What will this cold do to water well systems?

[RiverRat1]

For people in the country that have a well with a 2-3k water tank, pressure tank system, will this freeze screw it all up?

I'd hope the blue pressure tanks can handle being frozen. But I have a cast iron pressure pump, filtration system with 3 in line filters, the 2,500 gallon tank (not worried about this tank), and all the water lines in between.

I kept it all going until the power went off a couple hours ago. It froze so fast there was nothing I could do. One of the filters is a blow out/clean out one so I at least was able to get some pressure out of the lines.

Fingers crossed.. Going to be a long 3-4 more days before I find out.

But what do others do in the country with set ups like this? I had pipes insulated, shed with pump and pressure tank insulated. A light bulb and one heat cord.

[kingranch]

Honestly not much u can do besides have a generator to run the pump and or a propane heater in the pump house

I'm worried I'll run into the same situation with my well system

[Walker]

My daughter is in the same boat in Bandera. Even with faucets dripping everything froze up late yesterday.

[Johnny Dangerr]

This is a once every 15 years deal. Here at Hobby Airport it is 16 degrees with 1/2 inch of snow. I have 5 heat lamps running trying to keep us from freezing up. On generator power for 3.5 hours now............

[Drycreek3189]

I have a pressure tank inside an uninsulated brick well house. I have three light bulbs burning in there but if the electricity goes out I may be screwed. I guess I’d have to put a propane heater in there.

[RiverRat1]

Well power came back on. I can't turn water off at the base of the storage tank as that line is froze solid now

I have a good heater going in the pump house at least while the power is on. If power stays on a little longer I'll try to get water out of the pump if I can then wait this out.

[RiverRat1]

I have a pressure tank inside an uninsulated brick well house. I have three light bulbs burning in there but if the electricity goes out I may be screwed. I guess I’d have to put a propane heater in there.

Don't wait. Get the propane heater in there now and ready to turn on. It will all freeze a lot faster than you think. Under 40 minutes for sure (but could be even faster) I know the water I was getting out was freezing in seconds.

[oneeye]

Good luck, Tim.

[bigmike]

That’s about all you can do I spent a couple of days last week re-insulating everything and put a plastic tarp over the top of the insulation on the tank just to help break the wind I don’t know how much insulation and tape I used but I also shoveled about 10 big wheelbarrow loads of dirt over the lines that weren’t buried too deep. you just do what you can do and then fix everything when it thaws out

[EarleyBird]

^bigmike is right

I have two 75-gal tanks and they aren't in a pumphouse. I wrap the hell out of them with tarps every year. 2013 is the only year they ever froze, tarps partially blew off in the wind. I just pulled the tarps back, made a leaning teepee out of full sheets of plywood I had, and used a large kerosene tower heater and a propane heater to thaw everything out. Praise God, nothing was broken. I also leave a sink faucet dripping.

[Sika]

My daughter is in the same boat in Bandera. Even with faucets dripping everything froze up late yesterday.

Same here. Even with a heater in the pressure tank house and faucets running water froze about 11 last night.

[bloodtrailer28]

Same here. Even with a heater in the pressure tank house and faucets running water froze about 11 last night.

Same here. Had a heater going and 2 heat lamps in the well house on the pipes and still froze up. Can thaw them out with the propane heater but they freeze right back up. I'm having problems with the lines from the water softener that run into the house.

[sasqy]

Mine froze overnight !
Heat tapes heat lamps and a crap ton of insulation.
I turned breaker off and will wait to see the final outcome in a few days I guess.
Wind chill -20 here. Mine actually froze in the ground.

[Mike D]

So far I am good. My well house is metal with 2” of foam insulation. We’ve managed to not freeze so far. I might go wire in some kind of heat in there though.


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[chehunt]

The small pipe below my pressure switch froze...thawed it out and have water again, but just on 1 side of house. NW side still of house still have nothing..