Well Owner Guide
Winterizing a Water Well System, the Panhandle Way
Know what actually freezes
The well itself does not freeze. Water in the casing sits far below frost depth, safely insulated by the ground. What freezes is everything above grade: well house plumbing, the pressure tank tee, exposed drop pipe at the wellhead, hydrants plumbed wrong, and supply lines buried too shallow.
That is good news. The vulnerable parts are the parts you can see and fix, and most fixes are insulation and detail work, not major plumbing. The 2021 statewide freeze proved the point across Texas: systems with tight well houses and buried lines came through, and the damage clustered where pipes met wind.
The well house checklist
Seal wall and lid gaps; wind is the killer, and a 20-below wind chill finds every crack. Insulate walls, lid, and every pipe penetration. Wrap the pressure tank tee and switch line, the small-diameter parts that freeze first. Confirm the door actually latches.
Heat sources are backup, not strategy. A heat lamp in a tight, insulated well house rides out an ice-storm power failure for hours on residual heat. The same lamp in a drafty box is the only thing working, and it dies with the power.
Do the checklist in October, on a mild Saturday, with the hardware store open. The same work done in a February emergency costs multiples and gets done worse, with cold hands, by flashlight.
Stock water details
Buried supply lines belong below frost depth, and the last vertical foot up to a trough is where shortcuts show first. Freeze-rated float valve housings, drain-back risers where the design allows them, and overflow routed so it cannot ice into a dam all keep stock tanks serving through single-digit stretches.
Deep water resists freezing. A tank with real volume stays open when a shallow trough skins over, and moving water helps even more. Check every float before winter arrives: a stuck float discovered in January is an axe-and-flashlight job at dawn.
Windmills and solar in winter
Windmills run all winter and their cylinders sit safely downhole below frost. The service item is oil: cold weather thickens tired oil, and the gearbox works harder against it all season. A late-fall oil service is the cheapest insurance a mill can buy.
Solar systems winter well because demand drops as production drops. Confirm panel mounts are tight ahead of ice-load season, and keep storage full going into cold snaps: a full tank is thermal mass and a buffer if a storm brings a week of low sun.
If the freeze wins anyway
Shut off pump power before thawing anything. A pump running against an ice blockage or a burst line destroys itself and floods the well house the moment the ice releases. Find the break, close the isolation valve, then thaw slowly. Open flame on PVC and on fittings has burned down more than one well house; heat tape and patience win.
Then call 806-334-0785. We repair the break, and more usefully, we point at the detail that let it happen so next winter is boring.
Quick Answers
At what temperature should I worry?
Sustained hard freezes with wind are the danger, not a light overnight frost. In this country that means every winter, several times. Build for it once instead of watching forecasts forever.
Should I let faucets drip?
A dripping faucet keeps water moving through vulnerable lines during an extreme event, at the cost of running your pump. It is a storm tactic, not a substitute for insulation.
Do frost-free hydrants really not freeze?
A properly installed frost-free hydrant drains itself below grade after each use. One installed shallow, or one with a blocked drain path, freezes like anything else. Installation depth is the whole trick.
Is heat tape safe?
Quality thermostatic heat tape, installed to its listing, yes. Daisy-chained bargain tape on an extension cord in a wooden well house, no. We install it correctly as part of winterization work.
Should I drain my system if the house sits empty all winter?
For an unoccupied place, draining the pressure system and lines beats heating an empty house. Do it in order: pump off, tank drained, lines opened at the low points. We winterize vacant properties as a service.
What about the wellhead itself outside?
A sealed sanitary well cap sheds weather; the freeze risk is the above-grade piping next to it. Insulated wellhead covers help, and a pitless adapter setup moves the connection below frost line entirely.
Can you winterize my whole system for me?
Yes. A fall winterization visit covers the well house, wellhead, stock plumbing, and floats in one pass, with a short report of anything that needs more than a wrench. It books fast in October, so call early: 806-334-0785.