had to figure something out.
My First (Failed) Attempt
My first thought was, “Okay, I just need to insulate the well head.” I’ve got tons of old blankets, so I wrapped them all around the exposed pipe and the well cap. I even used some duct tape to hold it all together. I thought I was pretty clever, honestly.
Spoiler alert: it didn’t work. The next morning, the water pressure was way down, and it was barely trickling out of the faucet. Panic mode started to set in.
Digging Deeper (Literally and Figuratively)
After cursing my blanket solution, I started doing some actual research. I should’ve done that first, I know. Turns out, just covering the top isn’t enough. The ground itself gets super cold, and that cold can travel down the well casing and freeze the water lower down.
What I learned is that the best thing to do is to bury the water line below the frost line. The frost line is basically how deep the ground freezes in the winter. It’s different depending on where you live. I had to call the local utility company to find out the frost line depth in my area.
Luckily my water line already well below frost line.
The Solution That Actually Worked
Here’s what i finally did:
- Insulated Well House:I have small well house. I made sure it was properly insulated. I used some rigid foam insulation boards and sealed up any cracks or gaps where cold air could get in.
- Heat Tape: I bought some heat tape that’s specifically designed for pipes. I carefully wrapped it around the exposed pipe inside the well house, following the instructions on the package (very important!). You gotta make sure you get the kind that’s safe for potable water.
- Heat Lamp (with caution!): For extra cold nights,I put heat lamp inside the well * be super careful with these! You don’t want to start a fire.
- Running Water:I found suggest that when it gets REALLY cold, letting a faucet drip very slowly can help prevent freezing. The moving water is less likely to freeze solid.
After implementing the above solution, I finally felt * the temperature dropped, the water kept flowing.
And that’s how I managed to keep my well from freezing this winter! It was a bit of a learning experience, but hey, now I know for next year.
