View Full Version : Well water shut off
CountryBasketCase
Feb 5, 2007, 03:10 PM
:confused: I'm new at this country living thing and have no experience with a well. I bought this house (mobile) in August last year so this is my first winter with well water. Recently, the water has shut off twice. The first time it stayed off most of the day, then came back on in the evening. This current time, it shut off in the morning and is still off. This is in southern Virginia, and the temperatures have been getting below freezing with very windy conditions at night, but have been no higher than 32 degrees all day for 2 days now. Could this be a frozen pipe underneath the house? (There is no basement, the house sits on a cinderblock foundation with vents.) Or could this be something worse, like a faulty pump? The electricity is running fine. Help!
speedball1
Feb 5, 2007, 03:57 PM
"The electricity is running fine." Are you saying the pumps running but you get no water? Regards, Tom
CountryBasketCase
Feb 5, 2007, 04:02 PM
What I meant was that the electricity throughout the house is working... it hasn't cut off. I am unsure whether the pump is running or not. I am not in the house at the moment, I am in Maryland. My son is in the house in VA. He told me that this happened once before in the morning, but the water came back on that night.
The water stopped this morning and hasn't come back on yet. I'm trying to get in touch with him to see if the water pressure slowed down before stopping, or stopped abruptly.
I do know that the weather there has been extremely windy with freezing temperatures.
TheSavage
Feb 5, 2007, 04:09 PM
Welcome to rural living lol.
Sounds like frozen pipes -- make sure all the vents are closed [and open in the summer] -- if it's a above ground pump its most likely under the mobile home. Most time the first thing to freeze is the little tube that runs from the pump head to the regulator.that can be resolved with a hair dryer.
I live just north of you and the way the weather has been I think that's all it will be. If that fixes it put a heat lamp [safety mounted] to warm that tube and the pump head.
speedball1
Feb 5, 2007, 04:12 PM
If your son has frozen pipes consider wraping them with heat tape. Check it out at; Heat Tape Product Info and Reviews at DoItYourself.com (http://www.doityourself.com/icat/heattape.htm)
Good luck, Tom
CountryBasketCase
Feb 5, 2007, 04:20 PM
Thanks, Savage. I don't have a clue where the pump is! Never thought to check. This house was a foreclosure, and the bank I bought it from wasn't volunteering any information. I have yet to find out where the septic tank is! (I know which direction it is because of the drain pipe coming from the house.)
I will have my son look under the house to see what he can see. If the pump is there, I'll have him take your advice and see what happens. The house came with 3 acres which I plan to put a small farm on, and I know all about garden pests such as deer and rabbits, but I never thought to learn more about the well! I was just happy not to have a water/sewer bill every month! :D
You will probably see me in this forum in the future, as I'm so busy I learn what I need to learn on a "need to know" basis.
Thanks again!
CountryBasketCase
Feb 5, 2007, 04:21 PM
Thank you, too, Tom! That is definitely something I will have him do, whether this problem is frozen pipes.