If you live in a home with a well, you know the ins and outs of how they work. Unfortunately, you also know that repairs are sometimes unavoidable with wells. Typically, you begin to see these post-winter well issues after the cold season has come and gone, and it’s essential to know how to fix them.
Frozen Pipes
Large temperature drops can, unfortunately, freeze exterior and interior pipes, which means they are susceptible to damage during the winter. Some of these pipes are often left untouched for months, so it’s hard to tell what’s damaged and what’s safe. Sometimes, this can lead to lines completely freezing or bursting.
Addressing This Issue
It helps to be proactive and winterize your pipes – including adding insulation around water lines, changing to frost-free spigots, and allowing your inside faucet to drip slowly overnight. If it’s too late, and your outdoor hose bibb is frozen, open the valve if it isn’t already. Then, pack the area behind it with washcloths or towels, and pour very hot water over the fabric to saturate them and warm the bibb (If indoors, warm the affected area as best you can with dryers, space heaters, etc).
Sink Drain Clogs
Surprisingly, wintertime can be hard on your kitchen or bathroom sinks; pipes can suffer, and if more food waste is sentinto your garbage disposal it can be hard on that system. Greasy food waste can build up more frequently, and with the cold weather rolling in, it can cause extra blockages that will cause cracking or other damage. It may not seem like a post-winter well issue, but it all ties in together, and there are ways to fix it!
How To Fix It
For starters, be careful of what goes through the garbage disposal during this time of year and wind it out continuously. If you suspect an issue, immediately cut off power to the system; you can take a flashlight to look for obstructions to clear them, but keep in mind they may not be in an easily reachable place. Give the system some time to cool down, restore power to the garbage disposal, if a breaker has been tripped, and don’t use it until it’s been fixed.
Water Heating Problems
During the coldest months of the year, you tend to be extra hard on your home’s water heaters. Unfortunately, the high demand for hot water can also sprout problems, including issues that can limit or stop the hot water supply. We often see these post-winter well issues arise during or after the coldest months!
Correcting This Concern
You could invest in a water heater blanket to prevent any potential heat loss inside your water heater during the winter. If you notice you don’t have enough hot water, check the temperature dial on the water heater, as they can accidentally be turned down. Double-check your electrical or power supply if it’s not working; sometimes, minor power outages or a closed valve can really be a problem!
What To Do With Post-Winter Well Issues
These are some of the top post-winter well issues that could become a significant problem in your home, with plenty more to keep an eye out for! It all sounds scary and overwhelming, but the first step is to identify your issues and take a deep breath – these can all be solved with the right people having your back!
Detail View Home Inspection is ready to get our hands dirty to help you with any well concerns you may have. Be on the lookout for other post-winter well concerns in upcoming blogs!
Keywords: post-winter well issues, wells, well issues, post-winter well concerns
