Seasonal
Winter freeze and your well in Chino Valley
Most of a well sits deep and stays above freezing. The parts that freeze are the ones above ground: the tank, the switch, exposed pipe and sometimes the line near the wellhead.
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What is at risk
The pressure switch and the small tube under it, the pressure tank if it sits in an unheated shed, exposed pipe and hose bibs. A frozen switch tube can stop the pump from knowing pressure has dropped.
Before cold nights
Insulate exposed pipe, close up the well house or shed, and disconnect garden hoses. If you use heat in a pump house, use equipment rated for it and keep it clear of anything that can burn. The National Weather Service has general cold weather safety guidance.[source]
If water stops on a cold morning
Check the breaker and gauge as usual. If you suspect a freeze, do not use an open flame on pipes or the switch. Call the pump company and tell them it was a cold night.
Local well context
Chino Valley's 86323 ZIP has 11,230 registered well records,[source] so plenty of owners deal with the same question each winter. Watch the National Weather Service, Flagstaff office (opens in a new tab) forecasts for cold snaps.
Thawing safely
If a pipe or the switch tube froze, let the area warm slowly. Space heaters should be used with care and never left unattended near anything that can burn. Open flames on pipes are a fire risk. If you are not sure where the freeze is, call the pump company and let them handle it.
Questions
Can my well itself freeze?
The water in the well is deep below ground. Freezing problems are almost always above ground.
Should I let a faucet drip?
Some owners do on very cold nights. Ask the pump company about your setup.
What if a pipe burst?
Shut off the well breaker and call.
Related help
Want to talk it through?
Call and get connected with a local well pump company.
Call about your well(928) 655-8940