How to Maintain a Residential Well in the Wintertime  

Old Man Winter is knocking on the door at this point. If you’re the owner of a domestic well, wintertime poses its suite of challenges: from the potential for frozen pipes to possible contamination from snowmelt and flooding at the (often messy) tail-end of the season.

Here at Greco & Haines, we provide across-the-board residential well service for customers throughout Connecticut. If you want to make sure your well system is up to snuff ahead of winter or requires maintenance or repairs during the cold season, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our friendly team, drawing upon more than a half-century of experience in the trade!

Let’s take a look at some of the well issues and proactive maintenance you ought to be considered as the wintry months set in.

Well System/Well Water Inspections

Arranging a thorough professional assessment of your well ahead of winter is a great idea, as it can reveal potential problems that are easier dealt with before snow and ice set in — not to mention generally increase the odds that you’ll enjoy steady well service throughout the season.

Issues that should be tackled before winter gets underway could range from insufficient or inappropriate grading around your wellhead — which can cause meltwater pooling or excessive accumulation of subsurface water around your well, raising the odds of contamination — to a failing well pump or pressure switch.

Reach out to Greco & Haines to schedule a comprehensive well inspection today!

Well Water Testing

You should also have your well water quality tested at least once a year, and sometimes more frequent analysis is warranted. It’s not at all a bad idea to pursue this water-quality testing in late winter or early spring, given the saturated soils and outright flooding that often result from this time of year from snowmelt and rainfall can potentially contaminate your well water (including via the road salt that’s widely applied to winter roadways).

If you want to more closely monitor well water quality to diagnose a specific issue or evaluate a new filtration setup, you might consider having tests done before and after the winter season.

Warding Against Frozen Pipes

While your well itself is deep enough to be buffered against freezing temperatures, winter weather can threaten shallower or aboveground plumbing and equipment, including jet pumps. Making sure pipes are properly insulated and that above-ground pumps are situated in heated spaces or a protective well house will reduce the odds of freeze-ups, which can wreak havoc with your water pressure and lead to costly leaks.

Keeping Your Wellhead Clear

During winter, make sure to keep your well cover exposed and free of snow. It’s all too easy to let it get buried under the drifts, increasing the odds you’ll damage it (say, with a vehicle or snowblower). Needless to say, it also makes checking wellhead conditions a lot more difficult.

Readying Yourself for Power Outages

From snowstorms to freezing rain, winter weather all too frequently knocks out power. For an ill-prepared well owner, this can mean a sudden shut-off of the water supply.

Acquire a manual hand pump as well as a generator to serve as emergency fallbacks, and be sure you’ve got a supply of drinking water stockpiled for contingencies.

Turn to Greco & Haines for Your Winter Residential Well Maintenance

Whether you need an annual well inspection, well water testing, or diagnosis of low water pressure or a malfunctioning pump, look no further than Greco & Haines for winter residential well service anywhere in Connecticut!

We’re available seven days a week and 365 days a year: Drop us a line over the website or by calling 203-735-9308, 203-777-2256, or—toll-free from any CT area code—1-800-922-2958.