Problems in magical places
And sometimes, having an old historic cottage, even one that was thoroughly renovated about 15 years ago, catches up.
Our well and the well pump and well pressure system predate the previous owner, who assured us that it was an artesian well, with plenty of water. And so it has provided us with plenty of water for all of our gardening endeavors over the last two summers, including the first particularly droughty one.
But when the well pump didn’t turn off after its normal cycle this morning, I was alarmed. We ditched our skiing/shopping excursion and tried turning the pump on and off, via the circuit breaker. It didn’t reset. Now, it’s reset twice on its own after that, so maybe it’s just a faulty pressure valve.
I also realized when we had the power turned off to the well pump, we also had no water, as the pressure tank is probably connected to the same circuit.
Not knowing too much about well pumps, water pressure, problem-solving, etc. of course, I resort to Google. Way too much information, but informative, too.
Last summer, we tried to locate our well head cover with no luck, having had a young plumber ask about where the well was the previous summer, as he was struggling to reprime our well after installing a new hot water heater. Hmm, we have a general idea about where it is, from the two previous owners, but magnetic detection devices didn’t pick up much, so probably excavation will be required to find the buried line to the well and its location (a fellow told us that last summer).
And the plumbing company’s assistant now thinks that may be required to fix our well pump issue. UGH.
Last summer, the fellow who came by to consult with us on locating the well cover suggested summer would be the best time to do this. Well, of course. Perhaps we’ll be able to limp along through February (we do still have water), and put this off until snowmelt and softer soil.
Needless to say, this will mean digging through way more roots of the spruce and birch nearby than plant people like us would like (not to mention what’s planted along the house) — those are easily replaceable, the trees are not.
Our well and the well pump and well pressure system predate the previous owner, who assured us that it was an artesian well, with plenty of water. And so it has provided us with plenty of water for all of our gardening endeavors over the last two summers, including the first particularly droughty one.
But when the well pump didn’t turn off after its normal cycle this morning, I was alarmed. We ditched our skiing/shopping excursion and tried turning the pump on and off, via the circuit breaker. It didn’t reset. Now, it’s reset twice on its own after that, so maybe it’s just a faulty pressure valve.
I also realized when we had the power turned off to the well pump, we also had no water, as the pressure tank is probably connected to the same circuit.
Not knowing too much about well pumps, water pressure, problem-solving, etc. of course, I resort to Google. Way too much information, but informative, too.
Last summer, we tried to locate our well head cover with no luck, having had a young plumber ask about where the well was the previous summer, as he was struggling to reprime our well after installing a new hot water heater. Hmm, we have a general idea about where it is, from the two previous owners, but magnetic detection devices didn’t pick up much, so probably excavation will be required to find the buried line to the well and its location (a fellow told us that last summer).
And the plumbing company’s assistant now thinks that may be required to fix our well pump issue. UGH.
Last summer, the fellow who came by to consult with us on locating the well cover suggested summer would be the best time to do this. Well, of course. Perhaps we’ll be able to limp along through February (we do still have water), and put this off until snowmelt and softer soil.
Needless to say, this will mean digging through way more roots of the spruce and birch nearby than plant people like us would like (not to mention what’s planted along the house) — those are easily replaceable, the trees are not.
I know this sounds crazy, but find a dowser!
ReplyDeleteHmm, that's always a possibility, as unlikely as it seems. Fortunately, the well system seems to be behaving at the moment, so we may be able to delay until late spring, when it will be a lot easier to do the excavation...
DeleteOld house problems seem to come not in single spies, but in battalions.
ReplyDeleteIt does seem like that sometimes!
Delete