Well is frozen and we have no water HELP !!!?

Question

I moved from Southern California to Northern Wisconsin
and I am not used to the harsh weather. We have a deep well on our farm which is about 25 feet from the house . The well is above ground (now with a heat lamp on it). It is in a casing about 6 inches wide with a metal pipe sticking up out of the top 7". First , I want to know if I pour hot water down the small pipe if it will help. The problem is I don't know where the freeze is. The pipe goes from the well underground and then up through our basement. which is 7 ft under the ground. The motor of the pump hums but the water tank , which is in the basement is not making the clinking noise it usually makes when the water is working properly. How do I find out where the freeze is ? We have had -25 below with terrible winds and very little snow this year (2 ") I have small children and farm animals and buying water by the jug is getting old. I would appreciate any advice .and No-I am not moving ! : )Someone mentioned antifreeze ???

Answer 1

is the basement cold? Try heating the line from the well that comes into the basement. I'm guessing it would be a black plastic pipe. I would be hard pressed to believe that your water line wasn't buried below the frost line in Wisconsin. Seal the basement up as best as possible, eliminate any drafts and maybe put some styrofoam insulation over the windows if applicable. Maybe insulate the bond with fiberglass bats, where the walls meet the ceiling if not already done.

It's also possible that your pump is bad. as a suggestion take a thermometer into the basement and check the temperature. And if at all possible maybe contact the previous owner, he may have some insight to your problem.

Stay away from the anti-freeze and the boiling water.

Answer 2

Hot water down the pipe won't hurt any thing but I doubt if it will help.the small pipe sticking up is a handle for a pitiless well adapter. look up pitiless well adapter on the Internet to see what they look like they usually leave the well casing( the large pipe) at about 3 feet below ground level. I'm not sure at what depth the frost line is in your area but this is probably the closest point to ground level for the system you could try a thick layer of straw or some other mulch around the well and over the path you think the pipe takes to the house If done in the fall it would keep this from happening again you could try an mechanics drop light and lower it down the well to just below where you see the pipe leaving the well with a 100 watt bulb the make a lot of heat

Answer 3

I can't contribute a whole lot, but I would be very surprised that the system elements deep in the ground could freeze -- even in Wisconsin. I'm not sure the type of pump, but I know of none that is dependent upon mechansims above the freeze line. I would guess your freeze line couldn't be more than five feet below grade. And I would think your basement is cold but not freezing cold. Your problem may be mechanical. I don't see how hot water could do any harm.

I feel sorry I can't provide any more guidance.

Answer 4

BOY YOU DON'T WANT TO PUT ANTI FREEZER IN YOUR WELL OR ANY PART OF YOUR WATER SYSTEM! THAT STUFF IS POISON!!

Sounds like your water line going from the well to the house is not buried deep enough to be below the freeze line. Or you didn't insulate the cap pipe good enough (stub up where is comes out of the ground. That is usual the sallowest place where the line is buried and so will freeze up there first.
Another possible freeze point is where the pipe rises to enter the house.
Hate to say this but if it is the water line itself you might have to dig it up to get it thawed out. Or you can rig up a temp. line using PVC as long as you keep the water running so it doesn't freeze up as well. Or drain it when not using it.

Answer 5

The only suggestion I can give you is after it thaws is to wrap all of the exposed pipe in a good compound and wrap with a heavy insulation. also when there is the slightest sign that it is going to reach freezing turn on a faucet on slow trickle so that the water stays moving so that it cant freeze up. As for the hot water I don't think it will work. If you are considering anti-freeze in the water DON"T. Good luck

Answer 6

Go to one of your neighbor's house and while you ask him to fill some water containers for you, ask him what he does to keep the well from freezing and how he would unfreeze it too.