Getting Your Seasonal Well Pump Ready For Winter
Much of the Earth's water is located underground, which is why your vacation home may rely on a well to supply it with the potable water your family uses each day. Seasonal wells can serve as a valuable resource, but you will need several pieces of equipment in order to transfer water from the well into your home.
One of the most important pieces of equipment is the well pump. A well pump is responsible for generating the suction power needed to move water out of your private well, through a series of pipes, and into your home's plumbing fixtures. Getting your seasonal well pump ready for winter is essential if you want to protect this valuable piece of equipment from serious damage.
Make sure the pump is completely drained.
Any water that is left inside of your seasonal well pump when winter strikes could freeze. Your pump could sustain internal damage that will lead to sudden pump failures in the future. Draining the well pump completely is an essential first step when winterizing your vacation home's water delivery system.
Start by cutting all power to your well pump. Next, turn on a faucet inside your vacation home to eliminate pressurized water from your pipes. Finally, unscrew your pump's drain plug and allow any water within the pump housing to drain out.
Protect your pump with propylene glycol.
Once your well pump has been drained, you will need to ensure that any remaining water within the motor or pump housing won't freeze up when cold temperatures hit. Adding food grade propylene glycol to the pump's reservoir is a simple and effective tactic to prevent freezing.
Propylene glycol has a lower freezing point than water. This characteristic allows the propylene glycol to mix with any water inside your well pump and effectively prevent the water from freezing up during the winter. Using food grade propylene glycol ensures that you won't run the risk of contaminating your vacation home's water supply once you are ready to reconnect the well pump as temperatures rise.
Store all PVC connecting pipes indoors.
Your well pump relies on a series of PVC pipes to service its inlet and discharge. These pipes can become brittle when exposed to the cold, causing them to crack and leak over time.
You don't want damaged PVC pipes to compromise the efficiency of your well pump, so you need to place these pipes indoors during the winter to prevent them from being exposed to the cold temperatures that could render them useless.
To learn more about well pump maintenance, rely on resources like those at http://valleydrillingcorp.com.