Okay....I'm a little worried about my well pump. Had the water on at the cabin....everything was running fine well into the evening 9:00-10:00pm. Woke up the next morning only to find no water, frozen lines, pressure gauge on 0. I immediately flipped the breaker turning off the well. Thankfully none of the pipes burst. What I am worried about is my well pump. It is a submersible deep well probably 90+ down. Did I burn it up? Am I worrying for nothing?
If I understand your pump situation ... submerged pump with one pipe/line coming up from pump to ground level, correct? If that is the case why would the pump know the pipes to be frozen ... as opposed to any other no-flow situation... such as no-demand or a closed in-line valve? I think all will be well.
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To prevent freezing again, you might consider installing a small return line to the well ... letting a small trickle drip back down into the well during very cold periods.
I have had my well pump and pressuretank freeze a few times with no issues. I know it was pure luck it didnt destroy them. I have a brooder lamp on the pressure tank and a pipe heater on the pump pipe. So far no freezing
JR you pretty much described the scenario. Actually I did have a trickle going from the sink until either my wife or one of my daughters must have shut it off. Hopefully it didn't run long. Like I mentioned.....water was all running fine around 9-10 o'clock. Got up to take a leak and bam no water.
Don't throw the girls under the bus just yet ... unless the trickle is robust enough, the flow will shut down as valve bodies, seals, etc., shrink with the cold ... then the freezing really begins. I've had a lot of over-night "freeze-preventing" drips close off ... that I THOUGHT were going to do the job and didn't. Best to leave a stream, not just drips.
99% chance you pump is [cool] so long as it is is water!
Where you run into the stuff is when you pumping dust.
BTW Sorry to read your froze up. Thats a bummer!
Quote from: JRR on December 11, 2014, 12:04:20 PM
Don't throw the girls under the bus just yet ... unless the trickle is robust enough, the flow will shut down as valve bodies, seals, etc., shrink with the cold ... then the freezing really begins. I've had a lot of over-night "freeze-preventing" drips close off ... that I THOUGHT were going to do the job and didn't. Best to leave a stream, not just drips.
Your assessment of drip or stream is so correct.