How to Winterize Your Well & Pump in South Jersey

1. Where Well Systems Actually Freeze

Most modern wells use a pitless adapter, a fitting on the well casing that sends the water line out sideways underground, below the frost line. That part of your system is well protected. The trouble spots are the parts exposed to cold air:

Risk spot	Why it freezes	Risk level
Pressure switch & its small feed tube	Tiny pipe, little water: first thing to freeze in a cold garage or crawlspace	High
Pressure tank & tank tee	Often in unheated garages, crawlspaces or pump houses	High
Above-ground jet pumps	Pump body sits in a pump house or basement corner	High
Lines to barns, sheds, yard hydrants	Sometimes buried too shallow or exposed where they rise	Medium
Older wells in pits	Pre-pitless wells with the connection in a shallow pit	Medium
Buried line from well to house	Protected if at proper depth	Low

2. South Jersey Well Winterizing Checklist

1. Find every piece of your system. Locate the wellhead, pressure tank, pressure switch, gauge and any above-ground pump. Take photos of the connections; they're helpful if repairs are ever needed.
2. Insulate exposed pipes with foam pipe insulation, especially the short run between the tank and the house plumbing.
3. Seal drafts around the pressure tank: crawlspace vents, gaps under garage and pump house doors, holes where pipes enter.
4. Add heat where needed. Use UL-listed, thermostat-controlled heat cable on exposed pipe (install exactly as the maker instructs), or a thermostatically controlled heater in a pump house. More on that below.
5. Check your pressure tank precharge. It takes 15 minutes. See how much pressure should be in a well pressure tank.
6. Watch for warning signs now: short cycling, low pressure or a pump that runs too long. A weak pump fails more often in winter when it's working harder.
7. Disconnect garden hoses and drain outdoor faucets. Replace failing yard hydrants with frost-free yard hydrants (we install these).
8. Mark your wellhead with a tall stake so snow plows and vehicles don't hit it.
9. Keep the heat on. If you travel, keep the thermostat at 55°F or higher, as State Farm recommends.

3. Heating a Pump House Safely

A pump house only needs to stay above freezing; keeping it around 40°F is plenty. How you heat it matters:

• Insulate first: walls, ceiling and especially the door. Heat is wasted if it pours out a gap.
• Use a thermostatically controlled heater designed for small enclosed spaces, mounted where it can't be knocked over or touch anything combustible.
• Avoid unattended heat lamps. They're a well-known fire risk in outbuildings.
• Don't store gasoline, fertilizer, paint or cardboard in the pump house.
• Add a cheap wireless thermometer with a low-temperature alert so you know before it freezes.

4. Power Outages and Generators

A well pump needs electricity, so in an outage you lose water and, often, the heat that protects your pipes. Winter storms bring both at once.

• Most submersible pumps run on 240 volts. Your generator must be sized for the pump's starting load, not just its running watts. A constant-pressure system or soft-start pump can make a smaller generator workable.
• Use a transfer switch installed by a licensed electrician. Never back-feed through a dryer outlet.
• Store drinking water (a gallon per person per day) and fill a bathtub for flushing before a big storm.
• When power returns, watch the pressure gauge. If the pump runs but pressure doesn't build, turn it off and call us. Something may have frozen or broken.

5. Vacant Homes, Barns and Irrigation Wells

Shore homes and vacant properties: If no one will be there and the heat may go off, the safest choice is to drain the system. Turn off power to the pump, open a faucet or drain until the gauge reads 0 PSI (the method AMTROL gives for winterizing a tank), then drain the tank and the house plumbing. If you're not comfortable doing this, we can do it for you.

Barns and outbuildings: Lines that rise out of the ground into an unheated building need heat cable and insulation, or a frost-free hydrant.

Irrigation and farm wells: Shut down, drain the pump, above-ground piping and controls before the first hard freeze. We service irrigation pumps, including vertical line shaft turbines.

6. Frequently Asked Questions

Can a well freeze in New Jersey?

The well itself rarely freezes because the water line leaves the casing below the frost line through a pitless adapter. What freezes are the exposed parts: the pressure switch, pressure tank, above-ground pumps and pipes in unheated spaces.

What temperature should a well pump house be in winter?

Keep it above freezing. Around 40°F is a safe target, using a thermostatically controlled heater and good insulation.

Is it safe to use a heat lamp in a pump house?

We don't recommend it. Heat lamps can be knocked over or ignite nearby materials. A thermostatically controlled heater rated for the space is safer.

Should I drain my well system for winter?

Only if the building will be unheated. Then turn off the pump power, drain pressure to zero, and drain the tank and plumbing. Otherwise, insulation and controlled heat are enough.

At what temperature do pipes freeze?

Uninsulated pipes in unheated areas are most at risk when outdoor temperatures drop below 20°F, according to State Farm. South Jersey reached that many times in January 2026.