During winter, dropping temperatures can freeze the water in your pipes. Since water expands when it freezes, this can burst pipes and also damage well pumps and other equipment. Keeping your water running can help prevent freezing, but if you're expecting especially low temperatures or don't want to waste the water, prepare your water well and pump equipment for the winter.

How to Prevent a Water Well From Freezing

1. Find Vulnerable Areas

The water deep in the well itself is safe. Below a certain depth, the ground stays a constant temperature year-round. If you have a submersible pump, that's safe too. However, a pump at ground level can freeze, and so can the pipes leading from your water well to your home and yard. Additionally, the ones that run through unheated basements and garages are also at risk.

2. Insulate Storage

If you have an above-ground pump, it's usually within a box or shed. Check that the walls of this structure are insulated and that it doesn't have any gaps or matting. If it needs replacement, do that before cold temperatures hit. Also, use weatherproof pipe insulation from a local hardware store to cover all exposed pipes, and check it each year for damage.

3. Plan for Frozen Pipes

If your pipes do freeze, you'll notice that your water pressure will drop or stop flowing entirely. If this happens, gradually warm the pipe to get the water flowing again and avoid damaging it with a sudden temperature change. Open a faucet so that the pressure in the pipe can equalize with the air pressure. Then find which section is frozen. Use a household appliance like a hairdryer to warm it. Then, once water flows out of your faucet again, stop applying heat and leave it on, so water can do the rest.

If winter cold damages your water well equipment, call Walles Pump Service in Clever, MO, for repairs. Serving Greene County and all of southeast Missouri, they have over 20 years of history and have been family-owned and -operated for three generations. Call (417) 369-3801 to schedule maintenance, or learn more about their services online.