Maintenance & Seasonal Care

How to Winterize Your Private Well

Exposed pipes, shallow pressure tanks, and above-ground pump components can freeze and fail in a single hard winter night. Winterize before the first hard freeze—not during it.

Who Needs to Winterize and Who Doesn’t

Full winterization (draining and shutdown) is needed if:

  • The property will be unoccupied during freezing temperatures
  • You have a seasonal cabin, vacation home, or rental property
  • Any part of your water system (pipes, pressure tank, pump house) is exposed to temperatures below 32°F

Freeze protection only (insulation/heat tape) is sufficient if:

  • The home is occupied year-round and water is used continuously
  • All pipes and the pressure tank are in a conditioned space
  • Only specific vulnerable points (outdoor hose bibs, short exposed runs) need protection

Full Winterization: Step-by-Step

  1. Turn off the pump circuit breaker

    Never drain a system while the pump is energized. Shut off the pump at the breaker first. Label it with tape so it's not accidentally switched on during the drain process.

  2. Attach a compressor to the drain valve or Schrader valve

    Connect a standard air compressor to the system's drain valve (typically near the pressure tank). You'll blow compressed air through the system to purge all water from the lines.

  3. Open all indoor taps, starting at the highest point

    Open all faucets, flush all toilets (hold the handle to drain the tank), and open all hose bibs. Start from the highest point in the house and work down. Let gravity and air pressure remove all standing water.

  4. Drain the pressure tank

    Open the drain at the bottom of the pressure tank fully. Most pressure tanks have a dedicated drain valve. Let the tank drain completely and then blow through the supply line with the compressor to clear the remaining water.

  5. Blow out the lines with compressed air

    Apply 30–50 psi compressed air at the Schrader valve on the pressure tank, with all faucets open, and work through the house systematically until no water exits any tap. Pay particular attention to low points where water accumulates.

  6. Add antifreeze to traps (toilets, floor drains)

    Non-toxic RV/plumbing antifreeze (propylene glycol — not automotive antifreeze) can be added to toilet bowls, toilet tanks, and P-traps under sinks to prevent the small amount of water retained in traps from freezing and cracking porcelain or PVC. Do not use ethylene glycol (automotive antifreeze) in any plumbing.

  7. Disconnect and store hose bibs

    If your hose bibs are not frost-free type, close the interior shutoff valve to each one, open the exterior valve, and leave it open to allow any trapped water to drain. Remove and store garden hoses indoors — a hose left attached to a hose bib can prevent the bib from draining properly.

  8. Insulate the wellhead

    Even with the system shut down, the well casing and cap should be insulated against extreme cold. Foam pipe insulation on exposed above-ground casing sections, combined with a foam wellhead cover, protects the casing from freeze-thaw cracking. Never seal the wellhead completely airtight — the vent screen must remain functional.

Freeze Protection for Occupied Homes

If you live in the home year-round, full winterization is not appropriate. Instead:

  • Insulate vulnerable pipe runs — Any section of pipe in an unconditioned space (crawl space, unheated garage, outbuilding) should be wrapped with foam pipe insulation and, in very cold climates, self-regulating heat tape.
  • Maintain minimum indoor heat — Do not let the home drop below 55°F even when away, as cold pipes on exterior walls can freeze even indoors.
  • Let taps drip during extreme cold events — A slow drip (less than 1 GPM) keeps water moving through vulnerable pipes during extreme cold snaps.
  • Know where your main shutoff is — If a pipe bursts, you need to shut off water immediately. Know where the main shutoff (typically at the pressure tank) is located before an emergency occurs.
Can my submersible pump freeze?▼
The submersible pump itself sits below the frost line in the well casing and will not freeze under normal conditions. What can freeze is the drop pipe (the pipe connecting the pump to the surface) if it runs through a frozen zone, and the above-ground components (pressure tank, piping in the pump house or crawl space). The pump itself is protected by the earth’s thermal mass.
What’s the first sign that pipes have frozen?▼
Turning on a tap and getting no water (or very slow water) when the pump runs normally is the most common first sign of a frozen pipe. Act immediately: apply gentle heat to the suspected frozen section (hair dryer, heating pad — never an open flame). Leave taps open so expanding water has somewhere to go as the ice melts. If you can’t locate the frozen section or the pipe has already burst, shut off the main water supply and call a plumber.
Disclaimer Winterization procedures vary by system configuration. This guide covers common residential well systems. Consult a licensed plumber or well contractor for complex systems.