No water...
=^.^=
For the last three mornings, our pipes have frozen. They normally thaw
out around 8:30 a.m. Today, it is now noon and I still don't have
water. I've checked all around the outside of the house and under the
crawlspace for obvious leaks. (Okay, the crawlspace is yucky and I
just stood on the steps and listened and shined the flashlight under
there.) There was no sign nor sound of leaking pipes anywhere.
We have a well. Could a fuse or something have blown at the pump?
Appreciate any input. Thanks.
Bev
clou...@NOSPAMprimenet.com
**To reply directly, remove NOSPAM from address**
Gary Slusser
=^.^= <clou...@NOSPAMprimenet.com> wrote in article
<66ulco$6...@nntp02.primenet.com>...
First look at the pressure gauge and if there is pressure then you have a
frozen spot somewhere. If no pressure you could have a blown fuse or tripped
breaker. And if not an electrical problem the well could be going 'dry'.
Wish ya luck and I hope you get the 'freeze' problem solved, its not getting
warmer just yet.
Gary
=^.^=
"Gary Slusser" <qwas...@ptd.net> wrote:
>=^.^= <clou...@NOSPAMprimenet.com> wrote in article
><66ulco$6...@nntp02.primenet.com>...
>> For the last three mornings, our pipes have frozen. They normally thaw
>> out around 8:30 a.m. Today, it is now noon and I still don't have
>> water. I've checked all around the outside of the house and under the
>> crawlspace for obvious leaks. (Okay, the crawlspace is yucky and I
>> just stood on the steps and listened and shined the flashlight under
>> there.) There was no sign nor sound of leaking pipes anywhere.
>>
>> We have a well. Could a fuse or something have blown at the pump?
>>
>> Appreciate any input. Thanks.
>First look at the pressure gauge and if there is pressure then you have a
>frozen spot somewhere. If no pressure you could have a blown fuse or tripped
>breaker. And if not an electrical problem the well could be going 'dry'.
>Wish ya luck and I hope you get the 'freeze' problem solved, its not getting
>warmer just yet.
>Gary
Thanks, Gary. Thanks also to Joe Supulski and Ron Tiemann who replied
via email.
It's still not fixed yet. We're waiting for the pump guy to call back.
If I don't hear from him soon, we'll just call someone else. It's not
a freezing problem...it's had plenty of time and 50-plus temps to thaw
out. Doesn't seem to be electrical...there is power getting to the
pump and to the holding tank. The holding tank is new...just had it
replaced last February. The pump, however, is probably 15 years old.
Friday night we had a power outage for 3 hours...don't know if this
has any bearing on the matter. There was no spike or anything as far
as we know, but that may be when this all started.
I hope to heck the well hasn't run dry... 8-(
Gary Slusser
=^.^= <clou...@NOSPAMprimenet.com> wrote in article
<671eto$e...@nntp02.primenet.com>...
> "Gary Slusser" <qwas...@ptd.net> wrote:
>
> >=^.^= <clou...@NOSPAMprimenet.com> wrote in article
> ><66ulco$6...@nntp02.primenet.com>...
> >> For the last three mornings, our pipes have frozen. They normally thaw
> >> out around 8:30 a.m. Today, it is now noon and I still don't have
> >> water. I've checked all around the outside of the house and under the
> >> crawlspace for obvious leaks. (Okay, the crawlspace is yucky and I
> >> just stood on the steps and listened and shined the flashlight under
> >> there.) There was no sign nor sound of leaking pipes anywhere.
> >>
> >> We have a well. Could a fuse or something have blown at the pump?
>
> Thanks, Gary. Thanks also to Joe Supulski and Ron Tiemann who replied
> via email.
>
> It's still not fixed yet. We're waiting for the pump guy to call back.
> If I don't hear from him soon, we'll just call someone else. It's not
> a freezing problem...it's had plenty of time and 50-plus temps to thaw
> out. Doesn't seem to be electrical...there is power getting to the
> pump and to the holding tank. The holding tank is new...just had it
> replaced last February. The pump, however, is probably 15 years old.
> Friday night we had a power outage for 3 hours...don't know if this
> has any bearing on the matter. There was no spike or anything as far
> as we know, but that may be when this all started.
>
> I hope to heck the well hasn't run dry... 8-(
>
>
> Bev
> clou...@NOSPAMprimenet.com
> **To reply directly, remove NOSPAM from address**
Are you sure there is power to the well and not just at the pressure switch?
If your well casing is up out of the ground or easily uncovered you can check
for voltage just inside the casing (under the cap). Usually this connection is
made with wire nuts and there could be a bad connection. Just be careful this
is a bit dangerous if you try to do anything with the power turned on at the
control box.
You don't have a low pressure cut off switch do you? That's the kind with a
short metal lever on the side of the pressure switch and on the side of the
cover it tells you "off auto manual" and with a power outage and water used
you won't get power to the pump or water until you reset this switch. You have
to hold the switch in the manual position until the water pressure gets above
20 psi and then you can let go it and it will control the pump automatically.
Don't ya just hate when this happens! And then 'they' don't return your call.
Gary
=^.^=
"Gary Slusser" <qwas...@ptd.net> wrote:
>=^.^= <clou...@NOSPAMprimenet.com> wrote in article
>> It's still not fixed yet. We're waiting for the pump guy to call back.
>> If I don't hear from him soon, we'll just call someone else. It's not
>> a freezing problem...it's had plenty of time and 50-plus temps to thaw
>> out. Doesn't seem to be electrical...there is power getting to the
>> pump and to the holding tank. The holding tank is new...just had it
>> replaced last February. The pump, however, is probably 15 years old.
>> Friday night we had a power outage for 3 hours...don't know if this
>> has any bearing on the matter. There was no spike or anything as far
>> as we know, but that may be when this all started.
>>
>> I hope to heck the well hasn't run dry... 8-(
>Are you sure there is power to the well and not just at the pressure switch?
>If your well casing is up out of the ground or easily uncovered you can check
>for voltage just inside the casing (under the cap). Usually this connection is
>made with wire nuts and there could be a bad connection. Just be careful this
>is a bit dangerous if you try to do anything with the power turned on at the
>control box.
>You don't have a low pressure cut off switch do you? That's the kind with a
>short metal lever on the side of the pressure switch and on the side of the
>cover it tells you "off auto manual" and with a power outage and water used
>you won't get power to the pump or water until you reset this switch. You have
>to hold the switch in the manual position until the water pressure gets above
>20 psi and then you can let go it and it will control the pump automatically.
>Don't ya just hate when this happens! And then 'they' don't return your call.
It has been six hours and he still hasn't returned my call! Grant it,
it's Sunday, but if they weren't going to make it out here today, they
could at least have the courtesy to call me back to tell me *that*! I
have tomorrow off work anyway, so if I don't hear from them first
thing in the morning, I *will* call the other company. I called these
guys first because they are the ones who put in the new tank last Feb.
And I'm pretty sure they put in the well originally, too.
Anyway, when the plumber was over last night, he hooked up a meter at
the pump and said it was getting power. The tank has no pressure
reading right now because it's empty...and the pump isn't working to
fill it up.
My husband is going to go out and hold the switch like you said to see
if the pressure goes up. I don't think it's a low pressure cut off
switch, I think he called it an overload switch or something??
Anyway, if this works I will surely let you know!
Thanks again for your continued support... 8-)
Bev
=^.^=
"Gary Slusser" <qwas...@ptd.net> wrote:
>They may not check messages over the weekend especially if they are a well
>driller. You probably wouldn't like the bill for a Sunday job anyway! I'd
>suggest a motel with a hot tub or some such thing.
I talked with a real person when I called this morning, not a machine.
Anyway, they finally called back at around 6:30 pm. They will be out
here between 9 and 9:30 tomorrow morning. At least I won't have to pay
weekend rates!
The hot tub sounds nice! I've gone this long, another 18 hours or so
won't make it much worse.... It's been great fun heating up water on
the stove to use for washing face, hair, and such. And dishes. Oh, and
dumping a gallon or more of water in the toilet to flush it is
interesting, too. We've got several 3-gallon water jugs that we fill
up from neighbors. It's not so bad. Almost like camping out. 8-)
Gary Slusser
=^.^= <clou...@NOSPAMprimenet.com> wrote in article
<671ol0$i...@nntp02.primenet.com>...
> "Gary Slusser" <qwas...@ptd.net> wrote:
>
> >=^.^= <clou...@NOSPAMprimenet.com> wrote in article
> >> It's still not fixed yet. We're waiting for the pump guy to call back.
> >> If I don't hear from him soon, we'll just call someone else.
>
> >Don't ya just hate when this happens! And then 'they' don't return your
call.
>
>
> It has been six hours and he still hasn't returned my call! Grant it,
> it's Sunday, but if they weren't going to make it out here today, they
> could at least have the courtesy to call me back to tell me *that*! I
> have tomorrow off work anyway, so if I don't hear from them first
> thing in the morning, I *will* call the other company. I called these
> guys first because they are the ones who put in the new tank last Feb.
> And I'm pretty sure they put in the well originally, too.
>
> Anyway, when the plumber was over last night, he hooked up a meter at
> the pump and said it was getting power. The tank has no pressure
> reading right now because it's empty...and the pump isn't working to
> fill it up.
>
> My husband is going to go out and hold the switch like you said to see
> if the pressure goes up. I don't think it's a low pressure cut off
> switch, I think he called it an overload switch or something??
> Anyway, if this works I will surely let you know!
>
> Thanks again for your continued support... 8-)
>
> Bev
They may not check messages over the weekend especially if they are a well
driller. You probably wouldn't like the bill for a Sunday job anyway! I'd
suggest a motel with a hot tub or some such thing.
Gary
danh...@millcomm.com
In <671ol0$i...@nntp02.primenet.com>, clou...@NOSPAMprimenet.com (=^.^=) writes:
>It has been six hours and he still hasn't returned my call! Grant it,
>it's Sunday, but if they weren't going to make it out here today, they
>could at least have the courtesy to call me back to tell me *that*! I
>have tomorrow off work anyway, so if I don't hear from them first
>thing in the morning, I *will* call the other company. I called these
>guys first because they are the ones who put in the new tank last Feb.
>And I'm pretty sure they put in the well originally, too.
>
>Anyway, when the plumber was over last night, he hooked up a meter at
>the pump and said it was getting power. The tank has no pressure
>reading right now because it's empty...and the pump isn't working to
>fill it up.
>
>My husband is going to go out and hold the switch like you said to see
>if the pressure goes up. I don't think it's a low pressure cut off
>switch, I think he called it an overload switch or something??
>Anyway, if this works I will surely let you know!
Your real problem was that the pipes were freezing in the first place.
Nowhere in the country has it been particularly cold, so you have a very
poor installation if you are getting freezing pipes. What may have
happened, if your pump is in an exposed location, is that the pump itself
may have frozen, and then burned out when it came on with ice inside.
Once you get over the immediate emergency, you need to figure out how to
keep your pipes from freezing. At the very least you may need to keep
water running at a slow trickle to prevent freeze up this winter.
Dan Hicks
Hey!! My advice is free -- take it for what it's worth!
http://www.millcomm.com/~danhicks
=^.^=
danh...@millcomm.com wrote:
>Your real problem was that the pipes were freezing in the first place.
>Nowhere in the country has it been particularly cold, so you have a very
>poor installation if you are getting freezing pipes.
20 degrees isn't particularly cold? For where I live it is.
> What may have
>happened, if your pump is in an exposed location, is that the pump itself
>may have frozen, and then burned out when it came on with ice inside.
This sounds reasonable. The wood box cover we used to have over the
pump finally rotted and fell apart, so we just have a plastic garbage
can turned upside down over it now. That small difference in
insulating value may have been enough to cause the pump to freeze.
We have had plenty of nights colder than 20 degrees in previous
winters without the pump freezing.
>Once you get over the immediate emergency, you need to figure out how to
>keep your pipes from freezing. At the very least you may need to keep
>water running at a slow trickle to prevent freeze up this winter.
We did! The water was set to a trickle the night this happened! Using
a trickle has previously worked.
=^.^=
We have water again!
There was a small hole in the pipe that comes from the well. The water
was squirting out of the hole and recirculating back down into the
well. This prevented adequate pressure from building up. (I think it
prevented *any* pressure from building up.)
The damage: $213.
Of course, the water is dirty now. That shouldn't last for too long, I
hope.
Gary Slusser
=^.^= <clou...@NOSPAMprimenet.com> wrote in article
<673vt2$k...@nntp02.primenet.com>...
In other words the pump was running all that time!! and next month's electric
bill should not be a surprise. Dirty water, ah but no more luggin' buckets for
flushin'.
Gary
=^.^=
>Gary Slusser" <qwas...@ptd.net> wrote:
>=^.^= <clou...@NOSPAMprimenet.com> wrote in article
><673vt2$k...@nntp02.primenet.com>...
>> We have water again!
>>
>> There was a small hole in the pipe that comes from the well. The water
>> was squirting out of the hole and recirculating back down into the
>> well. This prevented adequate pressure from building up. (I think it
>> prevented *any* pressure from building up.)
>>
>> The damage: $213.
>>
>> Of course, the water is dirty now. That shouldn't last for too long, I
>> hope.
>In other words the pump was running all that time!! and next month's electric
>bill should not be a surprise. Dirty water, ah but no more luggin' buckets for
>flushin'.
Ugh. Yeah, I suppose it was running the whole time. I guess it didn't
cross my mind that it would be running *constantly* the whole time.
Luckily, I'm on a SAVE plan with the electric company and our electric
bill is the same every month. This may or may not kick it up in a few
months time. We usually have a credit balance, so it shouldn't affect
it. <fingersXcrossed for luck>
Mr Fixit
=^.^= <clou...@NOSPAMprimenet.com> wrote in article
<673vt2$k...@nntp02.primenet.com>...
> We have water again!
>
> There was a small hole in the pipe that comes from the well. The water
> was squirting out of the hole and recirculating back down into the
> well. This prevented adequate pressure from building up. (I think it
> prevented *any* pressure from building up.)
>
> The damage: $213.
>
> Of course, the water is dirty now. That shouldn't last for too long, I
> hope.
>
> clou...@NOSPAMprimenet.com
> **To reply directly, remove NOSPAM from address**
>
>
I just LOVE following a thread to a happy ending!
Mr Fixit
WireAlarm
You might have need for this alarm!!
Wireless Alarm Products, Inc. Home Page