We are on a well and after a shower this morning, we have no water. No cold or hot water. I turned off the well to prevent it from just running non stop. I am trying to heat the crawl space, but I am not sure that it frozen pipes coming into the house from the well? Any thoughts or advice?
It might help to know where you are. In the north, it might be frozen pipes. In the south, it might be that we're in the worst drought in
50 years. Either place, it could be an equipment or piping failure.We are in Illinois, very cold last night and today. The pump seems to be working, it will not turn off unless I pull the fuse. Pipes that do not run under the house are not working either, coming right off the water softener. Still confused???
My guess is frozen pipes, but that is nothing be a guess based on the little information you have provided.
I have no idea how cold it is there or how cold the pipes are, but it sure is possible to freeze pipes and it will stop water and can damage pipes.
It is at or below 0. The pipes do not feel cold to the touch. If pipes are frozen, what can I do to prevent damage? How can I unfreeze them? Even the pipes that run in the utility room straight from th ewater softener and the pump are not producing water, these pipes do not go under the house into the crawl space. Would it be normal for the well pump continue to run if the pipes were frozen? Thanks again
had a similar situation at my place. My landlord had to dig up around the pipes and install heat trace wire to down below the frost line.
pipes to the well? which pipes, if you know? Where did you live? Where you on a well? How did you first notice the situation? Was the well pump running non stop?
What does the pressure read? Does it change as the pump runs? If the pump runs, but the pressure doesn't change,the pipe from the pump to the pressure tank may be frozen. Or, there may be a major leak. Is there a faucet nearer the pump that works?
Bob
OK, lets get this all straight. I was a plumber for many years and I have a well on my farm. I am not all that far from IL. Last night we dropped to MINUS 24 or
25 degrees.First, DO NOT let the pump keep running. That can wreck it
Answer these questions.
Answer all these questions and maybe I can help.
Yes, frozen pipe can burst and do damage. You need to find the frozen part. I have a feeling it's near the tank and the pressure switch is not working because of freeze on pipe leading to the switch or tank itself. Once again, shut that pump off.
Posting some photos of the well, the tank, it's location, etc. might help.
Mark
Thanks for your reply Bob. None of the faucets in the house are currently working. There is no gauge to tell pressure, I do not know how to respond to that question. Please respond back.
Mark, Give it up, Bud. Call someone in to have a look at it. Hell, have them show you what needs to be done, pay his service fee and then fix it yourself. I dont recommend it but if you or someone is smart enough, you may be able to get it fixed and save a few bucks Bubba
Thank you for sharing your expertise.
1) The blue tank with the pump motor attached is in a utility room attached to the back of the house. This room does get colder than the rest of the house, but is inside a non finished room with a small heat discharge to the room. 2)I have found the tank but do not see a drain valve. I do see an extension that resembles that of a tire air valve. 3)I do not think it was cold enough in that room last night for the tank to freeze but the pipe that goes to the well, maybe? 4& 5) the tank, pump motor are in this back room. We have no basement, Pipes do run under the hose in a small unheated crawl space. The water pipes do have heat tape on them, but I am not sure how old it is, or if it is working, we bought this house two years ago, last winter we did not have these problems.Thanks for letting me know to turn the pump off. I did, just wanted to be sure. I have a heating pad on one pipe going into the tank and a space heater on the tank itself. How long does it normally take for a frozen pipe to become free moving again? Temps are expected to be high of 17 Sunday. Please respond, awaiting a solution.
to the touch. If
damage? How can I unfreeze
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Would it be normal for
frozen? Thanks again
maybe the pipes are frozen before they get into your house. Find out where it comes in and get a hair dryer on it or an electric heater. Even tho the pipes might be burried deep enough they still have to come out of the ground into you house. 2 times last winter I had to thaw the pipe right BEFORE my main shut off. If this turns out to be the problem then leaving a drip will prevent it form happening again.
OK, I dozed off so I am finally back. You have a jet pump in the house.
I think you froze the tank or the pipes to the well. How deep are those pipes in the ground? It may have frozen right where ti comes out of the floor into that room. Leave the pump off, but I highly suggest you put an electric space heater near the pump too, (besides the tank). Safely of course. It's one thing to burst a pipe, but if the pump and tank freeze, they will crack. I lost a pump once from freezing. You dont want to have to replace all that stuff for a few bucks worth of electricity.
There should be a spigot at the bottom of the tank to drain the tank, but someone may have installed it with out. If you are handy enough there must be a union in the pipe that you could open. The pump itself has a priming plug that you could also remove. Note, water could shoot out of both of these.
To find the pressure switch, follow the wire from the pump toward the tank. That P.S. has to be there.
On the top of the blue tank there should be a red plastic thing, under that is the air fill valve (looks like a tire stem). The red cap thing could be missing too. Anyhow, that is for adding air to the tank. Don't mess with that now. If the pump runs too often, that is where you add air, but that is not your problem at the moment.
If the pipes are frozen to the well, there is little you can do eacept wait till it warms up outside, unless you want to spend big money to get a front end loader to come in dig up from the house to the well, and have a plumber replace the pipes.
I highly suggest that after this thaws, you put a spigot on the bottom of that tank and add a pressure gauge. If your pipes are freezing to the well, you will need to find out why. Possibly building up the lawn there may help. Bales of straw on top of the ground (BEFORE) it freezes, etc. DO NOT use straw now, if it's already frozen you will just keep the frost in the ground.
If you are frezing in that room, you better get more heat in there and /or insulate. Heat tape on the pipes indicates there were problems with freezing in the past. You cant test heat tape just by plugging it in and feeling it. It should get about as warm as a heating pad. If it dont heat, it's dead.
Turn the pump on every so often and see if it works, but dont run it long if its not filling.
One other thing, If you have an electric water heater, shut off the power NOW. If the water gets low, the heating elements will burn up.
Good luck
Mark
Why do you think the pipes froze? You just used the water taking a shower. I would be more inclined to think you ran the well dry and the pump lost prime.
If tank pressure reads 0, I would install heating pad where pump line exists ground. It will take up to 24 hours to get water...
Heating cable and 30F thermostat would be permanent solution....
Assuming the pipes are metal....back in the north country where I lived, we'd attach a welder cable to each end of the pipe and in about
20 minutes the pipe would heat enough to melt the ice. No digging. However, if pipes are burst, then it's another matter.Bob
Kathy wrote: ..
That would be my guess.
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