Most people don’t think of cold weather when they think of Florida, but in the northern part of the state, it’s not uncommon for us to experience temperature drops into the teens and twentiesâ -on occasion.
Fall is a wonderful time to get outside and enjoy our beautiful state without the heat and bugs, but it’s also a great time to begin preparing for winter and the coming drop in temperature.
As the air starts to cool and life seems to slow down a little, here are a few tips for maintaining your well, pump, and water treatment system this season.
1. Check Your Water Pressure
While many home and business owners choose to do their annual maintenance in the spring, if you happened to put it off, now is a great time to get a check-up.
One of the main things to check is that your air pressure is sufficient. As the ambient temperature starts to drop, the air inside your pump condenses and tank pressure will drop accordingly.
You’ve likely noticed this phenomenon in your car tires or sports balls during the cooler months. It’s said that for every 10 degrees drop in temperature, you can expect a decrease of about 1 PSI (pound per square inch).
This is not altogether concerning as, in our state, the most you might experience is a drop of 7-8 PSI on our coldest days. But, if your water pressure is already low, it can be disastrous to your tank.
If you are handy, here are some instructions to check the recharge in your tank.
- Turn the electricity to the well pump off.
- Drain the water from the tank.
- Check the aircharge – It should be 2 PSI (pounds per square inch) less than the cut in pressure.
To determine your switch setting, run water until the pump turns on then turn the water off. Check the PSI at the air valve, this is your cut in pressure. Let the pump build pressure until it shuts off naturally then check the water pressure at the air valve. This is your cut off pressure. Whatever that cut off is, subtract 22 and the result is what the aircharge should be. So for a cut-off of 60 PSI, it should be 38 PSI, for 50 PSI it should be 28 PSI, etc.
If the aircharge is not 2 PSI less than your cut in pressure, your tank may need further service.
2. Keep Your Pipes and Pressure Switch Warm
Another thing to start thinking about this time of year is keeping things warm. If the pipes from your well pump or water treatment system aren’t insulated, now would be a great time to “winterize” them. The process is really straight-forward, essentially any pipes that may be exposed to freezing temperatures should be insulated.
Winterizing your pipes is a relatively easy and cheap DIY project, but it’s important to insulate any pipe that exists outside of unheated spaces. These could be exterior pipes, pipes that run through attics or crawl spaces, or pipes in an unheated garage or barn.
There are several different options that you may want to consider when insulating your pipes, such as:
- Utilizing pipe wrap or pipe sleeves on exposed plumbing.
- Adding insulation to non-insulated areas and gaps where pipes enter the home.
- Installing frost-proof spigots outdoors, or adding faucet covers.
An additional item to consider keeping warm is your pressure switch. When the temperature drops below freezing, the pressure switch is vulnerable due to it’s smaller pipes, which will likely be some of the first to freeze.
Placing a small heat source like a heat lamp or heater near the pressure switch will go a long way in ensuring running water for you and your family during the coldest days of the year.
3. Eliminate Pests
A final recommendation this time of year is to spray for insects and pests. As the temperature cools, pests like roaches, ants, snakes, and mice look for areas to get warm.
This might take the form of hiding in your well house or coming through places where pipes enter your home. Either way now is a good time to spray or bait these areas to ensure that you don’t get any sudden surprises this season.
Contact Perry’s For All Your Cold Weather Needs
While it’s important for you to routinely check on your well for any issues, a thorough inspection is best done by a professional company. Repairs and replacements can be tricky and the risk of accidentally damaging something in the process could be high.
Contact Perry’s Pump Repair today for a full inspection, repair, or installation this fall season!
Call in the Professionals at Perry’s Pump Repair for All Your Water Pump Maintenance Needs
A tripped water pump circuit breaker can be quite frustrating. Not only does it indicate a problem, but it keeps water from flowing into your home. While we may not be electricians, we are well pump experts, and we can tell you what needs to happen next. We’ll help you identify what the issue is, how to fix it, and treat it to last with our warranty guarantee if we can help. Call us today to see how we can help keep your water pump properly functioning and maintained.
Get a Free Quote