Winterize Water Well

The first hard freeze has hit Texoma. While you're preparing your home, appliances, and vehicles for the winter air you also need to prepare your water well systems.

There are a number of problems that can occur if you do not properly winterize your pumping system, those problems can start with parts of your system freezing up with water inside. If the pipes burst you could be faced with water flowing from your system down your streets.

However, the well's themselves are not at risk of freezing up because they are underground, but anything sticking out of the ground could possibly cost you if you do not take the right steps to prepare.

The first way to do it is turn off the power to your above ground equipment, pull the plugs and disconnect certain pipes where you can, said Michael Kussavage, Contracts and Operations Manager at AOC Environmental, Inc.

It's recommended to shut down your system for the season, until the warm weather returns. However, if you do want to leave your well up and running you need to make sure you winterize accordingly.

Your second option is you could leave it all together and everything operational, but you have to fully insulate it, said Kussavage. This means wrapping blankets and special tapes around all above ground equipment so the pipes don't freeze and burst.

The best way is to install a well house, said Kussavage. It's basically a small little shed that goes over all your equipment.

Inside the shed you would put a little light bulb, or small heater. You would leave either of those in the shed during cold days. The heat that generates from those appliances would need to be strong enough to keep the temperatures inside from reaching the freezing mark.

Officials at AOC Environment, Inc said if you have any part of your well above ground you need to take those winterizing steps. If you have a well with all electrical wiring and pipes below ground, you will not have to winterize.

For more information on what you need to do to keep your water well from being harmed by the winter freezes you can contact Michael Kussavage at (940)692-8989, or you can head to the website http://www.aocenvironmental.com .

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Winterize Water Well