Well, let me tell you, I heard some folks askin’ if water wells freeze. Land sakes, it’s gettin’ colder than a witch’s, uh, you know. Got me thinkin’ about that old well of ours.
Now, that well, it’s been there longer than I have, I reckon. My old man, bless his soul, he dug it with his own two hands. Back then, winters was winters. Not like now, with all this hocus pocus weather changin’. You could walk on the water in the well, it was that cold. But these days? Well, the water in well might be froze sometimes, but not like the old days for sure.
So, yeah, water wells can freeze, specially if it gets real cold. Like, colder than a well-digger’s, you know, backside in January. I remember one winter, had to melt snow just to get water for the house. That’s not fun, no siree. The pump, it just wouldn’t budge. Frozen solid. It’s like below 40 degrees, it will happen, just like the guy said on TV.
Now, if your well does freeze up, there’s a few things you can try. Course, I ain’t no expert, but I’ve seen a thing or two in my day. An old trick is to use a hair dryer. You know, that thing you use on your hair when you are young. Plug it into a long cord, ’cause the outlet’s probably not right next to the well. Keep the hair dryer far away from water, you know, electricity and water, they don’t like each other. It’s like cats and dogs. Set it on low, and let it blow on the frozen pipe. It might take a while, but it’ll thaw it out eventually.
If not a hair dryer, you can also use a heating pad. It’s like you put it on your back when you have a backache. Same here, wrap it around the frozen pipe, again, use a long cord, and set it on low heat. It might take a little bit longer, but it does the work.
- First, you gotta make sure that pump ain’t gonna run dry. That’s bad news.
- Then, you gotta find where it’s frozen. Could be the pipes leadin’ to the house, or it could be down in the well itself.
- If it’s the pipes, you can try warmin’ them up. Some folks use a heat lamp, like the kind you use for baby chicks.
- Others, they wrap them pipes in rags and pour hot water on ’em. Messy, but it works.
Now, if it’s down in the well, that’s a whole other kettle of fish. You might need to call in a professional for that. Someone who knows what they’re doin’. It’s not like fix a broken chair, you know. It’s more complicated. There are many ways to fix it, the guy on the radio said it. But I don’t remember, my memory is not what it used to be. I’m getting old.
Best thing to do, though, is to prevent it from freezin’ in the first place. They say you should insulate them pipes. Wrap ’em up good and tight. And make sure that pump house is insulated, too. Keep the cold out. You can use that foam thingy, wrap around the pipe, it will help. It’s like a warm coat for the pipe. It’s cheap, you can buy it in any store.
Another thing, make sure there ain’t no drafts in that pump house. Seal up any cracks or holes. Every little bit helps. Just like patchin’ a quilt, you gotta keep the cold air out.
And don’t let that water just sit there in the pipes. If you ain’t usin’ it, drain it out. Specially if you know it’s gonna get real cold. Standin’ water is more likely to freeze than runnin’ water, like my old daddy always said.
One more thing, if you have a well, make sure the well cap is on tight. You don’t want no critters fallin’ in there, or snow and ice gettin’ in and freezin’ things up. The well cap is like a hat, keeping the well warm.
These newfangled wells, they got all sorts of gadgets and gizmos to keep ’em from freezin’. But us old folks, we just gotta use what we got. And a little common sense. So yeah, water wells freeze. But keep it in your mind, and you can do something about it.
Anyways, that’s all I got to say about that. Hope it helps someone out there. Stay warm, folks. And keep that water flowin’. It’s important for you and your animals, if you have any.
