Water Well Users

[Bill B]

Any of you that are on a private water well, when you leave for an extended time,  do you turn the power off to the pump or shut the water supply off to the house?  I'm worried about either losing prime at the well or water damage inside the house due to broken pipe.  The well is fairly shallow, less than 100'. Bill

[foakes]

Hi Bill —-

We are on a well also.

We just had an automatic water shutoff installed last month.
 
It detects any leak in your home, then shuts off the water automatically —- and you get a message on your smartphone APP that lets you know there is an issue.  You can even shut off the water from your phone anywhere in the world. 

Then you can contact a trusted neighbor to have them see what the issue might be, if you are away.

There is a "learning period" for the device of a few days to get used to your house.

Our insurance company (Farmers) required this be done in order to continue our coverage.  Plus, it would have been easy for me to install myself —- but the insurance company required it be done by a licensed plumber, and they wanted a copy of the invoice for their records.

More damage is done to homes by water than by fire, flood, or earthquakes.

Plumber charged us about $130 to install it.  Item was about $400.

Best, Fred

[Keta]

If you have a downhole pump they are self priming.  Freezing is not a major issue in Crescent City and I would just leave the system on.

[thorhammer]

I turn off the well power at the beer can in the woods whenever I leave- JIC. My pump is a sub point tho, and will not lose prime.

[oc1]

Residual heat from the pump will keep the above-ground portions of the piping from freezing.  Pipe in the house is a different problem.