Frozen pump, pipe, or burnt pump

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ayap888

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Ok. The temperature last night at my cabin, where I have a deep well pump (around 305 ft), was around 16F - 18F.

This morning, the water came to a trickle and then GONE ! The outside temperature was 20F when I woke up to find no water. And then it gradually went up to 25. But I know last night was 16 - 18F.

I checked my water tank pressure meter and there was ZERO (0) pressure. I closed the valve on the tank to shut off any water going to the house. And then I went to the main circuit breaker and CUT OFF the power to the water well, fearing that my pump is frozen and just wanted to save the pump.

I went back to see the pressure meter and the pressure climbed back to 23 - 24. I opened the valve again to let water out, and the pressure meter went back to zero (0). I closed the valve again and it went very very slowly to 10 and 20 and then 23-24 psi.

I wanted to know if my pump got burned. I don't know if I did the correct test. I went back to the circuit breaker to turn on the pump. Then open the valve .. same thing .. pressure went to zero. And then I shut off the valve again and the pressure climbed back up a bit faster to 20 psi than when the power to the pump was cut off.

Is my pump still working? Or is it just frozen?
Is there a way to see if the pump is working, and it's not a problem with a frozen well?

I also heard that deep wells more than 300 ft. deep, means that the pump cannot freeze at that depth.I do remember that the deep well has a faucet/valve and I turned that on ... and no water came out. So probably could not have been the pipe running from the well to the house.

Is it possible that the ground is so frozen that the deep well has less water seeping into the aquifier and the deep well pressure has trickled down to almost a halt ? So maybe I just run out of water ?
Or is it possible that the piping near the ground surface has frozen ??

I left my cabin this morning and will probably return when temperatures are back to 45 - 50 in about 2-3 weeks and see if the water will be running again.
I turned off the water heater and deep well power as I do when I leave my mountain cabin.

Thanks for any help.
 

Valveman

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Always check the nipple to the pressure switch first. If the points in the pressure switch are closed and the pump is running, then it is probably frozen up between the well and the tank.
 

ayap888

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Always check the nipple to the pressure switch first. If the points in the pressure switch are closed and the pump is running, then it is probably frozen up between the well and the tank.

Is the pressure switch connected to the pump or the pressure tank ? I'm not so familiar with the system. Thanks in advance.
 

ayap888

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I don't know what to do when I go back to my cabin next week. The weather is above freezing point now. What if it does not go back to normal. should I replace the pump ?
 
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