Just as your most cherished (and expensive) investments, require seasonal maintenance, so do some of the lesser known items around the house. As important as WAYNE well pumps are during the spring and summer months, it’s important to properly winterize your permanent pump installations, to prevent serious damage. Fortunately, winterizing a well pump is easier than you may think. Follow the four easy steps below to prevent sudden pump failure, and extend the life of your well pump.
• Start by turning all power to the pump off. After you have confirmed that the pump is no longer being powered, turn on a faucet connected to the discharge line, to relieve the pump of pressurized water.
• After the pump has been relieved of the pressurized water, unscrew the drain plug, located at the bottom front of the pump, to remove any remaining liquids. If the pump is not completely drained, serious damage to the pumps motor from freezing can occur.
• Disconnect the PVC pipe connected to the inlet and discharge, to drain remaining water. Stow the PVC pipes upright and allow them to dry.
2. If the pump cannot be removed from its current location or completely drained, follow the steps below.
• After confirming the pump has been drained and the drain plug has been reinserted, fill the pump with 99.9% pure usp food grade propylene glycol.
• Propylene glycol has a much lower freezing point than water, and will mix with any remaining water in the pump, that would have frozen otherwise.
3. When warmer weather has returned, follow the steps below ensure proper operation.
• If propylene glycol was used, unscrew the drain plug and drain all remaining liquids.
• If the pump was moved indoors, reconnect all inlet and discharge connections.
• After reconnecting the inlet and discharge pipes, prime the pump with water, power the pump on, and allow the pump to flush water through an open discharge port located on the top of the pump.
4. Enjoy your pump! Remember to follow the above instructions when stowing your WAYNE SWS/CWS next winter.